A year in the life of SENDLO
As SENDLO celebrates its first birthday, let’s take a look back and see just what SENDLO has achieved.
September 2023 - The new and improved website was launched 18.9/23 after receiving a positive endorsement from the stakeholders involved in the co-production of SENDLO, elected members and the Department for Education.
October 2023 – Completed an extensive marketing campaign ensured that word of SENDLO was shared far and wide. It was really important that our SEND families were aware of SENDLO and how it could be of help to them. Schools, Family Hubs, Leisure Centres and Parks were all happy to help and displayed SENDLO banners.
November 2023 8 weeks after the launch we hosted a SENDLO Live event
https://www.sendlowirral.co.uk/news/sendlo-live-1
The 7 hour event, designed to enable young people, parents, carers, families, schools and practitioners to find a time that worked for them to come along. Over 700 people attended. 55 + services offered support throughout the day in a bustling marketplace. The SEND Youth group Creative Youth Development dancers performed throughout the day
SENDLO display at the Live event
Monthly SENDLO events – Mini SENDLO live events were held in lots of Wirral schools right across the Borough. Thanks to New Brighton Primary, Ridgeway High school, Greasby Juniors, Poulton Lancelyn and Christ Church C of E Birkenhead for hosting these events.
Marketing opportunities - SENDLO has been inundated with invites to go into Wirral settings & Family Hubs to promote SENDLO to Parents and Carers and demonstrate the website and help them get the most out of it. They love the accessibility tools which enable people to adapt how the content is presented to people with a range of additional needs such as ADHD and dyslexia.
Third sector organisations (The Positivitree and Crea8ing Community) also invite SENDLO along to their Parent/Carer sessions which has helped SENDLO reach families most in need of a little signposting/support.
July 2024 -Positive news for SENDLO
https://www.sendlowirral.co.uk/news/significant-step-forward-for-wirral-send
At a meeting of the Local Area SEND partnership Board members were advised by Department for Education (DfE) Adviser for SEND that two of ten areas identified for improvement had made quick, positive progress and could now be considered “business as usual”. Wirral’s SEND Local Offer (SENDLO) was one of them. We were thrilled!
August 2024
Colleagues in Health have arranged for SENDLO screensavers to be displayed in all Wirral GP surgeries – keep an eye out when you next go to see your Dr!
During the summer holiday SENDLO hosted a summer holiday programme for families with children with complex needs. This was in direct response to parents raising an issue/gap in provision. https://www.sendlowirral.co.uk/news/a-summer-of-events-for-families-of-children-with-complex-needs
Advertise for a SENDLO Officer to help us make SENDLO the very best it can be and meet the needs of our SEND families.
Weekly sessions
The SEND Youth Voice group was a VIP member of SENDLO’s co-production team– they even chose the name! – continue to be actively involve. Weekly meetings with SENDLO enable them to suggest useful new content and use their lived experience to say what’s missing. Members of the group help at SENDLO events and enjoy engaging with families.
Social Media
Dedicated social Media followings via Facebook and Twitter (X) support SENDLO. Twitter followers have risen by 35%.
Facebook – The Local Offer Wirral
X – Twitter - @lowirral
SEPTEMBER 2024
Appoint a full time SENDLO Officer
Celebrate SENDLO’s 1st Birthday with all our Stakeholders
Huge thanks to EVERYBODY that has helped to scope, design, add content, market, support and engage with SENDLO. We’re proud of what has been achieved in the 1st year and excited for what we can achieve in the next 12 months. There is always more we can do, improvements we can make, so please keep talking to us and we’ll listen and learn as we go.
The buy in and support from all Stakeholders has been fantastic. We’re always open to suggestions so any comments can be sent via e mail to sendlo@wirral.gov.uk