Cllr Zena Brabazon on Children's Services in Haringey

In April 2023, for the first time in our history, we were awarded ‘Good’ for Children’s Services by Ofsted, and just last week Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission awarded our Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) provision the highest rating following their inspection.

Being recognised for our improvements is an exciting moment for us, demonstrating how far we have come in our efforts to develop our vital services for children and young people.

Through investing in our people, infrastructure and resources we are transforming our approach to delivering for children and families. It is very rewarding to see the benefits and real change that our services needed.

But we did not do this alone. This has been achieved through consistent joint working with a range of partners including the NHS North Central London Integrated Care Board, our mainstream and special schools, Haringey Learning Partnership, council services and the wider health and social care sector.

Cllr Zena Brabazon is proud of the collaborative work done to improve Children's Services in Haringey (Image: ©David Mirzoeff 2021. All rights reserved.)

Building a strong and respectful partnership with our parent/carer forum, SEND Power, has also been vital in shaping new ways of working, and in engaging with services.

It’s through this collaborative approach with the many agencies and partners that we aim to deliver the best for our children and young people.

As part of our administration’s change programme, we are now establishing the Haringey Transition Service to support young people as they move to adulthood, committing the largest investment in a generation to build this bespoke service over the next few years.

We are also creating 118 new places within our Haringey school sites for children with specific special needs including autism, social, emotional and mental health problems (SEMH) and for those with complex needs.

But, like every authority in the country, sufficient government funding for our schools and special needs is crucial. We will continue to safeguard our Children’s Services, but to make sure every child or young person gets the help they need, significant further investment from government is needed.

We are very proud that our work, progress and commitment to children and families has been recognised, but as always, there is no room for complacency.

Our goal is for every child and young person with SEND to reach their full potential, and that their families receive the support they require, and we will keep working hard to achieve it.

• Cllr Zena Brabazon is Haringey Council Cabinet member for Children, Schools and Families.