Slough’s SEND services could be switched to another council

Ministers have been told to “seriously consider” stronger intervention in Slough’s SEND delivery, which could lead to the service being handed to another council.

A damning review by SEND commissioner Deborah Glassbrook found the council had a “pervasive culture” of “defensiveness and blame”.

The government appointed Glassbrook this year after an Ofsted and Care Quality Commission inspection of the area’s SEND services found widespread failings.

In her first report, published this week, she said the council had a “pervasive culture… leading to but also reinforced by weak system leadership, lack of effective governance, poor data quality and usage, fractured relationships with parents and carers and insufficient co-production”.

Financial pressures resulted in the council focusing on “deficit reduction at the expense of service quality”.

Glassbrook recommended the Department for Education “seriously consider” an alternative delivery model for Slough, including another council taking over SEND services.

It comes months after government officials warned councils they would “not hesitate to use the full range of intervention powers” for councils not delivering effective SEND services, including “removing the licence to deliver” them.

The government has also rejected the council’s SEND reform plan. 

‘Persistent concerns’

The DfE appointed Glassbrook because of “persistent concerns about the council’s ability to meet its responsibilities in relation to children and young people with additional needs”.

Ministers were disappointed with the lack of progress after a joint area SEND inspection in 2021 found widespread and systemic failings in the service, with most parents and carers not feeling “understood, welcomed or helped”.

Glassbrook said workforce instability was a “recurring theme”, with frequent changes in key roles in the SEND team and a “lack of clear decision-making authority”.

“Historic and ongoing financial pressures have led to a focus on deficit reduction at the expense of service quality, resulting in staff reductions, over-reliance on agency workers, and a culture of defensiveness and blame.”

Slough was part of the controversial safety–valve agreement in which deficit-ridden councils were given extra funding in exchange for sweeping reforms.

Glassbrook said the proposal for Slough’s participation was “not based on accurate data and therefore was perceived by the director of children’s services as not being deliverable”.

While it was ran by the council’s finance team, Glassbrook said safety–valve “should have been set up as a project in its own right with clear governance, data, commissioning and accountabilities”.

The service’s approach to quality assurance and management had been “inconsistent”, with a “lack of roust oversight of both finances and delivery”.

Data systems were “fragmented and unreliable”, while partnerships with health and social care had many “ongoing strategic tensions”.

‘Seriously consider’ alternative delivery model

Glassbrook’s report concluded that an alternative delivery model (ADM) “should be seriously considered in Slough”, with viable plans drawn up over the next three to six months.

The government uses ADMs to deliver a service in a different way, such as through an enforced trust, voluntary trust or strategic partnership.

The commissioner said a strategic partnership “may be most suitable”. This could range from the council retaining ownership of the service, but building on capability in-house, to services being directly delivered by a partner council.

The council should not immediately move to an ADM as the children’s services director was a recent appointee. 

Intervention until 2029

Slough has been the subject of government intervention since 2021 after declaring effective bankruptcy, with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government running a “whole-council best value” review of children’s services and social care.

Jim McMahon, the minister for local government, said in a statement last week that this had been extended to 2029.

The DfE told Schools Week its priority was to “secure immediate improvements” in Slough while “strengthening local leadership to deliver lasting improvements”.

It would “closely monitor” the progress of McMahon’s review before deciding whether to recommend moving to an ADM.

Slough has until December to resubmit its SEND reform plan – which would unlock a 90 per cent deficit bailout.

A council spokesperson previously said one area, relating to capital and expansion planning, was assessed as “working towards” the required standard.

Earlier this year, DfE officials warned councils that it could use statutory powers “up to and including transferring SEND responsibilities to a trust” if they continued to fail.

Slough did respond to requests for comment on the report.