‘Innovative’ thinking needed to solve ‘widespread failings’ across Notts children’s special needs services

The Conservative cabinet has met to discuss its next steps after the watchdog published its findings of “widespread failings”.

The council and the NHS Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board, which lead the service together, must now produce a “priority action plan” to sort out the problems.

Cabinet members have unanimously backed the creation of the plan.

It follows the watchdog uncovering “systemic” issues within the county’s services for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

It said some children were waiting as long as 37 weeks for vital education, health and care plans at the time of the inspection in late January and early February this year.

Delays in these plans have been the subject of recent ombudsman complaints upheld against the authority which cost thousands of pounds in fines.

Specialist help, like speech and language therapy, also takes too long to be provided to children with complex needs.

The authority says many issues are the result of “national shortages” of trained staff.

However, the cabinet heard steps are ongoing to find new ways of recruiting employees into vacancies.

Coun Gordon Wheeler, cabinet member for personnel, explained more about internal recruitment plans to help reduce long waits.

He told the meeting: “We are doing what we can to ‘grow our own’.

“Work has already started in HR to identify how we can make use of this approach and also how we can retain our assistant and trained psychologists.

“We don’t want to do it, but in the short term, we will use agencies to fill the gaps.

“We are having discussions with universities, schools and colleges, to recruit and retain graduates and apprentices and this is being stepped up all the time.

“We will not rest in that regard and we’re optimistic, guardedly, that we can address some in the short term and the long term of what this report wants us to do.”

The Nottinghamshire SEND Partnership Improvement Board has been established to oversee the improvement plan, which must be submitted to Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission within 35 working days and published within 70 working days.