Special Needs Action Panel Parent Carer Forum (SNAP PCF) What is a parent carer forum? What is SNAP PCF The consultation we have been part of Our priorities for this year How you can help How to contact us

What is a Parent Carer Forum? “Parent Carer Forums are representative local groups of parents and carers of children and young people with disabilities who work alongside local authorities, education, health and other service providers to ensure the services they plan, commission, deliver and monitor meet the needs of children and families” Para 1.13 SEND Code of Practice 2015 The National Network Parent Carer Forums is a representative organisation, it consists of up to 152 local parent carer forums at any time across England. Each of the 9 geographical local authority regions are collectively represented within the NNPCF Steering Group. This means that each region has a parent carer forum representative whom has been appointed to represent their regional and local interests at the national level to empower and enable strategic parent carer participation

What is SNAP PCF? An independent forum of parent carers who have a child or young person with SEND aged 0-25 years. We focus on helping to raise the standard of social care, education and health services within the county. We want these services to be provided in a way that meets the needs of families. We do this by giving parents the opportunity to participate by offering training, coffee events, conferences and Parent Panels. We co-produce and work at a strategic level with CBC and the CCG. Examples of some of the boards we are members of: The SEND Delivery Board, School Transport Project Board, The Local Offer Workstream, Preparing For Adulthood Workstream, EHCP Integration Board, Futures in Mind Transformation Steering Group.

The Consultations we have been a part of: Short Breaks Review - The SNAP survey of March 2017 concluded that short breaks are vital for parent carers to enable them to function, allowing parents to work and rely less on benefits, social workers and GPs, therefore, develop their own self-worth. The short break keeps families together and functioning as a unit. School Transport Consultation - SNAP PCF compiled a review in response to the consultation regarding proposals to change the ‘The Home to School/College Travel Assistance Policies for Central Bedfordshire’. SNAP are concerned that the proposed changes will have a detrimental impact on the lives of children and young people with SEND in Central Bedfordshire and their families. We also believe it will limit some individuals’ ability to access education.

Our priorities for this year (we have been busy) SEND Satisfaction Survey - https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/G6YVBNW Strategy meeting – to deliver SNAP PCF SEND Satisfaction Report Parent Panels - https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/snapparentpanel Develop the Local Offer http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/children/sen-disability/landing.aspx Training – Annual review, Preparing for Adult roadshow Improve the information given to parents at The Edwin Lobo Centre Develop our website http://www.snappcf.org.uk/events-calendar/ Plan for our next annual conference!

How can you help? We need to increase our membership. Due to new General Data Protection Regulations coming into force in May 2018 we need to start a new database to reflect this legislation, our old database will be deleted! Please ask your parents to complete our membership form: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MembershipformtojoinSNAP Please complete our SEND Satisfaction Survey to inform us of good practice and when things are going wrong. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/G6YVBNW Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/snappcf.org.uk/ Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/snappcf

How to contact SNAP PCF kirsty@snappcf.org.uk Email admin@snappcf.org.uk Phone 07984 545044 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/snappcf.org. Twitter https://twitter.com/snappcf Website: www.snappcf.org.uk

Any questions?