Local non-profit offers SEND information packs to help support parents and carers

Swindon SEND Families Voice are a parent carer forum who provide support to parents and carers who have children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The team are all parents and carers themselves, and they work with Swindon Borough Council and Health services aiming to ensure that local services meet the needs of families in Swindon.

For the second year running they have been able to secure additional funding to provide SEND Information Packs to families who have children due to start primary school in September 2022 who have any kind of SEND - no diagnosis is required.

The team say the aim of the packs is to support all families as early in their SEND journey as possible, so they feel less isolated.

Last year they delivered a staggering 276 packs. 

Communications Co-ordinator at SSFV, Jacqui Watt, said: "At the moment, our Transition Packs are a big focus, which we send out to every family who has a child with any kind of SEND that is moving from preschool to Primary School.

"The idea behind the packs is that we want to reach out to all parents as early as possible to help them feel supported and to know who to get in touch with to ask questions, be signposted to services, and to lessen feelings of isolation.

"If you have a child who meets the criteria, please contact your preschool or nursery setting and ask them to order a pack by sending an email to [email protected].

"Our volunteers are delivering the packs throughout the summer term, and have delivered 180 packs so far."

One parent said of SSFV: "I have just dropped my child off at nursery and been handed a pack. What a lovely bag full of support to receive on a Monday morning!"

Members of the public can contact Swindon SEND Families Voice via their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SwindonSENDfamiliesvoice