RADICAL change has led to improvements in children’s services, Dorset County Council says.

A Department for Education inspection in January last year found failings in four areas related to SEND, or families who have a child with special educational needs or a disability.

Concerns were raised about how the council works with other public services, and keeps families informed.

County has since reorganised the service to work more closely with healthcare services and communicate better with families. It has prepared to invest an additional £3 million, in part to create new special schools and school places.

Also, the authority has completed a “colossal” administrative shift required by the Government, with the former Statements of Special Educational Need transferred to Education Health and Care Plans.

Councillor Deborah Croney, cabinet member for education, said: “I am so proud of our children’s services staff for this bounding achievement.

“I can’t impress enough how much work has gone into turning this piece of work around to meet the DfE’s deadline.

“We knew we had to change how we did things, we have done this and it has paid dividends.

“This really is an exciting time for families of children with SEND. With the investment of £3m into SEND provision, our new SEND Strategy which will change the way we work with our partners and now we have successfully recruited to several key posts all related directly to SEND, we hope this will all go towards making families’ SEND experiences much more straightforward.”

The council, working with schools and the NHS and after a consultation with parents and carers, has produced a new SEND strategy, which seeks to improve young people’s experience with services from childhood through to adulthood and independence.

The council says plans are in place to create eight specialist bases in mainstream schools across the county to cater for children with complex communication needs as well as the creation of a new special school at the former Bovington Middle School. This new school will provide places for 160 children with autism and social, emotional and mental health needs.