A new joint strategy between Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council has been approved to help improve education services for children with special needs and disabilities.
An inspection of Nottinghamshire’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services in 2023 concluded there were “significant concerns” about the experiences of some children and young people.
At the time, the County Council and the Integrated Care Board (ICB), which commissions local health services, apologised for the findings of the report, written by the Care Quality Commission watchdog.
The two councils and the ICB have now drawn up a joint strategy to try to improve services for children.
Senior Nottingham councillors approved the plan at an Executive Board meeting on Tuesday (19 November).
Cllr Cheryl Barnard (Lab), Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: “The Nottingham and Nottinghamshire joint SEND commissioning strategy will enable us to collaborate to commission services that improve health, social, and education outcomes.
“We share the same ICB footprint as the County Council, and this new strategy is necessary to meet the standards of the local area SEND inspection, which we are expecting to have next year.
“It will also strengthen the governance and leadership expected by inspectors and provide consistency across the city and county. This will ensure needs are met holistically with a multi-disciplinary approach, which is crucial for children who move between city and county schools.
“It will also ensure children with complex health needs are met more efficiently.”
The council says the strategy should help reduce overlaps and any gaps in service across the city and county, particularly as demand for SEND support has been increasing significantly.
Nick Lee, Director of Education Services, said the strategy forms a “key” piece of work in addressing issues raised in previous inspections of the service.
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