The SEND Partnership Board is independently chaired by Edwina Grant and brings together senior stakeholders from across the system, including Department for Education advisers, the Director of Education, the Director of Children and Families, the Designated Clinical Officer, headteacher representatives, and elected members for children and families. Its purpose is to escalate SEND issues and drive forward key pieces of work, including the SEND reforms and the OFSTED/CQC recommendations.

This month's meeting, Lucy (PCF Vice Chair) presented the findings from the PCF 2026 Survey…702 responses from families across Cheshire West and Chester, covering key themes including communication, EHCPs, support in education, and inclusion.

She asked the board directly: Were there any surprises? What further analysis would be useful? And how will these results be embedded at the heart of SEND planning for our area?

The Board's response was honest, stating it's hard to hear. While there have been green shoots of change and improvement, they aren't blooming consistently enough for families with SEND, and that disappointment was felt. That honesty translated into discussions and actions:

• The DfE adviser and Education Director will further explore how the survey results can be embedded into SEND reform plans
• The section on "what good inclusion looks like" will be used as a blueprint for shaping services
• A deeper dive into the EHCP data will identify the key pain points families experience: pre, during, and post process — including parent satisfaction feedback forms
• The Local Offer team will look at improving awareness and navigation, after 70% of respondents said they hadn't heard of it

PCF having a seat at the SEND Partnership Board means your voices are heard at the highest level — and acted upon.

For more information on the PCF and what we do...

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Visit our 'What's On' page to join us at one of our forums or coffee drop-in events in 2026 or you can catch up on past events with our videos, presentations, information and event coverage.