The OFSTED & CQC inspection report for Plymouth has just been released and below is a letter from Annie Gammon the Interim Service Director for Education, Participation and Skills.
In light of this report, PPCV will be working closely with Plymouth City Council and Health to work through the improvement points and to make sure the results are co-produced and the voice of families is heard.
PPCV will be holding regular focus groups to enable and empower parents and carers to be heard in line with the improvement tasks. Dates, times and details will be released shortly.
Please email: claire@plymouthpcv.co.uk if you would like to be involved and we will send out some further information to you.
Once again, we would like to thank you for your participation in the calls for information that we requested, often at short notice, during the inspection. We would like to encourage you to continue to share your experiences and take part in the focus groups so we can get this right for our children and young people with SEND in Plymouth.
22 August 2023
Dear parents and carers,
We have recently received the final report from our local area partnership SEND inspection. The inspection took place under the new Ofsted/CQC framework during the last week of June 2023. The report is available to view on the Ofsted website.
The inspection has found that, while there are some positive areas and the direction of travel for our joint work is the right one, that there are significant weaknesses. This is disappointing and we deeply regret that there are shortcomings in the ways in which some of our vulnerable children are currently supported. However, we are determined to drive forward the improvements we need to
The report sets out a number of priority actions and recommendations. We all have a responsibility for some of these with Plymouth City Council, NHS Devon Integrated Care Board and school and college leaders all indicated as key in taking forward improvements.
We all want to make sure that all our children with SEND are well supported and that every one of them has a bright future.
A priority action plan will be produced by the end of September, setting out how the local area partnership, which includes Plymouth City Council, NHS Devon Integrated Care Board (including University Hospitals Plymouth and Livewell Southwest), school and college leaders, and other key partners will work together to address the areas that need improvement. There are actions for all of us to take, collectively and individually.
A multiagency workshop has been scheduled for 20th September to ensure joint input to the plan which must be completed by the end of September. It will draw on and be aligned with initiatives already underway, while accurately addressing the priorities in the report.
We are working with PPCV to ensure strong parent/carer involvement in input to the plan and engagement in this event.
Thank you for your engagement with the inspection. We appreciate the time you put into completing surveys and, for some of you, talking with inspectors. We look forward to working with you as we make improvements to our Plymouth provision.
Best wishes,
