The below document gives you some more information on the User Voice and Participation Team and the work that they do. Here you’ll find out about some of the services they run including participation groups, training and more. They work with children and young people to give them a place where they can have their voice heard and talk about what’s important to them in Surrey. For the most part the young people they work with will have accessed services in Surrey like CAMHS, or

The Government have opened a consultation on school attendance and are proposing to bring in a variety of measures to improve school attendance across the country. There appears to be very little in the consultation around SEND, and we know that for many of our children and young people school attendance can be challenging for many reasons. We would therefore urge you to fill in the consultation to ensure that the consultation gives families with children and young people wit

Together at Home (SEN) is an interactive and fun music programme specifically designed for children who attend special schools. It is free to attend, and all sessions take place via zoom on Tuesdays from 5pm - 6pm. Please see the attached flyer for more details. Click here to register for this ensemble. UP! Orchestra is Surrey's award winning, inclusive music ensemble for children and young people of all background and abilities. This term we are opening our doors to new memb

On Tuesday 18th January the NNPCF Steering group met with the Parliamentary Undersecretary for Children and Families Minister Will Quince. It was a 45-minute meeting where we gave the Minister stories of why and what we need to be included into the SEND review. Please read the attached document for further details.

Family Voice Surrey have produced a bitesized video on the Governance Board with the SEND team at Surrey CC. Jo and Kathrine are answering the questions that you have asked. We would love to hear your feedback of these videos and your own experiences of the Governance Board. If you have any further questions after watching the video please do send them in and we will do our best to get them answered. For questions and feedback please email - Leanne - leanne.h@familyvoicesurre

Family Voice Surrey have produced a bitesized video on preparing for adulthood and post 16 EHCP process with the SEND team in Surrey CC. Jo and Kathrine are answering the questions that you have asked. We would love to hear your feedback of these videos and your own experiences of the EHCP process in preparing for adulthood/post 16. If you have any further questions after watching the video please do send them in and we will do our best to get them answered. For questions an

To celebrate Carers Rights Week, Action for Carers organised a series of fayres across Surrey as a chance to raise awareness of unpaid carers and their rights to receive support. Family Voice Surrey took part to all four events and had a stall manned by two members of our staff. They were available to answer questions about the carers role and provide a sign posting service, advice and information. On Wednesday 24th November the ‘Action for Carers’ fayre started off at the L

Surrey County Council is working in partnership with Surrey Coalition of Disabled People, and We Coproduce to create a new strategy for Direct Payments across Surrey. As part of the initial research stage, they are looking to understand attitudes and opinions about Direct Payments They are keen to gain feedback from families in a number of different ways which will input into the strategy development. At Family Voice Surrey we are supporting them with holding a group online e

Earlier this year FVS helped recruit parents for a research project Surrey County Council ran about their experience of choosing a school to name for their child with additional needs. Parents of children with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) were interviewed to understand their experience of expressing a preference for school placements, and what factors were most important when considering this. This research also explored what information helped inform pr

At the end of November, Family Voice Surrey Trustees recorded a conversation with Benedicte Symcox (CEO) to let our membership know what had been happening in the last 18 months. Covid has not allowed us to hold a formal AGM, so this is our way of making sure you know we are still here, representing the experience of families whose children have additional needs. The video is long because we have been very busy! But you can use the links in the description to listen in bit si