1. That the Local Area Written Statement of Action (WSOA) that is required to be submitted to Ofsted by the 16 February 2022 in response to the outcome of the Joint Inspection of the Local Area Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services and provision conducted by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) between 20 and 24 September 2021 be approved.
2. That it be noted that the Written Statement of Action requires some final detail to be added following feedback from Parent/Carer surveys, the Clinical Commissioning Group. The Written Statement of Action would be prepared as a final designed document prior to submission to Ofsted by the 16 February.
3. That it be noted that the Written Statement of Action would also need sign off by the Clinical Commissioning Group governance structures as it is required to be developed as a co-produced document including input from a range of stakeholders following their engagement in the process through focus groups and surveys undertaken since the publication of the Inspection report and the DfE Senior Officials meeting with Local Area Leaders on the 29 November 2021.
4. That the ‘6 Focus Areas’ which would outline the actions to be taken to address the ‘Areas of Significant Weakness’ as identified in the SEND inspection report in Appendix 1 to the report be noted.
5. That it be noted that the Joint SEND Strategy developed by the Wolverhampton SEND Partnership Board in 2020 and approved by the Cabinet and the Children and Families Together Board sets out the vision and key priorities of the Council and partners in the city to improve the lives of children and young people with SEND. Additional actions to those set out in the WSOA are also being closely monitored
6. That it be noted that the Strategy reflects the vision that Wolverhampton is an inclusive City where we work with children, young people, and their families with SEND so that they can achieve their full potential. It recognises that all children with SEND are individuals with aspirations to lead their own lives. While life for a child or young person with SEND and their family is anything but ordinary, the ordinary life principles are what extraordinary achievements are built on.