This is a combined definition from the Children and Families Act 2014 and the Equality Act 2010. These Acts guide the responsibilities and statutory duties of the Southend SEND Partnership to ensure that children and young people have the support they need.

The Southend SEND Partnership wants all children and young people to thrive and be happy in their local community and the SEND Strategy sets out how they aim to achieve this.

The strategy runs from 2023 to December 2026 and now needs updating.

We want to know: What do you think should be prioritised about the future SEND Strategy? As the Parent Carer Forum for Southend, our role is to make sure that the experiences, views and priorities of parent carers are part of these conversations from the very beginning.

Five areas were previously identified by parents, carers, young people and members of the Southend SEND Partnership along with feedback from the SEND Inspection. These were:

🟡 Transitions

🔵 Early Intervention

🟠 Good Mental Health and Wellbeing

🔴 Plans

🟢 The Local Offer

But we want to know, what do you think is important to help our children and young people reach their potential and fulfil their dreams? What things are working well? Are there any gaps or things missing? This is your space to tell us.

Let us know your comments and everything will be shared to help shape the new Southend SEND Strategy.

Let's start the conversation.

This space is for Parent Carers who live in Southend to share their views on the Southend SEND Strategy.

⚠️ Important Information

This is a public platform, so please do not share personal or identifying information about yourself, your child, or other families. Please do not share information about specific services, individuals, schools or organisations.

Please share general views rather than detailed personal experiences.

If you have specific feedback you would like to share, please complete our Family Feedback Form: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/XY82SVQ

⚠️Consent

Your feedback will help Southend SEND Independent Forum (SSIF) understand and represent the views of local families. We will use the information shared anonymously to support our work with Southend City Council, NHS Essex ICB and other key local partners and stakeholders, representing parent and carer views locally.

By posting on this board, you agree that Southend SEND Independent Forum (SSIF) may use the information you share anonymously for these purposes.

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Please note that we can only include feedback that is relevant to the SEND Strategy. However, understanding your wider experiences and views is still really helpful for informing our work.

What do you think should be prioritised around transitions and preparing for adulthood?

🟡 Do you think we should have earlier conversations and planning for adulthood?

🟡 Better information and support around education, training and employment opportunities?

🟡 Better support when moving from children's services into adult health and care services?

🟡 Or provide more opportunities to develop independence, life skills and confidence?

🟡 Or is there something that has been missed that is more important?

Tell us what you think should be included.

Plans cover everything from ISPs (Individual Support Plans) or IEPs (Individual Education Plans) through to EHCPs (Education, Health and Care Plans). But what do good plans for our children and young people look like? What do you think is important to be included?

Maybe it's important that:

🔴 Plans that accurately reflect a child's current needs and the support they require.

🔴 Reviews, decisions and updated plans happening within the required timescales.

🔴 Education, health and social care working together and contributing properly to plans.

🔴 Children, young people and their families being genuinely listened to and involved in their plans.

🔴 Or maybe it's something else entirely.

Let us know your thoughts on what should be included.

What do you think is most important about Early Intervention? Is there ONE thing that has made the biggest difference?

Has it been:

🔵 Needs being recognised and supported earlier – without children having to wait for a diagnosis or EHCP.

🔵 Schools listening to children and families and adapting support when something isn't working.

🔵 More consistent SEND support across schools, so children get the help they need.

🔵 Has the right support been provided at

the right time, in the right place?

🔵 Or is there something else that is more important?

Tell us what you think should be included.

We know how important it is to help our children and young people achieve good mental health and wellbeing, but what has helped you as a family achieve this? What do you think is important to be included?

Is it:

🟠 Better practical support for children, young people and families to help improve their mental health and wellbeing?

🟠 Easier access to mental health support that understands neurodivergent children and young people?

🟠 Better communication and joined-up working between health, education and other services?

🟠 Better support for children experiencing school anxiety, attendance difficulties or risk of exclusion?

🟠 Or is there something else more important missing?

Tell us what you think should be prioritised.

The Southend Local Offer (hosted on Livewell: https://www.livewellsouthend.com/sendlocaloffer) is your one stop shop to find out about everything locally to do with SEND. It has a wealth of information about clubs, activities, and SEND Routemaps, along with universal, targeted and specialist support services for children and young people with SEND.

🟢 Have you used the Local Offer?

🟢 Have you found it helpful and easy to use?

🟢 Did you know the Local Offer team run monthly SEND Surgeries across the city, that bring parent carers and professionals together in one place to ask any questions you might have? Find out more here: https://www.livewellsouthend.com/SENDSurgeries

🟢 Is there anything missing on the Local Offer?

Let us know what you think below.

On this link you will be able to find information on the progress made during the first year of implementation of the Strategic Action Plan.

On this link you will be able to find information on the refocussed priorities for 2024-25.

On this link you will be able to find information on the progress made during the second year of activity up to July 2025 and confirms the current priorities for 2025-26.