‘Concerning’ report on special needs services in Haringey

Council vows to improve Send provision in wake of Ofsted inspection, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

An Ofsted report has highlighted “significant areas of weakness” in Haringey’s special educational needs and disabilities (Send) services.

Inspectors from the education watchdog highlighted several failings including “poor communication” with parents and children and “unacceptable” waiting times for autistic spectrum disorder assessments.

Haringey Council, which has welcomed the report’s findings and pledged to make improvements, has been told to produce a written statement of action setting out how it will address the weaknesses.

Inspectors from Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission visited the borough in July to check on its progress in implementing reforms to Send set out in the Children and Families Act 2014.

In a report published on 1st October, they found leaders had made “insufficient progress” in implementing the reforms.  They raised concerns over the “poor” quality of education, health, and care plans, warning that “too often, health and care outcomes are missing”.

The report reveals parents told inspectors that communication with professionals is poor, with many parents saying they must “tell their story’”again and again.

Inspectors also warned that waiting times for assessment of autistic spectrum disorder among five to twelve-year-olds can be “up to, and in some circumstances more than, two years”, having been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.

The report details some positive findings, including “a developing culture of listening and learning” and “strong collaboration between partners”, acknowledging that there is an “increased sense of urgency in completing much-needed improvements”.

Sharon Grant OBE, who chairs the Haringey branch of Healthwatch, the independent consumer champion for health and social care, said her organisation was “unsurprised” by the findings.

She said: “Healthwatch has worked closely with Haringey patients and service users for some years, and this report reflects what so many young people, parents and carers have told us. 

“We note especially the lack of a formal route to facilitate parent participation and co-production, and will discuss with the parents, service users, the NHS and the council ways in which we may be able to provide support for a new channel to fill this gap.” 

Tammy Palmer, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for children’s services, was also unsurprised by the report. She said the council was not providing parents with trust and confidence in the Send department.

Cllr Palmer said: “Throughout this current administration both councillors and Send families in Haringey have raised serious concerns about Send services through scrutiny reviews, deputations, a call-in on the Send transport proposals, through one outspoken family’s blog, and numerous complaints made by families at the highest level within the council.

“Many parts of the report are concerning for our Send families, and the findings on co-production are particularly poor given the council’s supposed commitment to it, and the repeated calls for officers to engage with and involve Send families in genuine opportunities to co-design services that actually work for them.”

“As the report states, our leadership team are already well aware of the deficiencies within the service and are working hard in tandem with our NHS colleagues to bring about the desired changes we all want to see.

“We are working closely with our partners and are already developing a brand new partnership action plan, which will greatly improve the way we co-design/co-produce, communicate, engage and interact with carers and parents going forward.

“We would like to thank all stakeholders – but especially our carers and parents – for their valued feedback and inputs during this joint inspection. We look forward to working closely and collaboratively in partnership with you all for the betterment of our children and young people with Send in the future.”