Introduction
In March 2023 the Southend-on-Sea Local Area Partnership was subject to a focussed Area SEND inspection from Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The inspection found that “The local area partnership's arrangements lead to inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The local area partnership must work jointly to make improvements.”
The inspection outcome followed the extensive work completed on the development of the priorities in the Southend SEND strategy which was approved at Cabinet in February 2023.
The Southend SEND Partnership commits to ensure that children and young people with SEND achieve the best possible educational and other outcomes, such as being able to live independently, secure meaningful employment and be well prepared for their adult lives. The area has produced this single strategic action plan which sets out the local area's plans to jointly deliver its priorities and improvements.
The Southend SEND Partnership will drive the delivery of this action plan at pace and so improving outcomes and lived experiences for children and young people with SEND at pace.
The implementation of the strategic action plan will be monitored by the Department for Education (DfE) and at a local level by the Southend Health and Well Being Board (HWBB). The Southend SEND Area Partnership will report to that Board twice per year on the progress on the delivery of the strategic area action plan and the impact on outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
A version of this plan is also available to download as a PDF.