List of improvements to SEND leadership in Suffolk to be outlined

Improvements to the leadership of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Suffolk are to be recommended by the care board for the region.

Suffolk and North East Essex (SNEE) Integrated Care Board (ICB) are scheduled to meet on Tuesday next week to discuss recommendations to the under-fire SEND service at Suffolk County Council.

An Ofsted report into Suffolk's SEND services, published in January, criticised "widespread and/or systemic failings" in the local area partnership, which led to many cabinet members resigning from their post.

Suffolk County Council has appointed a new executive director for children and young people, who looks after the services at a council level - Sarah-Jane Smedmor will start in her new position in July.

However, local NHS services are also a part of SEND, and the care board is set to discuss improvements needed in this department as well.

A pre-meeting report states that there are urgent improvements needed in the collaboration between local enterprises.

Additionally, leaders need to address weakened effectiveness and improve the frequency and quality of multi-agency workings, the report said.

"Leaders across the local area partnership should ensure that providers of services for children with social and emotional well-being, mental health and neurodiverse conditions work jointly to meet the needs of and improve outcomes in these areas for children with SEND," the report adds.

SNEE has picked out support given to children with ADHD and autism as one of the key areas to look at, with leaders told to evaluate all of their services before they start renewing contracts.

The ICB has been investing £1million a year in ADHD and autism services since 2021, and by January 2025 it  will also be investing more than £4.4m in mental health services.

Along with the county council, SNEE will be working on how it can better learn from complaints and apply them in practice.

It will continue to regularly monitor all the work it does for SEND until the next watchdog inspection, set to take place in June 2025.