What parent carers told us this October...

Throughout October, Lancashire Parent Carer Forum continued listening to families across Lancashire through our Family Hub drop-ins, the West Lancashire Roadshow, website submissions and Facebook conversations.

We also heard from education staff about the challenges schools are experiencing when supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Conversations covered education, EHCPs, assessment pathways, social care, health services and the challenges of finding the right information and support.

This round-up brings together the main themes. It reflects experiences, questions and concerns shared with us, rather than a comprehensive picture of every family's experience or a statement of service policy. Feedback has been combined and anonymised to protect families' privacy.

Recognising and meeting children's needs at school

Education support continued to be a prominent theme throughout October.

Parent carers described difficulties getting schools to recognise and respond to their children's needs. Some felt that concerns they had raised were not being taken seriously or that the support being provided was insufficient.

Families also asked what support schools should offer children who do not have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), and what they can do when they disagree with a school's assessment of their child's needs.

These concerns were echoed in conversations with primary school learning mentors, who described increasing demand for SEND support.

Staff reported pressures on school resources, including reduced capacity for nurture interventions, pastoral support and access to specialist teachers.

The feedback highlights the importance of schools having the resources, expertise and capacity to recognise and respond to children's individual needs.

Finding suitable education and school placements

Families raised questions about accessing appropriate school placements and understanding the options available to them.

At the West Lancashire Roadshow, parent carers asked about identifying suitable schools, arranging school visits, independent school placements and whether children with EHCPs could attend schools outside Lancashire.

Other feedback highlighted difficulties when children were unable to access education in the way they needed.

Questions were also raised about support for children experiencing emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA) and those receiving education outside mainstream school.

For families, finding an appropriate setting is not simply about securing a school place. It is about finding somewhere their child can attend, feel included and receive the support they need.

EHCP delays, delivery and accountability

EHCP processes continued to generate questions and concerns.

One parent described a lengthy delay in receiving an updated draft EHCP, despite being given a further deadline.

Others raised concerns about schools implementing the provision and targets included in their child's plan.

Families also questioned who is responsible for monitoring whether EHCP provision is being delivered and what action they can take when they believe it is not.

At our drop-ins, parents asked for support with EHCP requests and described difficulties navigating the assessment process.

Across these conversations, families wanted clearer communication, greater accountability and confidence that agreed support would be delivered.

Assessment pathways and specialist support

Assessment and diagnosis remained important areas of discussion.

Parent carers described having to push for referrals for autism and ADHD assessments, while others asked about access to dyslexia assessments.

Education staff also raised questions about changes to autism referral arrangements and the consistency of some assessments.

Facebook feedback included concerns about neurodevelopmental assessment waiting times and the availability of specialist professionals to support children in mainstream schools.

These conversations demonstrate how important it is for families to understand assessment pathways, what support is available while waiting and where to turn when they have concerns.

Social care and short breaks

Families raised concerns about access to appropriate social care support. These included uncertainty about eligibility for Break Time Plus, difficulties returning to social care following case closure and concerns about proposed changes to Direct Payments.

These were individual experiences shared with the Forum, rather than evidence of the same issue occurring across every area.

Nevertheless, they highlight the importance of clear information, consistent communication and support that reflects the needs of the whole family.

Finding the right information and advice

A recurring theme was uncertainty about where families should go for information and support.

Parents asked about the role of SENDIAS, including what support it can provide at school meetings and when families are experiencing difficulties with EHCP processes.

Other questions covered housing advice for families with disabled children, activities outside school and support for young adults who are not in education, employment or training.

Families also asked how they could access specialist health support, including help with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).

Not every question represents a service failure. Sometimes families simply need clear, accessible information about the options available and what to do next.

Listening to different perspectives

Alongside parent carer experiences, October's feedback included concerns from education staff about increasing demand, staffing pressures and access to specialist support.

These perspectives help build a broader understanding of the challenges within the SEND system.

We also received Facebook feedback questioning LPCF's independence and how effectively parent carer views are represented.

It is important that we listen to this feedback too. As an independent, parent carer-led Forum, our role is to represent the collective voice of families, including concerns and views that challenge how services and the Forum itself operate.

How this feedback informs our work

Each month, we bring together feedback from across our activities to identify recurring themes, emerging concerns and areas where families are experiencing difficulties.

This evidence helps inform the collective parent carer voice we bring to discussions with Lancashire County Council, the NHS and other partners.

It also helps us identify topics for future engagement, questions to raise with services and areas where clearer information may be needed.

Collecting feedback does not mean every issue has been resolved. It is part of an ongoing process of listening, understanding and helping to influence improvement.

Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences with us this October.

We know how valuable your time is, and we appreciate every conversation, question and contribution.

Does this reflect your experience?

You can share your views with the Forum or join one of our friendly, informal drop-ins. You do not need a diagnosis, and you can share as much or as little as you feel comfortable with.

Find a drop-in or contact us directly to share your views