Children in Worcestershire wait over two years for Autism and ADHD assessments
SEND services across the country have been struggling
Children are waiting longer than two years to be assessed for autism and ADHD.
Waiting lists for a number of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services remain high a year on from a damning Ofsted report.
The regulator said last year that children and young people with SEND in Worcestershire “wait an unacceptable time to have their needs accurately identified, assessed and met”.
Authorities were told to address long waiting times for community paediatrics, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and neurodevelopmental assessments, and to improve the support available while children wait.
But county councillors have been told the number of children waiting has risen since September 2024 and now sits at 7,800.
The NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) is investing ÂŁ2.6 million to improve SEND provision.
This includes ÂŁ1.2m to tackle neurodivergence assessments where children and young people have been waiting longer than two years.
Neurodivergent conditions include autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia.
Adam Johnston, director of children’s services in Worcestershire, said despite the efforts being undertaken, “waiting lists still remain a matter of concern”.
“The reality is the numbers are still not moving in the right direction,” he told the council’s children and families overview and scrutiny panel.
He said Ofsted and the CQC would likely be back in October for follow-up inspection.
The committee heard there were 7,500 children with education, health and care plans (EHCPs) in Worcestershire.
Mari Gay, managing director of NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire, said the rise in referrals since 2021 was “one of the largest I’ve seen in any NHS service in my career”.
“If they continue to rise at the same rate we’ll have an even bigger problem,” she said.
“There simply aren’t enough consultant paediatricians in the country.”
Mr Johnston said: “There is clearly a difficulty in those specialist health practicioners in order to increase the capacity, in order to do something productive around those waiting list numbers.
“Put simply, this isn’t working. We need to try something else as well as opposed to instead of – other methods we can have in place that focus on children’s needs.”