New Sutton SEND Parents Forum

Sutton Mencap has been commissioned to establish a new SEND Parent Carer Forum in the borough. They are now inviting people to apply to be members of the steering group, which will oversee the work of the forum over the next 12 months.

To be a member of the steering group, you must be a parent or carer of a child or young person aged 0 – 25 with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities. You will also need to sign up as a member of the forum. They are therefore asking you to complete their membership form and submit a short personal statement setting out why you would like to participate in the steering group and what skills and experience you will bring.

Please note the deadline for applications is 11th October.

Or if you would like to sign up as a member, so you can be kept informed on SEND issues and take part in future forum activities please click here.

What is a Parent Carer forum?

Sutton Parent Carer Forum will be a representative group, bringing together the views and experiences of families across the full range of needs. It will work alongside service providers in education, health, and social care, helping to ensure that local services meet the needs of families with children and young people (aged 0 – 25) with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

It will act as a critical friend to local partners, bringing parents’ collective voice to the table and co-producing solutions as an equal partner. It will help providers understand which services are working well and provide challenge when improvements or changes are required.

What is the steering group and what will it do?

The steering group will be made up of volunteers who will shape the direction and work of the forum. Once formed, steering group members will come together to:

• set up the forum, ensuring it has all the systems and processes in place to function as an effective independent organisation.

• plan the engagement activities for the forum, to better understand the experiences of local parents and carers.

• oversee how parents represent the forum and work alongside other agencies as equal partners, coproducing solutions to local challenges.

Steering group membership is open only to parents and carers of children and young people aged 0 – 25 with SEND.

How will the steering group be supported?

Sutton Mencap will have a dedicated staff member working alongside the forum, helping the steering group to carry out its work. Steering group members will have access to training and external support to help them fulfil their roles.  The steering group will also have access to a dedicated budget, to be used to support the development of the forum and to pay for engagement activities.

What is the time commitment for steering group members?

This will be a busy first year for the steering group and we recognise there will be a significant time commitment. We envisage the steering group is likely to meet on a monthly basis, although we will seek to keep the meetings short. On top of this, there are likely to be training sessions and other meetings to attend.

Are there other ways parents can get involved, outside of steering group membership?

Absolutely. Once the steering group is set up, they will be looking to encourage SEND parents and carers from across the borough to get involved in the forum. This might be through participating in events and surveys, making their views known, or attending meetings to speak on behalf of other parents. These opportunities will be open to all parents, whether or not they are members of the steering group.

How will steering group members be selected?

Our aim is to around 10 to 12 people who can work with us to set up the forum. We would like steering group members to have experience of a wide range of disabilities, ages of children and education settings.

As part of the steering group application process, we are asking parents to submit a short personal statement saying why they are interested in membership of the steering group and what skills and experience they would bring to the role. If required, we will ask a panel made up of Sutton Mencap trustees to use these statements to select people for the steering group.

Will there be any checks on steering group members?

Given the role of the SEND forum, Steering group members will need to agree to Sutton Mencap carrying out relevant checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)

Where can I find out more?

If you want to know more, please contact David Hobday, CEO of Sutton Mencap on 020 8647 8600 or david@suttonmencap.org.uk