(UK) Wolverhampton told it must improve SPED; "long waits"/nowhere to turn for support

Nov 10, 2021, BBC News: Wolverhampton Council to detail special needs improvement plans https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-59236067

Midlands

A council has been told it must improve its services for children with special educational needs and disabilities following an Ofsted report. Wolverhampton City Council said there were "no surprises" in the report but improvements were "high on the agenda"…. The main concerns raised during the inspection included long waits for children's needs to be assessed, quality of education, health and care plans being "too variable" and transitions in a child's life not being well planned. … Inspectors also said many families "do not know where to turn to for support" and that "embedded weaknesses and systemic failings" mean reforms to help young people achieve "'an ordinary life' remains some distance off".

A backlog of 200 annual reviews was also highlighted as a concern as well as a "low" number of young people entering supported employment…. "We fully appreciate that we are not yet at the point we want to be, and there are no surprises in this report," Councillor Dr Michael Hardacre said. "We believe the robust Written Statement of Action which is in development will put partners in a good place from which to drive forward the necessary improvements."