Area SEND Self Evaluation
We would like to begin by introducing ourselves. We are the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Area partnership leads for Birmingham.
We are committed to leading improvements in the experiences of children and families in relation to SEND in partnership with yourselves.
Area Partnership Leads
Helen Ellis
Director of SEND and Inclusion
Birmingham City Council
Linda Lockwood
Director of Nursing and Quality
NHS Birmingham and Solihull
James Thomas
Chief Executive Officer
Birmingham Children’s Trust
We know that in recent years the Special Educational Needs and Disability system in Birmingham has not had the impact we would want, met the expectations of all children and young people and their families, or achieved our ambitions for what we should deliver.
The aim of our Special Educational Needs and Disability Strategy sets out our ambition that the SEND services locally will support all children and young people  with special educational needs and disabilities to thrive and lead happy, healthy, independent and fulfilled lives. There has been some progress, but we know there is much still to do to.
To get a better understanding of how the Special Educational Needs and Disability system in Birmingham is working, we are undertaking a self-evaluation across the whole of the Birmingham area. The self-evaluation gives us a chance to think about what we are doing and is very much about us:
- reflecting on where we are.
- understanding what is making a difference.
- focusing on what more we need to do to improve.
If you would like to know more about the self-evaluation process, what is being done or how you can participate please contact us using the email below:
TellusaboutSEND@birmingham.gov.uk
If you are a member of a local parent group, please share this information with your wider networks and/or anyone else you think would want to contribute to this process.
The quality of SEND services across all local areas is regularly inspected by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission. We expect that Birmingham will be inspected soon.
The inspection will work differently from previous area SEND inspections and you can find out more about the way Ofsted/CQC inspect local areas.
Area Inspection FrameworkAs well as helping us to improve experiences for children and young people locally, the information we get from the self-evaluation will also help us to prepare for the next Ofsted Inspection.
We know that in the past feedback has not been used effectively. The SEND partnership is however fully committed to ensuring the voices of children, young people, parents and carers are listened to and heard, holds services to account and ensures positive change.
The final self-evaluation report will be shared widely and published on the Local Offer website. We are sure that if we can work together to produce a shared and honest self-evaluation, this will contribute positively to our ambition to make Birmingham a place where children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities thrive.
We very much look forward to working with you.
