The Ofsted report gave a middle rating of three possible outcomes for the SEND Partnership led by Herefordshire Council and NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB.

The report said: ‘The local area partnership's arrangements lead to inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND. The local area partnership must work jointly to make improvements.'

During the inspection, parents, carers, children, young people and practitioners told inspectors they were unaware of the systems and processes that could help them get the needed support.

Less than a quarter of parents who responded reported their child had the right help and support to join in with clubs, activities to benefit from holidays or make friends.

Some health practitioners spoke about their challenges with increased workload and capacity with access to health services varying for children and young people, depending on their age and needs.

A spokesperson for the local area partnership said: ‘We are pleased that the report recognises so many strengths within the partnership workforce at both a strategic and operational level. The partnership remains highly committed to serving children and families well, despite the nationally acknowledged pressures on SEND services.

‘We acknowledge that our current partnership's arrangements have led to some inconsistent experiences for some children, young people and their families. We will continue to ensure that through our local offer families are aware of our services and how to access them.'