Continuous Improvement Plan

What have we done so far, and what's next?

In 2019, Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) jointly inspected Cumbria’s local area SEND Provision and highlighted 9 areas that required improvement. Since then, Cumbria’s SEND Partnership, which includes Cumbria County Council, local NHS health partners and SEND Alliance Cumbria (SENDAC), Cumbria’s Parent Carer Forum, has implemented a Continuous Improvement Plan programme of work focused on improving the experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND and their families. 

In December 2022, Ofsted and the CQC revisited Cumbria to determine whether sufficient progress had been made in improving the concerns identified in 2019. Ofsted and the CQC determined that 7 of the 9 areas of weakness in the 2019 inspection have made sufficient progress, with the report showing two areas that are still in need of improvement. These areas were:

• A lack of trust and faith in the local area’s work from too many parents and carers.
• Weaknesses in the approach to supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people with SEND, particularly those with an autism diagnosis who face challenges in relation to their social, emotional and mental health. 

The SEND Partnership will now expand and strengthen its Continuous Improvement Plan, working with the Department for Education and NHS England, to address these concerns, and will continue to work with families and young people in the county to ensure progress is made.

We will keep families and young people informed as more service improvements are made, as well as service updates concerning Local Government Reorganisation.