Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Forum ?
Parent Carer Voice Herefordshire is a community group that went independent when Herefordshire Carers lost their funding from Herefordshire Council.
Our aims are to make sure the services in Herefordshire meet the needs of disabled children and Young People and their families .
Forums are independent and are not part of the Council or the Health service but work closely with them
How do we help to make services meet the children’s needs
Our Forum promotes parental voice to influence change through listening events ,like the coffee and chat groups and any working groups that we have planned.
We gather the views of local families and work with the strategic partners to highlight where local services are working well or challenge when no changes have been made and need improvements
Who Can Join a forum
The forum is open to parent carers, family members, guardians and foster parents of children and Young people who have Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities 0-25 .
If you live within Herefordshire or access services from Education , Health or Social Care we would love to hear from you .
Is the Forum a Campaign Group
No , the forum are prohibited from political campaigning as we receive funding from the DFE which cannot be used to campaign .
We will use our influence through working in Coproduction for change . We acknowledge the important role that campaign groups have in helping to get the voice of parents heard. And we are happy to work with the groups by feeding back on issues they raise and provide them with information .
Does it cost to be part of the forum?
No the Parent Carer Forums are FREE to join. You will not be charged to be part of the forum.
You will receive a newsletter which shares information and events and asks for you to complete a variety of surveys on how services can be improved . And you will receive a invitation to the Annual SEND Summit
Ways to get involved
There are lots of different ways to get involved from completing a survey or attending an event . As everyone is welcome.
There are also roles such as a Steering group members and parent representatives within the forum.
The more people that get involved, the more we can accurately represent what it is really like for families of SEND Children and Young People
Shaping services together for families
from Birth to 25 year olds with Additional needs or disabilities in
Herefordshire
Is Parent Carer Voice a campaign group?
Parent Carer Voice Herefordshire feel that undertaking campaign activity is not consistent with our ethos. The forum exists to co-produce with service providers, commissioners and policy makers. Parent Carer Voice Herefordshire strives to have a seat at the decision-making tables and influences in this way. As a forum we believe in constructive, evidence based challenge and use this method to raise the voice of parents when things are not working well.
Since February 2016, there have been limitations placed on the use of funds from government contracts for campaign activity. These have been written into each government contract, including that between the DfE and Parent Carer Forums. Individuals within the forum are free to campaign but do so as individuals representing their views, not as the forum.
This does not stop us supporting campaign activity when it aligns with our objectives – it simply prevents us from actively campaigning ourselves. By working together, Parent Carer Forums and campaign groups can complement each other’s activities. Find out more here. If you are a campaign group we would welcome a conversation on how we can work together and ensure your voice is included in the co-production work we do.
