PARENT PARTICIPATION & PARENT CARER FORUMS
What is Parent Participation?
Parent carer participation is when parents and professionals work together, recognising each other’s expert knowledge, to design, develop and improve services for disabled children in the local area.
What is a Parent Carer Forum (PCF) and what do they do?
A parent carer forum is a group of parents and carers of disabled children. Their aim is to make sure the services in their area meet the needs of disabled children and their families. They do this by gathering the views of local families and then working in partnership with local authorities, education settings, health providers and other providers to highlight where local services, processes and commissioners are working well, or challenge when changes or improvements need to be made.
Find out more about the work of parent participation across the country over the years, its impact and how parent carers can get involved and have their say.
All parent carer forums are part of the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF), which is supported by the national charity Contact (formerly known as Contact a Family).
The NNPCF is funded by the Department of Education (DfE) through the parent participation grant. There is one parent carer forum in each borough and county throughout the UK. Find one near you at: https://contact.org.uk/help-for-families/parent-carer-participation/find-your-local-parent-carer-forum/
Visit Contact: https://contact.org.uk/help-for-families/parent-carer-participation/what-is-parent-carer-participation/
Visit NNPCF: https://nnpcf.org.uk/
Watch the video about parent participation and parent carer forums: https://youtu.be/O9Pf-JsFuJk
Watch the video about why parents should join their own local parent carer forum: Making a Difference Why should I join my local Parent Carer Forum
HARROW’S LOCAL PARENT CARER FORUM
Harrow Parent Carer Forum (formerly known as Harrow Parents 4 Disabled Children- HP4DC) is a parent participation group, formed in 2008 under the Aiming High For Disabled Children program with the help of Harrow Mencap and Harrow Local Authority. It was and is today, a user-led representative group run by parent carers for parent carers with SEND children and young people aged 0-25years.
Special Needs Community CIC was formed out of that work with one original founding member of the parent forum at the helm of it. SNC is a parent support group, born out of demand from local parent carers needing more support and social activities. SNC also managed the parent participation grant on behalf of the forum from 2017-2020.
Visit Harrow Parent Forum: https://www.harrowparentforum.org/
For more information about our extensive experience and involvement in parent participation and running the local parent carer forum from 2008 -2020, please email us at info@specialneedscommunity.org.uk.