PACC recognises that currently SEND families are feeling very frustrated with the SEND system and the challenges they frequently face when trying to secure support for their child or young person. In response to this there are a number of protests/events happening across the country to raise awareness and push for action from local authorities for families with children and young people with SEND.
As a Parent Carer Forum our core aim is to develop parent carer participation in our area, striving for co-production. The funding we receive from the Department for Education, can be used to support co-production but not for other purposes, such as campaigning or lobbying. Being funded to deliver co-production via national Government rather than local government, provides us the same level of independence as SENDIASS and ensures that we are free to actively challenge local decision making where needed.
As a parent carer led organisation, PACC shares the frustration felt by other parent carers about the difficulties in both the local and national SEND system and respects the right of parent carers to express this frustration through a range of activity, including campaigning and lobbying.
PACC chooses to work for system change in a different way, by ensuring that parent carers voice and experience informs local and national decision making and directly shapes how support and services are delivered. This is done through our role of ‘critical friend’ working in the room with decision makers to build understanding, challenge perceptions and deliver culture change. In every meeting PACC attends we champion the Shropshire SEND Community and push for improvements in how SEND families are supported.
Alongside our ‘Influence and Change’ work funded via the Department For Education, PACC also provides a range of Community Support activity, funded through other sources. This work offers support directly to Shropshire SEND families impacted by the challenges in the SEND system, either by providing personalised signposting, information and support via our Navigator Service, creating peer support opportunities with our Buddies Social Network or offering help during holiday periods through our Healthy Lives Holiday programme.
PACC will continue to champion the voice of parent carers and work to improve the experience of SEND families. We hope by us all playing our part we will be able to achieve the improvements in support needed and deserved by all children and young people with SEND and their families.