Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) performance information

The board reviewed the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) dashboard. This dashboard shows information about SEND services and performance.

The board approved publication of the dashboard on the SEND Local Offer website. The Local Offer provides information about services and support available for children and young people with SEND and their families.

Progress on SEND improvement Priorities

These include:

• meeting legal timescales for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)

• improving the quality of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)

• recruiting more Educational Psychologists.

A review of progress across the improvement plan has been completed. The findings will be shared at the next board meeting.

The board discussed the quality of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). Members agreed that improvements need to happen quickly. They also discussed how to reduce the number of plans that do not meet the required standard.

A new recruitment campaign has been launched to increase the number of Educational Psychologists working in Wirral.

The board agreed to:

• hold a meeting before the July board meeting to agree how more Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) can be quality checked more quickly

• review one of the performance measures and provide clearer information at the next improvement meeting.

Impact – How support for neurodevelopmental needs is improving

The board received an update on changes to the neurodevelopmental system in Wirral. This includes support for children and young people with needs such as autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Examples were shared showing how some children and young people have benefited from earlier support, better referrals and improved decision-making. The update also highlighted ongoing challenges. The board discussed the importance of making sure support does not depend on a formal diagnosis. Members agreed that children and young people should be able to access help based on their needs. The board shared a clear ambition that no child or young person should be left waiting without support. Members recognised that more work is needed to help families understand what support is available while they wait for assessment or diagnosis.

The board discussed the profiling tool, which helps identify needs early and plan support. Members welcomed early signs of positive impact but asked for clearer information about outcomes and how widely the tool is being used. A digital version of the profiling tool is planned for September. This should help services understand needs more clearly, measure outcomes and reduce workloads by creating plans and templates automatically. The board heard that Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs) continue to face significant workload pressures. The new digital system is expected to help reduce some of this burden.

A communication campaign has been developed to help parents and carers better understand the graduated approach. The graduated approach is a step-by-step way of identifying needs, providing support, reviewing progress and making changes when needed. Members also discussed the need for greater consistency between schools so that children and young people receive similar levels of support regardless of which school they attend.

The board recognised that waiting times remain too long. Work is underway to reduce waiting times, with an aim that no child or young person waits longer than 52 weeks and a longer-term ambition of reducing this to 40 weeks. The board also discussed concerns raised by some families. These included feeling that their views are not always heard, differences in access to support for children not attending school, and the impact of masking. Masking is when a child or young person hides their difficulties, which can make it harder to identify their needs. Family Hubs will be able to use the profiling tool to help provide more equal access to support.

The board agreed that a recovery plan should be developed to show how waiting times will be reduced and how children and young people will be supported while they wait for assessment or diagnosis.

The Chair noted that progress has been made but that significant challenges remain, particularly around waiting times.

The next meeting takes place on 21st July 2026