Engaging with SEND parents and carers - update

In July 2024 we shared with you some of the developments taking place in West Berkshire for parents and carers of children and young people with special education needs and disabilities. We're excited to share an update below.
 

Coram Parent Champion Programme

Over the summer we circulated information about the programme across all of our networks. We're so grateful to our partners across health, children's services, education, the voluntary and community sector and our parents and carers who helped us spread the word. Your support helped us to recruit nine amazing parents/carers who have become our first group of Parent Champions.

In November and December our parent champions received their induction training from Coram and are getting ready to start their roles as parent volunteer representatives of the council.

The Parent Champion programme will extend our ability to engage with parents and carers across the district, helping us to share and receive information about the support services available to families and increase our ability to understand how, together, we can make them better.

Parent Champions will work in collaboration with our SEND Parent Carer Forum to make sure we are including parents and carers voices, experiences and insights into improving how we deliver services to families.

Our ambition is to co-produce the transformation of SEND services with our residents as our partners.  

We plan to run more Parent Champion training in the spring, so if you didn't manage to attend this time or didn't know the programme existed - it's not too late, we would love you to join us on our journey.

Parent Champion volunteers receive training and support as well as lots of opportunities to join national learning events, networks and conferences and can gather excellent community based experience that will support future employment options.

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