Shaping the Future of SEND: Reflections on the Contact & NNPCF Conference & How it reflects PCF CWaCs work

Last week, parent carer forums from across the country came together for the Contact & NNPCF Conference 2024-25, a key event in the SEND sector that brings parent representatives and professionals together to discuss the future of SEND services. The event focused on co-production, policy developments, and strengthening parent voice, reinforcing the role that Parent Carer Forums (PCFs) play in shaping SEND strategy both locally and nationally.

Key Highlights from the Conference

The conference delivered a wealth of insights and actionable strategies, including:

• Dynamic Keynote Sessions: National experts shared their visions on how collaborative working and co-production can drive real change within SEND services. Their insights highlighted the importance of embracing innovation and shared leadership.

• Interactive Workshops: Attendees participated in sessions designed to build skills in governance, policy influence, and effective communication. These workshops encouraged active dialogue, ensuring that all voices—especially those of families—were heard and valued.

• Strategic Networking Opportunities: The event created spaces for meaningful connections between parent volunteers, professionals, and policymakers. Participants left with strengthened networks, ready to collaborate on future initiatives.

• Best Practice Sharing: Through case studies and panel discussions, the conference showcased successful examples of how parent-led contributions are making a difference in local and national SEND strategies.

• Focus on Co-Production: Central to the conference was the drive to embed co-production at every level—promoting joint decision-making between parents and professionals to improve service delivery and accountability.

Read more about the conference here. https://contact.org.uk/contact-nnpcf-conference-2024-25/

How This Links to PCF CWAC’s Work

At Parent Carer Forum Cheshire West and Chester (PCF CWAC), we are deeply committed to strengthening parent participation and ensuring that families’ voices are central to local decision-making. The key themes of the conference—building strong partnerships, improving engagement with families, and influencing policy change—resonate with the work we are doing across Cheshire West and Chester.

Some of the areas where we are making an impact include:

✅ Working alongside local professionals in Education, Health, Social Care, and Commissioning to improve services through co-production and working together 

✅ Developing our volunteer training programme, equipping parents with the skills and confidence to engage with professionals and advocate for families

✅ Drafting the SEND Strategy Plan and actively participating in the SEND Strategy workstreams, ensuring that parent voice from the PCF Survey, Meaningful Change Document and SEND Scrutiny is at the heart of system-wide improvements

✅ Creating spaces for collaboration, such as forums and training events, where professionals and parents can work together in partnership towards meaningful change

Bringing National Learning into Local Action

The discussions at the Contact & NNPCF Conference reinforced the importance of collaborative working and embedding co-production at every level. One key takeaway was the need to avoid creating unnecessary extra meetings and instead make the most of existing opportunities to build relationships and influence change effectively. This aligns with how PCF CWAC is approaching our work—ensuring that parents and professionals come together in a way that is both impactful and sustainable.

We are excited to take these national conversations forward and continue embedding the principles of true co-production & Working in Partnership in Cheshire West and Chester’s SEND strategy.

➡️ Want to get involved or learn more? Get in touch with us to see how you can be part of shaping SEND services in our area.

To learn more about the conference, go to CONTACT conference page to view the video, alongside presentations from the day.

If you have any other questions, please email us at: contact.pcfcwac@gmail.com or call 07900 840867

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