Whitehall commissioner sent in to run special needs services

THE Government is sending in its own commissioner to take over leadership of Birmingham’s special needs (SEND) services following a damning report by regulators that ruled the council had failed to act on failings first flagged three years ago.

It is the first time the Government has taken such a dramatic step and gives them oversight and control of the council’s improvement plan.

The move was flagged last month but is now formally confirmed in a directive from the Department of Education.

Education Secretary Nadhim

Zahawi ordered the council to accommodate his appointed commissioner, ruling the council has “failed to perform to an adequate standard” to meet its SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) functions.

Officers and politicians have been ordered to “co-operate with a review led by the SEND Commissioner on how best to improve services and effectiveness of SEND leadership arrangements in Birmingham.”

The council must submit a plan of action next month to the Department for Education and NHS England

setting out how it intends to improve, with clear targets for the next three, six and 12 months.

The Department of Education said: “Every child and young person with special educational needs or disabilities should have access to high-quality services.

“Where a council does not meet their requirements to provide appropriate support for these children, we will not hesitate to take action that prioritises their needs and brings about rapid improvement.

“That’s why we have issued Birmingham City Council with a direction that sets out the steps we expect them to take in raising standards in their SEND services, including the appointment of a SEND Commissioner to oversee this work, and report back to the Government.”

The move comes after regulators Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission ruled the city was STILL letting down SEND families and has not managed to improve in 12 out of 13 ‘areas of significant weakness’ identified in a critical judgement three years ago.

They found that services are ‘hit and miss’, academic outcomes are poor, waiting lists for vital therapies can stretch back years and hundreds are not in school at all.

The inspection team found that parents and children still endured:

A poor ‘lived experience’ because of inadequate services

Long waiting times to access therapies for speech and language, physical therapies and specialist help

Poor academic outcomes persist for SEND children. For those with an EHC plan, outcomes are weak across all key stages, meaning pupils are illprepared for the next stage in their education, employment or training.