Have your say

Hampshire SEND Youth Forum (HSYF) is a group for young people aged 14–25 who have special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). It’s a place where you can share your ideas, talk about things that matter to you, and help make Hampshire better for young people with SEND.

What the Forum Is About

It’s a friendly group where you can speak up about your experiences and help shape services in Hampshire. Your voice really does make a difference.
You don’t need a diagnosis or an EHCP to join — if you identify as having SEND, you’re welcome. Everyone’s voice matters.
You can join online meetings every two weeks (Wednesday afternoons at 4pm), plus four in‑person meetups a year. You can choose what works best for you.

Why Join?

Meet other young people who “get it” and understand what it’s like to have SEND. It’s a safe space to share, support each other, and build confidence.
Talk about topics that matter to you — like school, college, health, employment, and preparing for the future.
Help improve accessibility across Hampshire by getting involved in projects like the Accessibility Ambassadors programme.
Work with adults who make decisions about SEND services — and tell them what young people actually need.

Making Change Happen

Young people in the Forum helped create the SEND Participation Strategy, which sets out how Hampshire listens to young people with SEND. It’s a living document that keeps evolving with your ideas. See an Easy Read of this SEND Participation Strategy.

The Forum also links into Hampshire SEND – Have Your Say, a countywide network where even more young people get involved in projects and share their views.

Hampshire SEND – Have Your Say have a WhatsApp Channel where they put out information and invitations to get involved with shaping services. Sign up for this WhatsApp Channel.

Want to Get Involved?

If you’re 14–25 and want to help make things better for young people with SEND — or you just want to try something new and meet people — you can join!

Email: SEND.Emp@hants.gov.uk or complete this simple webform.
You can ask questions first — the team are friendly and happy to chat.

Hampshire SEND Youth Forum (HSYF) is a group for young people aged 14–25 who have special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). It’s a place where you can share your ideas, talk about things that matter to you, and help make Hampshire better for young people with SEND.

What the Forum Is About

It’s a friendly group where you can speak up about your experiences and help shape services in Hampshire. Your voice really does make a difference.
You don’t need a diagnosis or an EHCP to join — if you identify as having SEND, you’re welcome. Everyone’s voice matters.
You can join online meetings every two weeks (Wednesday afternoons at 4pm), plus four in‑person meetups a year. You can choose what works best for you.

Why Join?

Meet other young people who “get it” and understand what it’s like to have SEND. It’s a safe space to share, support each other, and build confidence.
Talk about topics that matter to you — like school, college, health, employment, and preparing for the future.
Help improve accessibility across Hampshire by getting involved in projects like the Accessibility Ambassadors programme.
Work with adults who make decisions about SEND services — and tell them what young people actually need.

Making Change Happen

Young people in the Forum helped create the SEND Participation Strategy, which sets out how Hampshire listens to young people with SEND. It’s a living document that keeps evolving with your ideas. See an Easy Read of this SEND Participation Strategy.

The Forum also links into Hampshire SEND – Have Your Say, a countywide network where even more young people get involved in projects and share their views.

Hampshire SEND – Have Your Say have a WhatsApp Channel where they put out information and invitations to get involved with shaping services. Sign up for this WhatsApp Channel.

Want to Get Involved?

If you’re 14–25 and want to help make things better for young people with SEND — or you just want to try something new and meet people — you can join!

Email: SEND.Emp@hants.gov.uk or complete this simple webform.
You can ask questions first — the team are friendly and happy to chat.

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.

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 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 Hospitals Youth Forum allows young people 11-16 years old who are a patient or have used the children's health services at Basingstoke Hospital or Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester to have your say and help us to shape the way children's services at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. You only need to be able to volunteer two hours of your time, a few times a year.
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.
Young People - Unloc
Unloc+ is a free online platform designed with young people, for young people.
It’s your one-stop place to discover exciting opportunities that can help you build skills, boost your confidence and shape your future. On Unloc+, you can find ways to have your say, influence decisions and help organisations improve.

There are also opportunities for young people 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 Hospitals Youth Forum allows young people 11-16 years old who are a patient or have used the children's health services at Basingstoke Hospital or Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester to have your say and help us to shape the way children's services at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. You only need to be able to volunteer two hours of your time, a few times a year.
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.
Young People - Unloc
Unloc+ is a free online platform designed with young people, for young people.
It’s your one-stop place to discover exciting opportunities that can help you build skills, boost your confidence and shape your future. On Unloc+, you can find ways to have your say, influence decisions and help organisations improve.

At the bottom of our webpages you will find this:

If you click on either face you will be taken to a short form which allows you to contact us to feedback on the contents of this website.

We want to hear from you!

Have we not included some information that you need?
Could you not find what what you were looking for?
Did we get some information wrong?

Whatever your feedback, good or bad we want to hear it to help make this website the most useful and accurate resource for parents, carers, young people and professionals as we can.

At the bottom of our webpages you will find this:

If you click on either face you will be taken to a short form which allows you to contact us to feedback on the contents of this website.

We want to hear from you!

Have we not included some information that you need?
Could you not find what what you were looking for?
Did we get some information wrong?

Whatever your feedback, good or bad we want to hear it to help make this website the most useful and accurate resource for parents, carers, young people and professionals as we can.

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

If you have an EHCP, 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.

If you have an EHCP, 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.

In Hampshire County Council Adult services we want to make sure that people who use services are at the heart of what we do as a department. This means there are a lot of things going on to involve people who use services and carers in designing services and making plans and strategies for the future. There are all sorts of things that you can get involved in; surveys, questionnaires; focus groups; projects; conferences and more.

You might like to join the Personalisation Expert Panel. This is a service-user led group that meets with the departmental management team to guide the direction of the department.

You can see all the ways you can get involved and sign up on out Co-Production website.

In Hampshire County Council Adult services we want to make sure that people who use services are at the heart of what we do as a department. This means there are a lot of things going on to involve people who use services and carers in designing services and making plans and strategies for the future. There are all sorts of things that you can get involved in; surveys, questionnaires; focus groups; projects; conferences and more.

You might like to join the Personalisation Expert Panel. This is a service-user led group that meets with the departmental management team to guide the direction of the department.

You can see all the ways you can get involved and sign up on out Co-Production website.

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.

Youth Voice in Hampshire

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