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Help us shape SEND services - children and young people and parent carers

You may find it empowering to know that you can make a difference to the services you use! Some of these activities are a great way to connect with like-minded young people, too.

"Being an expert by experience has really boosted my confidence and self-belief. It’s been a fantastic journey, allowing me to get involved in a number of projects." 

Ellis Walker, aged 20

Voices of Hertfordshire

Voices of Hertfordshire is the name for groups and individual children and young people who help us make changes across the partnership. There are lots of ways you can be involved. We have listed them all below, starting with groups you can join, known as "youth councils".

Youth Councils

A youth council is for young people who want to make a difference within their community and have an impact on theirs and other young people's lives. They talk about issues that are important to children and young people. This might include: health services, education, or making sure there are enough suitable activities. They meet with decision makers to try to bring about change.

SfYP youth council cropped 486x6

Services for Young People (SfYP) Youth Councils

SfYP District Youth Councils are for young people aged 11 - 17, and the SfYP SEND Youth Councils are for ages 11 - 25.

Young people can express their views on issues that are important to them and contribute to the improvement of services and opportunities in Hertfordshire.

 

Primary aged children sit together with teachers at their multi schools council session

Voices of Hertfordshire Multi Schools Council

This is a group where students from different schools get together to share their thoughts and feelings about SEND.

These meetings happen every term in an area near you and include students from primary, secondary, and special schools.

Read what children discussed in the latest meeting minutes.

Secondary school pupils from Lonsdale gather for their multi schools group discussion

Integrated Care Board (ICB) Youth Council

The ICB Youth Council helps young people aged 12 - 19 work with healthcare professionals, to make sure their ideas are included in decisions about health services.

They meet online once a month during the school year, with a face-to-face meeting at the end of the year.

Other ways we collect feedback

4 Experts by Experience sit together on a couch

Experts by Experience

We have 8 Experts by Experience (young people with SEND) who help make services better for children with special needs by sharing their own stories and ideas.

This is Me logo

This is Me - for children and young people with an EHCP

‘This is Me’ is the worksheet we use to support children and young people with an Education, Health and Care Plan to tell their story. 

This can be completed with support of your family and professionals who know you well.

Healthcare passport traffic lightsMy Healthcare Passport (PDF 330kb)

The Healthcare Passport is a document all about you that you can share with your healthcare professionals.

They will read everything they need to know about you, and anything you want to share with them.

Follow the work of children and young people in Voices of Hertfordshire

Banjo is our multi schools council mascot. Banjo has some hidden and some physical disabilities. He helps our young people understand more about how to include everyone. 

Click on Banjo to see our Voices of Hertfordshire Kids Youtube Channel.

Parent carers

Herts Parent Carer Involvement (HPCI) 

Hertfordshire's parent carer forum, HPCI represents parent carers throughout the county, making sure their voices are heard across health, education, and social care services. As an independent parent led organisation, the HPCI team gather parent carer feedback and take that information to strategic meetings with decision makers and service leaders.  HPCI's purpose is to inform, shape, and improve services for children and young people with SEND, age 0-25. You can read more about HPCI or how to get involved here. 

Join our SEND online feedback group

Our online research group composed of parents and carers of children or young people with SEND and young people with SEND aged 16 - 25. Members of the group help to co-produce the Local Offer website and make improvements to SEND services with their feedback.

If you're interested in joining, you can read more about the SEND Online Feedback Group here. The group is sent occasional surveys or short online tasks that help make our services better. You don't have to be involved in every activity - you can do as little or as much as you want to, and tasks are never a test of ability.

 

Page was last updated on: 16/10/2025 12:09:53