Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC) and NHS Birmingham, Black Country and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) have welcomed the findings of a recent inspection into support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The two organisations, which jointly form the Solihull Local Area Partnership, were inspected by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in July.

The partnership received a grade two rating on a three-point scale, with one being the highest possible outcome.

Inspectors highlighted several strengths across education, health and care services, particularly praising the partnership's collaborative approach.

The Single Panel, which brings together leaders from different agencies, was recognised for helping schools and services work together to ensure children and young people receive support in a timely manner.

The report also found that most Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans are issued and reviewed within statutory timescales, while early help services are successfully identifying SEND needs at an early stage.

Solihull's Best Start Family Hubs were highlighted for their role in supporting families and helping children get the best possible start in education.

Inspectors also praised the partnership's work with Solihull Parent Carer Voice, noting that children, young people and their families play an important role in shaping local services.

Support for speech and language needs, school nursing provision and therapy services were also recognised as strengths.

However, the report identified areas for improvement, including strengthening support for young people transitioning into adulthood, improving the quality of EHC plans and reducing waiting times for health assessments.

Cllr Karen Grinsell, Leader of SMBC and cabinet portfolio holder for children and education, said: "I am pleased that inspectors could see first and foremost that families are routinely at the heart of our decisions.

"We acknowledge that there are improvements to be made and we will continue to work closely as a partnership to address these.

"There is a lot of change happening within the SEND system and we are currently awaiting approval from government on our SEND Reform Plan.

"We are excited about continuing to work together with our partners and communities to provide the best possible services to children and young people in Solihull."

David Melbourne, chief executive of NHS Birmingham and Solihull and NHS Black Country, welcomed the findings but said further work was needed.

He said: "We welcome the findings of this inspection, but we know we need to do more to improve support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

"We have invested additional funding this year to help reduce waiting times for neurodevelopmental assessments, but we recognise that funding alone will not solve the challenge."

He added that plans include expanding assessment capacity, improving access to speech and language therapy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy, and creating a more integrated system to help children and families access support more quickly.

"These changes will help us build a more responsive, sustainable and effective system for children and young people who rely on these services," he said.

Click here to view the full report.