We want to put the voice of our children and young people who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) at the heart of what we do.
We run lots of participation groups. Sometimes they're face to face and sometimes they're virtual. Our participation groups give you the chance to have your voice heard on the things that matter to you and to give you the opportunity to influence decisions. It’s also a chance to have fun and meet others who may be in a similar situation.
The groups focus on what is working well in Bromley and what needs to change. They're also a lot of fun!
We recently had a Young People’s SEND Matters Live event where we welcomed young people from age 11 to 25 years of age. These are held twice a year.
SEND Matters Live for Young People
The SEND Matters Live event for young people was held on Monday 1 July at the Community House in Bromley and was attended by young people from various schools including, Harris Beckenham, Hayes School, Glebe School, and some independent young people. We also received input from other schools who were not able to attend the event but who did email in their questions ahead of the meeting.
The event was an opportunity for young people to ask questions directly to senior leaders, including the Director of Children, Education and Families, Director of Education, Head of SEND, Associate Director for Children and Young People’s Integrated Commissioning.
Activities included discussions around Bromley’s SEND priorities and outcomes. Young people were given the opportunity to share their views about whether these resonate with them, whether they were correctly prioritised, or whether there were issues that were important to them but not listed as a priority.
Some of the feedback included:
'It was interesting and fun.'
'Really good to meet people from different areas. Could be good to have longer to chat at the end.'
'The staff were kind, the venue was calm.'
The event showcased the new Young People’s Local Offer website which is now live.
It also was an opportunity to invite young people to sign-up to be part of a new young person’s forum, Young SEND Champions.
Young SEND Champions
We are establishing a group of young people to represent the young people’s SEND community. All team members will work together with the SEND partnership (Education, Health and Care).
The Young SEND Champions will be part of the interview panel for key members of SEND staff. They will also provide feedback on initiatives and services, carry out surveys, design and create a young people’s newsletter, direct and create information videos for the website, create posters and flyers for young people’s events and activities.
If you are a young person aged 11 to 25, with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and would like to be part of this exciting new forum, please email sendmatters@bromley.gov.uk.