How Peterborough parents can shape the future of SEND support
Parents and carers in Peterborough have the opportunity to shape the future of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) support in the city.
A survey running from August 4 to September 25 on the Peterborough City Council website offers people the chance to share their views on SEND before any decisions are made on how parents and carers should be represented.
The council said that any feedback provided would help towards designing a model that was inclusive, meaningful and genuinely influential.
“Peterborough Local Area SEND Partnership are changing the way support for children and young people with SEND is organised across the city,” the survey reads.
“We are developing a new cluster-based approach, where groups of local schools and services work together to provide earlier, more joined-up support for children and young people.
“Each cluster will have access to dedicated specialist advice and support through a multi-disciplinary team called “Experts at Hand” (including educational psychologists, specialist teachers and therapists), helping children get the right support more quickly and locally.”
The survey includes 16 questions in total, asking things such as ‘How would you prefer parent carers to be represented within local SEND clusters?’ and ‘Would you like opportunities to be more involved in helping improve SEND services?’.
The council wants parents and carers to be recognised as ‘experts by experience’, meaning they could help to:
Share family experiences
Suggest improvements
Highlight what is working well
Identify challenges and barriers
Help shape local decisions
Influence improvements to SEND services
The survey can be accessed via the council website at https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/engagement-hub/survey-how-should-parents-and-carers-be-represented-in-peterborough-send-reforms