Council and NHS welcome inspection findings in Cheshire West and commit to improving outcomes for children and families

The outcome of a recent inspection of local services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Cheshire West has been welcomed by Cheshire West and Chester Council and NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB).

The inspection, carried out by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC), provides an important, independent assessment of how well services are working for children and young people with SEND and their families and highlights several areas where the local partnership needs to do better and identifies four key required improvements. The Council and NHS partnership (which is jointly responsible for the planning and commissioning of local services for children and young people with SEND), recognises these findings and remains firmly committed to delivering change for children and young people. 

Inspectors found that while some children and young people receive strong support, experiences and outcomes across the area are still too variable and further improvement is needed. 

While the report identifies ongoing challenges, including variability in the quality of education, health and care plans and the need for greater consistency in early identification and support, the partnership is encouraged that inspectors also acknowledged clear signs of progress. Over the past 18 months, Council and NHS leaders have worked together even more closely, investing significant time and resources to strengthen services and improve the experience of local families. 

Building stronger foundations through partnership 

Inspectors noted that the partnership has taken ‘meaningful steps’ to improve joint working and planning. This reflects the sustained commitment of both organisations to embed a culture of shared responsibility and collective ambition. 

Key improvements already underway include: 

• A strengthened SEND leadership and governance structure, enabling clearer joint decision making and accountability across education, health and care. 
• Improved strategic planning, with a refreshed SEND strategy developed collaboratively with parents, carers and young people. 
• Investment in early help and community-based support, ensuring children and families receive help earlier and more consistently. 
• Clearer communication channels, including more regular engagement with parent carer forums and improved access to information for families. 

The partnership recognises that this work must continue at pace, but it is encouraged that the inspection reflects the tangible progress made so far. At the same time, partners accept that improvement needs to accelerate to ensure all children and young people benefit from consistently high-quality support. 

Improvements already making a difference 

Although further action is required, inspectors highlighted several areas where change is beginning to have a positive impact on children’s outcomes. These include: 

• Better joint working between schools and health teams, helping to improve identification of needs and ensuring more coordinated support. 
• Enhanced training for frontline staff, supporting earlier recognition of SEND and more consistent practice. 
• New pathways for neurodevelopmental assessments, which have begun to reduce waiting times and improve the experience for families. 
• A growing focus on preparing young people for adulthood, with partners working together to improve opportunities for education, employment and independent living. 

Parents and carers have also reported improvements in communication and in the availability of early help services. While the partnership recognises that not all families have felt the benefit yet, the early signs are encouraging and provide a strong foundation on which to build. 

Working together with families 

The partnership recognises that meaningful improvement is only possible by working alongside families. Their insights, experiences and expectations continue to shape the local SEND strategy and improvement activities. Partners are also taking steps to create more opportunities for children and young people themselves to directly influence how services are designed and delivered. 

Councillor Adam Langan, Executive Member for Children and Young People at the Council, said: 

NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Place Director for Cheshire West, Laura Marsh, said:

A shared commitment to children, young people and families

The Council and NHS partners acknowledge the areas where change needs to accelerate. This includes ensuring education, health and care plans are consistently high quality, reducing waiting times for some services, strengthening outcomes monitoring, and further improving the lived experience of families navigating the SEND system. 

To address these challenges, partners have already agreed a joint improvement plan that focuses on: 

• Driving up the quality and timeliness of assessments and plans 
• Further reducing waiting times through targeted investment and redesigned pathways 
• Strengthening coproduction with parents, carers and young people 
• Improving transitions between services, including the move into adulthood 
• Embedding consistent practice across all schools and settings 
• Ensuring children and families receive the right support while waiting for assessment or diagnosis 
• Improving the clarity and accessibility of the local offer so families better understand available services 

Leaders across the partnership have reaffirmed their commitment to delivering these improvements collaboratively, to ensure every child and young person with SEND in the area receives the right support at the right time, and has the opportunity to thrive. 

Read the full inspection report.