BPV Completed/Archived Projects

We aim to continue to inform and empower parents of disabled and SEN children, young people and to improve services for families, children and young people affected by disability by working in partnership with LB Bromley, Bromley CGG and their statutory partners (including our schools and academies).

In addition, BPV will continue to work with other voluntary sector partners across the London Borough of Bromley to build a strong and inclusive community for our children and young people.

To enable BPV to achieve this, the forum is seeking to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in the very near future.

The SEND Code of Practice sets out how professionals across education (including early years, schools, colleges and 16-19 academies), health and social care should support children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) or disabilities to prepare for adult life, and help them go on to achieve the best outcomes in employment, independent living, health and community participation.

Young people with special educational needs (SEN) or disabilities have the same dreams and aspirations as their peers. They have many skills and abilities to offer. They want to work, have a better quality of life and play a full part in society like everyone else. As parents we want the best possible life outcomes for our children.

Bromley Parent Voice was asked by the LB Bromley to be part of a project team that is developing better life opportunities for our young people. We appointed Jude Bel as a Parent Champion who is working with the LB Bromley, schools, colleges, voluntary community sector and local employers to increase awareness and potential the opportunities for young people with special educational needs or disabilities to find employment (paid or voluntary) when they finish their education.

If you want to know more or get involved please contact Jude via info@bromleyparentvoice.org.uk

BPV have made inroads with working strategically with health partners. Over the last year BPV have attended meetings with Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group in the roles of Patient Advisers. Through BPV they have been able to help facilitate other carers input their views/experiences to CCG rather than just own experiences.

We will continue to add input where we can.

Alongside this work with Bromley CCG, Rosalind Luff has also participated as a patient adviser to the Our Healthier South East London programme. This is a collective of six local CCGs who are focusing on improving health outcomes by sharing and building on good practice across the CCGs.

Following on from the Ofsted/CQC inspection the Local Authority appointed a consultant to look at improving the Local Offer. BPV were invited to meetings to look at the issues. The site has been greatly improved and is now much easier to navigate. There is still much to do to make this a really useful site for families and BPV look forward to continued involvement in helping to shape the local Offer.

Don’t forget to visit the Local Offer website where you can feedback your views.

ASD Family Support:         BPV were invited to help inform recommissioning of the Family Services Contract for Autism. We held focus groups to glean from parent carers what they valued most about the current service and what extra services they would find helpful.

This information was fed back via a report to the Local Authority to inform the contract specification for family services which was then put out for tender.

BPV were allowed to have a parent representative review and comment on the tendered bids from a quality perspective (40% of award). The final decision on award of the contract was made by the LB Bromley.

We will continue to work on other Co-Production projects.

BPV continue to raise the concerns of parents to a high level within the Local Authority and are working hard to improve the communication with parents.

BPV representatives continue to meet regularly with the LA to inform the development of the Local Offer for young people as they prepare for adult life.

As part of this work BPV have set up a Preparing for Adulthood working group which aims to:

• Develop a more personalised approach to services
• Improve post 16 options and support
• Raise aspirations for our young people
• Plan services together, including establishing a Hub for young people.

Please contact BPV if you would like to be involved.

As part of BPV’S membership of the Independent Support Consortium, BPV have continued to deliver parent workshops across the age range focussing on the Children and Families Act and outcomes. The workshops have been well attended and highly evaluated. Parents have reported that they are better informed and able to participate in their child/young person’s EHC/Transfer Review.

We are planning for more Workshops to take place next year.

All parent forums have been asked by the Department for Education to complete a survey. This survey is designed to help the Department for Education understand progress in implementing reforms to the system for supporting children and young people with special education needs and disabilities (SEND). New legal duties on this came into effect on 1 September 2014. The transition to the new system is a gradual one over the next four years, to ensure that genuine change happens.

BPV is working very closely with the Local Authority, Health partners and the voluntary sector through the Independent Support Consortium to ensure that the voice of the parent, child and young person are heard both at family and strategic levels.