Thanks to parents and carers who attended SENDLO ‘listening’ event

Thanks to more than 60 parents and carers who recently came along to one of our ‘listening’ events to share and discuss plans for the future of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services in Wirral. 

Held at The Lauries in Birkenhead, the event gave us the chance to ask you, as parents and carers of children with SEND, to share your experiences to help shape support services in the future. 

Dozens of you made time, despite how busy you are, to come along and share your feedback, frustrations and, in some cases, to ask how you can work with and help the local area to improve things. 

Some of what you told us at the event was that you were:  

· pleased you had come along,  

· feeling listened to  

· leaving with a better understanding of process and challenges 

· appreciative of the opportunity for a face-to-face conversation  

· leaving with a resolution 

· feeling more hopeful  

· keen for more of the listening events to be held 

Our support services were able to listen to your concerns as well as answering questions and logging any issues. 

The idea behind the event was to give staff from SEND services across Wirral the chance to listen to parents and carers, and to share our plans. 

As part of works to improve SEND services in Wirral, following an improvement notice issued in May this year by the Department for Education (DfE), the event was requested by the Local Area SEND Partnership Board. The board is made up of Chief Executives from the Local Authority, Education, Health and Care services and other key institutions in Wirral’s SEND sector. 

This event was attended by staff from: SENDLO (SEND local offer), Holiday Activity Fund (HAF) Annual Review Team, Statutory Assessment Team, All Age Disability, Social Care, Children with Disabilities Team, Educational Psychology, Joint Commissioning, SENDIASS, Neurodiversity Pathway, Early Years, Family Hubs and the Head of SEND.