How families are directly shaping SEND reform

17 June 2026

Involving and empowering families with the right life experience is crucial to ensuring SEND reform happens collaboratively and productively.  

That’s the view of North Northamptonshire Council which is taking a bold approach to improving services for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), placing meaningful ‘co‑production’ with parents, carers and young people at the heart of its SEND reform work.

‘Co-production’ is an approach which includes people from local communities with lived experience to be fully involved in shaping services or policies.

Following a challenging SEND inspection outcome in 2024, North Northamptonshire Council and its local area partners made a conscious decision to change not just what they do, but how they work. Rather than responding with a traditional improvement plan written behind closed doors, the council has chosen to work openly and collaboratively with parents and carers as equal partners in shaping the future of SEND services.

This work comes at a critical time, as all local authorities prepare SEND reform plans for submission to the Department for Education by the national deadline later this month. 

In North Northamptonshire, co‑production is not a bolt‑on, it’s the foundation. In recent months, a series of SEND reform workshops have taken place across North Northamptonshire, bringing together a record number of parents and carers alongside professionals from the local authority, schools, health services and social care. These sessions have created safe spaces for honest discussion about what families value, what needs to improve, and where support needs to be focused to best meet children’s and families’ needs.

The Northamptonshire Parent Carer Voice (NPCV) has played a central role throughout the process. Parent and carer representatives are not only helping to shape priorities through workshops, but are also embedded in partnership governance, attending key meetings and ensuring the lived experience of families is directly reflected in decision‑making and in the SEND reform plan itself.

This approach increases the likelihood that North Northamptonshire’s SEND reform plan will reflect the real experiences of local families and lead to change that makes a tangible difference in everyday life.

One area where this can already be seen is travel to school SEND transport. The council has commissioned independent consultancy Impower to support this work, but crucially, parents and carers are actively co‑producing the solutions rather than being consulted after decisions are made.

Families have taken part in surveys and have been working alongside Impower and the council in workshops to shape how SEND transport will work in the future. 

The council said, crucially, this is not about cutting costs; it is about greater independence, flexibility and choice. The work is exploring how independent travel training can be offered where appropriate, and how personal travel budgets (PTBs) can be used in ways that make sense for families – for example by pooling budgets with other parents, or funding wraparound provision such as breakfast clubs to create flexibility.

Parents are also directly influencing how and when communication happens, recognising that inadequate communication has historically been a source of frustration and anxiety. This work supports transport improvements, as well as wider preparation for adulthood conversations for children and young people with SEND.

It is imperative that parent carers and professionals come together as equal partners, sharing experiences, listening with understanding, and shaping solutions that truly reflect the needs of children and young people. This collaboration is vital in helping to shape the local plan, ensuring lived experiences inform decision making, and enabling meaningful feedback to be shared with the DfE to drive positive change across SEND services.Claire Baxter, Director at Northamptonshire Parent Carer Voices

We are very grateful for the work and support of Northamptonshire Parent Carer Voices. As a partnership, we still have a long way to go on our SEND improvement journey; however, there is growing confidence that a mutually respectful and productive partnership – one where the local area can accept challenge and learn from experts by experience – gives the best possible chance of success. While co‑production is not new in principle, what sets North Northamptonshire apart is the bravery to do it properly. This means sharing power, being honest about weaknesses, and allowing parents and carers to influence real decisions, not just shape the language of plans.Cllr Elizabeth Wright, Executive Member for Children, Education and Families at North Northamptonshire Council

North Northamptonshire Council and its partners are committed to returning in 12 months’ time to show the impact of this work – not just in words, but in improved experiences and outcomes for children, young people and families.

Meaningful co‑production takes time, openness and trust, but leads to stronger plans and better outcomes.Cllr Wright