Partnerships – Participation & Co-production

___Since we formed in 2007, we have worked with many organisations representing the parent carer voice for Sunderland.   Over the years we’ve sat on many strategic partnerships, working groups, task & finish groups, and charity boards, some of which are still going now.

 

How does the forum work with its partners?

 

We need to gather the views, issues and experiences of Sunderland Parent Carers and their families, and we are very keen to hear from as many parent carers as possible; we do this by holding various events, quick polls on Facebook, email campaigns and surveys.

We then feedback these views at whichever meeting it is appropriate for, this is always done so that parent carers and their families cannot be identified;  Our aim is to be a critical friend to these practitioners and providers, highlighting good practice and services that are working well, and challenging them when things aren’t working well or when we don’t agree with what the providers are proposing, or where improvements need to be made, ensuring that the Parent Carer voice is heard, and taken into account when looking at provision and services for SEND children and young people in Sunderland.

We believe working in an evidence based, solution focussed way is the most productive way of ensuring that services commissioned are services that are needed and wanted as well as being value for money.

 

Organisations we currently work with or have worked with in the past.   

 

Current

This is a long list! Regular meetings and working groups we attend are

  • SPCF Coffee Mornings & Events
  • Regional Parent Carer Forum meetings and training
  • SEND Improvement (from the Written Statement of Action arising from the SEND local area inspection in June 2021) Details HERE
  • CAMHS Partnership
  • Early Years Group
  • Joint Commissioning
  • Local Offer
  • Short Breaks
  • SEND Strategic board
  • Transition Strategy
  • Transition Working Group
  • Wheelchair/therapy services
  • Data & Performance Group
  • JSNA
  • Multi-Agency Quality Assurance Group
  • PFA Working Group
  • Neurodevelopmental Pathways
  • Sunderland Involvement Partnership
  • ASD Mental Health & Sensory Issues Pilot
  • Autism In Schools Project
  • Disability Independent Advisory Group (DIAG)
  • Keep in Touch meetings with practitioners across health, education, and social care so we could raise any issues that had come up during lockdowns over lack of services, problems with school places and medical appointments.  These meetings are still held. These started during the first year of the pandemic.
picture of team meeting