Hundreds of people completed online surveys for children, parents and professionals and hundreds more met with inspectors, virtually and face-to-face, to talk about their experiences of SEND services, including what works well and what could be done differently.
The 'Local Area' review looked at how well the council and its partners, including the clinical commissioning group, the NHS, early years’ settings, schools and further education providers, identify children and young people who have special education needs or disabilities, assess and meet their needs and, ultimately, improve outcomes for them.
Councillor Dr Michael Hardacre, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: "This inspection is hugely important to the council and our partners and it was an excellent opportunity to showcase what we do well and what we are proud of, as well as sharing with inspectors those areas that we know we can and will improve on in the months ahead.
"Their full report will be published in a few weeks' time, and in the meantime I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who played a part in the process, including children, young people, families and professionals who were able to share their real life experiences of SEND services in Wolverhampton with the inspection team.”
Inspectors used a range of information and methods to assess performance, including reading case files, directly observing practice, attending meetings, shadowing and interviewing staff and partners and holding discussions with children and young people, their parents and carers and with providers of commissioned services.
Their final report, providing a summary of key findings including strengths and areas requiring further development, will be published on the Ofsted and CQC websites in a few weeks’ time.
