Inspectors want to get views from as many people as possible, and are encouraging children, young people and their families to get involved and share their experiences, both about services that have worked well and where there have been issues with support.
They can do this either by taking part in online meetings with inspectors which are being held via Microsoft Teams, or by completing short online surveys.
On Monday from 6pm to 7pm, there are the following meetings:
- meeting for parents and carers of a child who accesses SEND support; to join, click here
- meeting for parents and carers of a child who has an Education and Health Care Plan; to join, click here
- meeting for children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities; to join, click here
On Tuesday from noon to 1pm there are the following meetings:
- meeting for parents of young adults aged 19-25 with SEND; to join, click here
- meeting for parents of young people aged 12-18 with SEND; to join, click here
- meeting for parents of children aged 0-11 with SEND; to join, click here
And on Wednesday from 6.30pm to 7.30pm there are the following meetings:
- meeting for parents and carers of a child who accesses SEND support; to join, click here
- meeting for parents and carers of a child who has an Education and Health Care Plan; to join, click here
- meeting for children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities; to join, click here
Alternatively, people are invited to complete short online surveys. A survey for children and young people is available at Survey for children and young people in Wolverhampton and a survey for parents, carers and families is available at Families Survey Wolverhampton Area SEND Inspection.
Professionals who work with children and young people are asked to complete a survey at Survey for those who work with Children and Young People with SEND.
The surveys are available now. Please note, the deadline for responses is 6pm on Thursday (23 September).
Parents and carers can also take part in a second survey, which asks a number of additional questions and includes a short video providing further information about the inspection and how people can help. For details, please visit Wolverhampton City Council Local Area SEND inspection: parents and carers views. The closing date for comments is Monday (20 September). Parents and carers can also email comments to inspectors via LASEND.support@ofsted.gov.uk.
Councillor Dr Michael Hardacre, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: "The SEND inspection is hugely important to the council and our partners.
“In essence, inspectors want to see how well we, as a city, work together to improve the outcomes of children and young people with SEND.
“They will consider how effectively we not only identify children and young people who have special educational needs or disabilities, but also how effectively we assess and meet their needs and improve their outcomes. They will also see how satisfied children, young people, parents and carers are with the support they receive.
"I would urge people to get involved, and to share with the inspection team – either via the meetings or by completing the online surveys – what they think has worked well, and what could be done better, so that SEND services can both build on good practice and make improvements where necessary."
