How We Work
PACC is an experienced led organisation, which is run by Shropshire parent carers from the community it represents. All decisions and delivery are informed by an ongoing conversation with Shropshire SEND families, where the PACC team actively listen to feedback and experiences of the local SEND system. Co-production is at the heart of all PACC's work, both in how we operate as an organisation and in how we engage with local decision makers. Our aim is to ensure that the voice of SEND families informs the decisions that impact their lives and that services and support reflect the needs of Shropshire SEND families.
PACC provides regular opportunities for SEND families to feedback on the issues that are key to them and to share their experiences. We run topic specific survey's based on initial feedback from SEND families, enabling deep dives into specific areas of concern which have been identified. The resulting reports are published on the PACC website and shared with service leads and local decision makers. The findings inform the work of PACC's parent carer representatives, who attend and participate in strategic meetings to ensure that the voice and experiences of Shropshire SEND families informs strategic discussions and decisions, including the commissioning of services.
PACC supports co-production by improving access to accurate and accessible information, so that SEND families can make informed decisions and understand if services are working as they should. SEND families regularly report that accessing and understanding information is time consuming and over whelming, so by producing myth busters, one page briefings offering conferences & workshops and 1:1 navigation sessions PACC helps to address this challenge. If SEND families are well and accurately informed about their rights and how the SEND system should work they can effectively participate in SEND processes and shape the support they receive.
Reaching out to, and connecting with, the Shropshire SEND community is central to PACC’s work. Parent carers are busy people, managing significant responsibilities daily, and we do not want to add to this load. PACC aims to ensure that any time Parent Carers give to PACC is productive and useful for them.
Our Community Support offer provides support to SEND families while allowing us to hear directly from them about their experiences. We offer 1:1 personalised signposting through our Navigator Project, helping parent carers to navigate the SEND system and to find the information they need. This contact also provides a chance for Parent Carers to talk to somebody who understands the challenges they are facing and provides important feedback on their experiences of the local SEND system. Our activity programmes; Buddies (Term time) and the Healthy Lives Holiday Programme provide opportunities for children and young people with SEND to participate in a range of community based activities, with their parent carers, creating a strong and supportive peer community.