Healthwatch Slough looks at the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) service.
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Healthwatch Slough undertook engagement with parents and carers of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) during summer 2015. Working with the Special Voices parent group and other community organisations, Healthwatch gathered experiences and concerns about SEND services, the Local Offer, health services, CAMHS, education support and care provision. The project collated questions from families and obtained responses from Slough Borough Council, Slough Clinical Commissioning Group and Frimley Health.
A key theme was the difficulty families experienced navigating services and accessing timely support. Parents raised concerns about long waiting times for CAMHS and Autism Spectrum Disorder assessments, poor communication between services, difficulties obtaining GP appointments, lack of flexibility for carers, and challenges accessing appropriate support for disabled children in hospital settings. Families also highlighted concerns about record sharing between services, information accessibility, and staff understanding of autism, deafness and complex needs.
Parents consistently emphasised the importance of professionals listening to families, recognising carers' needs and understanding that children with SEND may present differently from other children. Concerns were also raised about respite and short-break services, continuity of support, care coordination and the practical difficulties carers face when trying to access healthcare for themselves while supporting a child with additional needs.
Overall, Healthwatch Slough concluded that families valued opportunities to have their voices heard but wanted more responsive, coordinated and accessible services. Recommendations focused on improving communication between GP practices, CAMHS and other services, increasing staff awareness and training around SEND and learning disabilities, promoting health checks and support for carers, strengthening family involvement in service development, improving hospital engagement with SEND families, and ensuring ongoing consultation with parent groups such as Special Voices.