Attendees of SEND workshops across north Northamptonshire praised for ‘honest’ answers and insight
The organisers of a host of workshops in November have given praise to people who attended and acknowledged the ‘highs and lows’ of SEND provision in north Northants.
North Northamptonshire Parent Carer Voices (NPCV) and North Northants Council hosted a series of workshops both in-person and online last month, which brought together parents, carers, and professionals from education, health and social care.
More than 100 people took part – in Wellingborough, Kettering, Corby and via Zoom – sharing their thoughts about what is working well in north Northants, the challenges they are facing, and the changes they feel are needed to better support children, young people, and families.
The workshops are part of the response to the first inspection report undertaken jointly by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Ofsted in January 2024 into North Northamptonshire Local Area Partnership area SEND provision. It found provision and outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in north Northamptonshire needed to ‘rapidly improve’.
Claire Baxter, Director at NPCV, said: “Attendees were honest about the highs and lows they experience, and that insight is vital. We are grateful to everyone who showed up and shared their stories, even when those conversations were difficult. We are committed to making sure these voices shape next steps and lead to tangible improvements.”
Topics included ‘co-production’ and how to improve working together, key findings from the NPCV 2025 SEND Survey, and progress from local service providers in response to the 2024 Ofsted/CQC inspection – and the issues raised through ongoing feedback.
The council says insights and feedback gathered will ‘contribute directly to shaping improvements within local SEND services.’
Cllr Elizabeth Wright, North Northamptonshire Council’s executive member for children, families and education said: “We’d like to thank everyone who attended these workshops for their valuable contributions, whether it’s local families or professionals.
"Opportunities to come together with shared goals, and a determination to improve services for local people should be encouraged. A special thank you must go to NPCV, who led this series of workshops. There will be more workshops in the future, and organisers are keen to hear about what people would like to see in future sessions.”