Inspectors praise support for SEND care leavers in Cornwall

According to Ofsted and health watchdog the Care Quality Commission the county is a "national leader" in supporting care leavers with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) as one of the first to introduce "health passports" for them.

The passports are designed as an easy-to-reference healthcare record to help care leavers keep track of their medical history. The inspection team said the initiative is part of a strong information-sharing ethos in the area across education, social care and health that is helping ensure the health needs of looked-after children with SEND are well supported.

This includes regular monitoring of looked-after children who are placed out of the county. 

"The local area's children in care services are a national leader in the development of health passports for care leavers, with excellent feedback from young people about its value to them," said Ofsted and the CQC in a letter to Cornwall Council and NHS Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group outlining the findings of the inspection.

Inspectors also said they were impressed with a good use of grants to ensure young people have access to support.

This includes Cornwall's successful bid last year for a share of the Big Lottery Fund's £54m HeadStart programme, to improve mental health support for 10- to 16-year-olds. The programme includes mental health training, peer mentoring, advice on online safety and measures to tackle social media bullying.

"The new HeadStart programme is enhancing the capacity of the local area to identify and intervene earlier to meet the emotional and mental health needs of children and young people," the inspection letter adds.

Inspectors said safeguarding concerns involving young people with SEND are responded to swiftly, describing the senior management team as "ambitious" in wanting to improve their lives.

However, inspectors did raise concerns that children in some parts of the county are facing delays accessing child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).