The parent carer forum for the London Borough of Newham
A parent carer forum is an organised group of parents and carers of disabled children from a local area. Our aim is simple: to make sure services in Newham meet the real needs of children and young people with SEND and their families.
Our story and purpose
Newham Parent Carer Forum is a friendly, voluntary group of parents and carers of children and young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs and/or disabilities living in Newham. We understand how frustrating it is to navigate a system that can feel difficult and impersonal - because we live it too.
We gather the views of local families and work in partnership with Newham Council, education settings, health providers and social care. We highlight where services are working well - and challenge, constructively, where change or improvement is needed.
A big part of our work is closing the gap between the council and SEND families: getting parents involved while services are still being planned, rather than after. We also point families towards the help that already exists, so you don't have to find it all on your own.
We are independent and parent-led, funded by an annual grant from the Department for Education, with Contact acting as the DfE's delivery partner supporting parent carer forums across England.
Our members' children have every level of need, from mild to profound and complex - with or without a diagnosis, and with or without an Education, Health and Care Plan. Needs and circumstances vary enormously, but many issues affect us all: assessments, waiting lists and access to services. If your child needs more support than others their age, you belong here.
Our aims
- Make sure parents help decide how local services are run
- Explain your rights, and any changes to the rules, in plain English
- Improve the services our families rely on
- Offer emotional, practical and social support
- Help families feel less alone
- Run training on the subjects our members ask for
- Give parents a safe space to share what they're going through
- Make more people aware of what SEND families face
- Share what we know with other organisations
We use your voice to influence SEND services from the beginning, not after decisions have already been made.
Too often families are asked what they think once the decisions are already made. We try to work the other way round. The official word for this is "co-production" - it simply means parents and staff sitting down together from the beginning.
We listen
Parents are the experts when it comes to their child. They know when things are working well and where things are wrong because they live it every day. We gather your views and concerns through surveys, events and conversations.
We work alongside
Things improve when parents and staff plan together, each bringing what they know. Parents know their child; staff know the system. Both are needed.
We find solutions
Working together helps staff see what families need, and helps families see why change can take time. Between us, we find answers that actually work.
Where your voice matters
We are Newham's official parent carer forum, so services are expected to listen to us. What you tell us reaches:
Newham Council
The SEND and education teams, social care, the people who fund short breaks, and those writing Newham's SEND plans.
Health services
The NHS teams handling diagnosis, therapies and community health services for children and young people.
Education settings
Schools, colleges and nurseries across the borough - both in meetings and directly.
National networks
As NNPCF members, Newham's experiences feed into national consultations - including responses to SEND reform.