What We Do
Our parent carer community is at the heart of what we do and we support them throughout their SEND journey
Parent Carers in Trafford
Being a parent carer is a lifelong caring role, many don’t see themselves as carers who provide specific and tailored support for their children and young people, therefore we aim to break down loneliness and isolation for many parent carers by sharing lived experiences with other parent carers in Trafford and remove limitations on support and accessibility of services for parent carers and their families.
Trafford Parents Forum has been at the forefront of delivering parent carer voices of SEND children and young people in Trafford since 2013 and we have gone from strength to strength, led by a strong team of 10 employees/volunteers, with 8 of us being parent carers ourselves, each at different stages of their own SEND journey in Trafford bringing invaluable ‘lived experience’.
We now have over 800 parent carer members who share their ongoing experiences with Trafford Parents Forum through engagement and participation, all of which is captured and communicated with Trafford LA and other key stakeholders.
As of the 2020 SEND survey, there were a total of 6,284 children and young people with SEND within Trafford, which has increased by over 2,000 children and young people since May 2019. 1,832 of these have an Education and Health Care Plan (“EHCP”) which documents their individual needs and the provision in place, forming a legal document which details support provided by education, health and social care. The remaining 4,452 have been identified as having SEN support but do not have a formal EHCP in place, those individuals are supported through recommended strategies as outlined in the Graduated Approach guidance issued by the LA.
The increase in the number of children and young people with SEND in Trafford has resulted in a significant increase in demand for parent carer low level emotional and practical support, and in particular those parent carers who are just starting out on their SEND journey.
It is more than ever crucial that we continue the work we do, as ‘experts by experience’ we can validate, and support others experience of SEND in Trafford with invaluable local knowledge, breaking down barriers such as loneliness and isolation for many parent carers making them feel more connected and involved in the local SEND community.
