Our SEND Network for Change aims to create opportunities for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to get involve and have their voice heard! There’s lots of different groups and projects going on, which are run by our SEND Participation Team. Here’s some highlights from this month:
Our ‘Champions for Change’ group is working on a collaborative project with the Youth and Inclusion Team around aspirations for employment. They believe that all young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who want to, should be able to move into paid employment when they finish education. Young people from Southbrook, Bidwell Brook and Ellen Tinkham schools spent a day this month filming a video to encourage other special schools to get involved in the project. They look forward to showing you all the video when it is completed.
Our Devon Youth Council Network has set mental health as their priority focus for 2024. This comes as a result of the Make Your Mark vote that took place throughout February and March where mental health was selected as the issue that mattered most to young people in Devon. To help direct their work on mental health, the Youth Council Network is looking for young people to join a small steering group. This group will take responsibility for coordinating their work and sharing out opportunities with the wider network. The first part of this is taking part in some peer led research which will look at mental health in schools.
If you are interested in this work, or know a young person who would like to be involved in the Youth Council, please contact Lizz Williams by emailing participationchildrensservices-mailbox@devon.gov.uk
Join in!
Our SEND network for Change is always looking for young people who want to get their voices heard on the issues that matter to them.
We are currently particularly interested in hearing from young people with experience of being neurodivergent in Devon, and from young people with experience of difficulties attending school.
If you are a young person with SEND in Devon, whatever you want to say, we want to hear it! You can contact the team by emailing amy.bickford@devon.gov.uk or visit our website to find out more.