Council response to independent review of SENDIASS
Today an independent review of SENDIASS, which provides support and advice to families with SEND, has been published.
The report will go before the Education and Children's Social Care Overview & Scrutiny Committee on 25 January.
Cllr Karen McCarthy, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families, said: “I would like to thank the National Children’s Bureau for their hard work in producing this report.
“The city council is fully committed to improving SENDIASS so children and families get the support they need and deserve.
“This independent review report does make for difficult reading and demonstrates that the current service needs to improve processes to enable the service to better support our parents, carers and families.
“While it is a small part of our much wider SEND offer, it is an integral component so we have to ensure it provides the core support and advice that families need. To that end we will continue to work under the direction of our DfE-appointed SEND commissioner John Coughlan along with parents, carers and families who use it to work out a way forward.
“We understand families' concerns about the future of the service but it is clear that it must become compliant. However, we want to assure families that there are no plans to stop the family support work that is so valued.
“SENDIASS is, and will remain, an important part of the SEND system in Birmingham.
“A report on the council’s response to the independent review will go to the city council’s cabinet in February. The director for children and family services has arranged a meeting with families to discuss this alongside the independent SEND commissioner.”
