TAMESIDE bosses insist they remain committed to making their SEND services better – but admit they recognise the challenges in front of them.
The Ofsted/Care Quality Commission report did not hold back in what inspectors found was lacking in the area.
But those leading the push to improve insist work will continue, despite the damning nature of the latest findings.
They also say they will ask Downing Street for proper funding and pointed out the praise for staff and admissions that improvements are coming.
A Tameside and Glossop Strategic Commission spokesperson said: “Following a joint visit from Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission to judge the effectiveness of our special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) service in Tameside, we absolutely recognise the challenges ahead of us and accept the areas of development that have been outlined.
“We are unwaveringly committing to improving at pace so that our children and young people are fulfilling their potential and families are guided and supported through a clear process that best meets the needs of their children in a timely and efficient way.
“We would like to thank Ofsted for recognising our hard-working front-line staff and we are proud of achievements to date which provide us with a solid foundation to work from.
“We are also pleased that Ofsted noted that since 2018, improvements have been made and we have the right plans in place to deliver better experiences for SEND children in Tameside.
“The pandemic has slowed recent progress but we are re-doubling our efforts, listening to parents and working closely with partners to ensure that we have a rounded and joined up approach to our local offer through education, health and care.
“We will continue to lobby Government for investment into children’s services as they have to be funded properly to support successful delivery at local level.”