Virtual Forum: Who We Are and What We Do

Virtual Forum: Who We Are and What We Do - 15 Sept 2026

Joanne Southall • August 30, 2026

Thank you to everyone who attended our first virtual event of the new academic year.

First off, we explained who we work with and how we share your voices with local and national SEND and Parent Carer services.

Importantly, we felt it was useful to explain the role that we play in supporting parents and representing their views and concerns.
This was simply put as:

What we do!

🔄 We Feed Back

🤝 We Co-Produce

❗ We Signpost

📢 We Keep You Informed

📅 We Plan for the Future

What we DON’T do!

❌ We’re Not in a Fight

❌ We Don’t Provide Services Directly

❌ We’re Not a Campaign Group

❌ We Don’t Advocate Individual Cases

It was lovely to hear first-hand from Sally Denyer about why she became involved with the PCF. Sally’s two boys are both in mainstream primary school, amazing boys who are both autistic and who are both completely different as well. Her unique experience of her children being in mainstream primary means that the one thing she is most interested in is what good inclusion looks like in schools and also the wider community. Sally was involved with the production of the recent papers on ordinarily available inclusive provision and also reasonable adjustments, what our younger people can expect to receive in schools. Sally is also involved in the work that's being done on the Know Me profile. You can read more in her recent PCF blog here: We've had our say on Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS) review — shaped by you!

We were joined by external partners Sal Thurway – Director of Education and Inclusion, Jen Griffin, Designated Clinical Officer (DCO) and Zara Woodcock, Assistant Director of Social Care, Early Support and Family Help. They introduced themselves and gave us a snapshot of what the priorities are in Cheshire West and Chester for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

Sal talked about the delivery of the SEND Our Commitment, a piece of work that has been co-produced to help shape the standards that we all want to agree to in terms of the way in which we're going to work together, our commitment to improving outcomes and supporting the best outcomes for children with SEND.

After an inspection at the end of last year Sal confirmed that a post inspection plan is being actioned. The main focus of improvement is consistency in the way in which we work across the borough for all children and families. The action plan seeks to address four key priorities which include: wait times, communication, timeliness, and quality of education, health and care plans.

He also reiterated his team’s commitment to maintaining transparency around the progress that we make and will make sure that the Parent Carer Forum is part of that.

Some of the exciting stuff that's on the horizon is that the Best Start Family Hubs will have SEND inclusion practitioners in all family hubs and that there will be four, one in each locality.

Jen Griffen explained more about the role of the DCO for Cheshire West and Chester. In 2024, guidance around the role of the designated clinical officer for SEND was reviewed and an updated handbook set out four main pillars. So having an advisory role, a strategic and leadership role, a governance policy and practice role and a relationships and connections role. And that is all within the expected gift of a designated clinical officer.

Jen contributes to the EHCP panel, for example, but is also very involved in the rollout of experts at hand, looking at how we can implement Knowing Me at a local level, regularly involved in SENCO cluster meetings. She is also very keen on championing the role of individual health care plans and works really closely with health commissioners around performance, waiting times, and understanding the challenges from a health provider perspective.

Our chair Lucy concluded by reminding everyone about the SEND Summit on Monday the 19th of October at Chester Racecourse and everything that was discussed during the virtual forum with Sal, Jen and Zara, will be taking place there. Including all that planning and preparation for the upcoming SEND reforms and what the workforce needs to do.

The DCO also noted that this is an important event to clarify the Experts at Hand offer and understand what's wanted from parents, from schools and settings as well.

You can watch the full recording of 'Who we are and What we do' on our YouTube channel - link below...

Recording of the Forum

This forum is for parents and carers of children or young people age 0-25 with SEND living in Cheshire West and Chester.

Please contact us for further information.