Earlier this month, Kellie Knott, our SEND Improvement Director, met with our ‘Champions for Change’. The group is run by participation officers and captures the voice of children and young people in special schools in Devon.
During the meeting they shared with her some of the issues that their schools want to raise. This included concerns about food, staffing and transport as well as the lack of funding for swimming lessons at secondary school, waiting lists for diagnosis and mental health support.
Kellie has now contacted several of our service leaders here at Devon County Council to think about how we can take action based on what the young people at the meeting said, and is looking forward to this being on ongoing conversation with them to ensure we respond to things that our most important to our children and young people.
Our Youth Participation Team work hard with young people to encourage their voices to be heard, and Kellie is determined to ensure that our conversations lead to change!
If you or anyone you know is interested in joining a group run for young people with SEND by young people with SEND, please get in touch. Visit the SEND Local Offer webpage for more information.