Children’s Services to Receive Immediate Investment for SEND Health Support

CHILDREN’S services will receive urgent investment to improve delivery of health services for children and young people with special educational needs and disability (SEND) across the borough.

Tameside Council have approved an investment of over £1 million in relation to services commissioned by the Clinical Commissioning Group to target improvements to the delivery of SEND services in Tameside.

An immediate investment of £410,000 has been approved to enable the recruitment of 50% of required specialist children’s therapists and will commit to a further £410,000 to invest in a permanent, long-term, sustainable improvement solution for SEND health services.

An additional investment contribution of £40,000 per annum has also been pledged to further improve the Tameside Patient Carer Forum. This would include expanding the support available to help parents navigate systems and connect with professionals and ensuring there is someone to listen to them seven days a week rather than nine-five.

The funding has been sought to improve services in line with Ofsted advice and to ensure compliance with the duties set out in the Children and Families Act 2014. It will provide long-term improvements and support in the shaping, quality and delivery of health services for children and young people with SEND and their parents and carers.

Councillor Eleanor Wills, Executive Member for Population Health and Wellbeing said: “We are committed to improving our health services for SEND for families across the borough. From improving services centrally, to providing ongoing, high quality support throughout all stages for children and young people, from early years support to preparation for adulthood”.

Cllr Leanne Feeley, Executive Member for Education added: “These vital investments will allow us to implement improvements that will allow children and young people with SEND to gain access to health support more readily and to a higher standard to champion their full potential in the transition to adult life”.

“The funding will support ongoing efforts to improve services for children and young people with SEND, including the redevelopment of the Local Offer.”