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Having Your Say - Parents and Young People

The Hampshire Parent Carer Network is run by parent carers of children with SEND 0-25. They are a mixture of volunteers and employees. 

Their purpose is to listen to parent carers and feed their views back to Hampshire County Council and the NHS.

They are given opportunities to co-produce or collaborate with Hampshire County Council and the NHS on a range of topics that matter to parent carers of children with SEND. 

Whenever we need to know what parent carers think about a service we provide or a change we want to make, we will contact the HPCN and ask them to feedback the views of parent carers. We may do this by meeting with parent carers online, in person or by using surveys.

They run monthly meet ups for parent carers called Get Togethers. These are currently run in Fleet, Basingstoke, Alresford, Eastleigh and online. This helps them engage with parent carers and listen to their views.

If there is not a meet up in your area and you are interested in running for the HPCN, please contact them at participation@hpcn.org.uk. 

The HPCN is free to join and be a member of. They are always looking for more parent carers to join them so as many different views as possible can be heard.

Join the HPCN and have your say.

Youth Voice in Hampshire

We believe that every child and young person should have a say in decisions that affect them. This is something that’s protected by important international rules, like the Rights of the Child and the Rights of People with Disabilities.

To make sure your voice is heard, we promise to give you chances to share your thoughts and ideas in ways that are easy to understand and take part in. We want listening to children and young people to be a normal part of how services are planned and run, right from the beginning.

There are already lots of ways for children, young people, and their parents or carers to share their views about the services they use and help shape decisions made by Hampshire County Council and its partners.

Hampshire SEND Youth Forum: A forum for young people aged 14-25 who represent wider groups of young people with SEND, they work as a Steering Group, overseeing the strategy and action plan and ensuring the voices of other young people are considered in decision making. They have created a SEND Participation Strategy​.

  • SEND Groups and Youth Forums: There are a range of groups in schools, community settings and partner organisations for children and young people including those with SEND. These group engage with the forum ‘as and when’ to support wider participation and bring forward their views from different lived experiences, representing a wider group of young people. ​
  • Young People Sub Groups: The SEND Youth Forum will also stand up ‘Sub Groups’ that will bring together young people with specific interests or to move forward pieces of work. This should support young people to get involved in area that interest them.

Hampshire SEND Youth Forum: A forum for young people aged 14-25 who represent wider groups of young people with SEND, they work as a Steering Group, overseeing the strategy and action plan and ensuring the voices of other young people are considered in decision making. They have created a SEND Participation Strategy​.

  • SEND Groups and Youth Forums: There are a range of groups in schools, community settings and partner organisations for children and young people including those with SEND. These group engage with the forum ‘as and when’ to support wider participation and bring forward their views from different lived experiences, representing a wider group of young people. ​
  • Young People Sub Groups: The SEND Youth Forum will also stand up ‘Sub Groups’ that will bring together young people with specific interests or to move forward pieces of work. This should support young people to get involved in area that interest them.

​Hampshire County Council regularly launches Public consultations that provide opportunities for members of the public to share their thoughts on Council services

​Hampshire County Council regularly launches Public consultations that provide opportunities for members of the public to share their thoughts on Council services

At each annual review young people and parents/carers have an opportunity to have a say about their individual circumstances, there are a range of person-centred planning resources that can support young people to ensure their views are included.

For more information on giving your views, watch this video.

 

At each annual review young people and parents/carers have an opportunity to have a say about their individual circumstances, there are a range of person-centred planning resources that can support young people to ensure their views are included.

For more information on giving your views, watch this video.

 

Ofsted and CQC work together to look at the education, health and social care services for children with SEND in each local area. This is called an area SEND inspection. The views of children, young people and families are vital to these inspections and Ofsted will reach out via survey’s and might ask to meet some people when visiting your hospital, school or college.

 

Ofsted and CQC work together to look at the education, health and social care services for children with SEND in each local area. This is called an area SEND inspection. The views of children, young people and families are vital to these inspections and Ofsted will reach out via survey’s and might ask to meet some people when visiting your hospital, school or college.

 

In Hampshire County Council there are a range of opportunities for children, young people and families to get involved and have a say, some group that focus on SEND include: ​

  • KIDS and Council For Disabled Children’s Young People’s Participation (South) Making participation work – Kids The Department for Education has jointly commissioned Kids with the Council for Disabled Children to deliver a national participation programme with disabled children and young people, and those with Special Educational Needs.​
  • Hampshire Parent Carers Network (HPCN): Provides opportunities for parents of children and young people with SEND to feedback to the Council, Health and other services. This includes an annual questionnaire that helps shape change in the local area. ​
  • Hampshire SENDIASS: An impartial Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) that aims to make a positive and lasting difference for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disability (SEND) and their parents and carers. SENDIASS regularly feedback information and areas of concerns to the Council and our partners.​

There are also opportunities for young people with SEND to get involved with a range of other Voice activities, the below groups are open for all young people and welcome young people from all backgrounds, including those with SEND: ​

  • #BeeWell regularly collects information from children and young people across Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton. They also host Youth Matters a group for young people to help shape the direction of the #BeeWell programme. ​
  • Hampshire Youth Parliament are elected UK Youth Parliament members, alongside a Youth Council who engage with Hampshire County Council on a range of issues, and undertake campaigns based on the UK Youth Parliament Make Your Mark votes. ​
  • Hampshire and Isle of Wight Youth Commission enables young people to support, challenge and voice young people’s opinions from all across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, to help shape decisions about policing and crime.​
  • Youthwatch Hampshire is a network of volunteers aged between 16 and 25 who are passionate about young people’s rights, and keen to make a difference in health and social care.​
  • School Councils: Many schools in Hampshire have School Councils that provide a platform for children and young people to express their views and participate in decision-making process within School. Talk to your school about opportunities. ​
  • Equality and Rights Advocate (EARA) groups: Are groups of students from secondary schools across the county who work collaboratively to promote equality and child rights in their schools.​​

In Hampshire County Council there are a range of opportunities for children, young people and families to get involved and have a say, some group that focus on SEND include: ​

  • KIDS and Council For Disabled Children’s Young People’s Participation (South) Making participation work – Kids The Department for Education has jointly commissioned Kids with the Council for Disabled Children to deliver a national participation programme with disabled children and young people, and those with Special Educational Needs.​
  • Hampshire Parent Carers Network (HPCN): Provides opportunities for parents of children and young people with SEND to feedback to the Council, Health and other services. This includes an annual questionnaire that helps shape change in the local area. ​
  • Hampshire SENDIASS: An impartial Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) that aims to make a positive and lasting difference for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disability (SEND) and their parents and carers. SENDIASS regularly feedback information and areas of concerns to the Council and our partners.​

There are also opportunities for young people with SEND to get involved with a range of other Voice activities, the below groups are open for all young people and welcome young people from all backgrounds, including those with SEND: ​

  • #BeeWell regularly collects information from children and young people across Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton. They also host Youth Matters a group for young people to help shape the direction of the #BeeWell programme. ​
  • Hampshire Youth Parliament are elected UK Youth Parliament members, alongside a Youth Council who engage with Hampshire County Council on a range of issues, and undertake campaigns based on the UK Youth Parliament Make Your Mark votes. ​
  • Hampshire and Isle of Wight Youth Commission enables young people to support, challenge and voice young people’s opinions from all across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, to help shape decisions about policing and crime.​
  • Youthwatch Hampshire is a network of volunteers aged between 16 and 25 who are passionate about young people’s rights, and keen to make a difference in health and social care.​
  • School Councils: Many schools in Hampshire have School Councils that provide a platform for children and young people to express their views and participate in decision-making process within School. Talk to your school about opportunities. ​
  • Equality and Rights Advocate (EARA) groups: Are groups of students from secondary schools across the county who work collaboratively to promote equality and child rights in their schools.​​

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