VCSE Voices: SEND Reform & Community Meeting

Chris Bingham and Anna Blight are the Co-Founders of Pontefract Reads and are the VCSE Advocates sitting on the SEND and AP Strategic Partnership Board where we advocate for the VCSE sector around Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) issues as part of Nova's VCSE Voices project.

Chris and Anna are looking to work with VCSE organisations around SEND in Wakefield District, especially in the light of the upcoming Schools White Paper and the implications of the imminent Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. This will have broader implications not just for CYP but also for NEET, Employment, and more, both locally and nationally.

They met with interested parties at an intial meeting in partnership with Young Lives Consortium on 19 January, and now they're inviting you to a follow up meeting. Join to discuss the White Paper and dive deeper into the VCSE response to the paper and SEND community here in Wakefield District.

From Chris & Anna: "There is currently a national ‘conversation’ about SEND reform taking place in the form of online discussions and a survey (links below). We all know that the SEND system is desperately in need of reform, what we would like to do is develop a Wakefield VCSE response to this and, moving forward, develop a system where we can bring all those connected to SEND together across the district. Our initial thoughts are to develop links through the VCSE sector as we have all the VCSE Advocates who can take the VCSE voice to various strategic boards."

If you'd like to talk to Chris and Anna before the meeting, please contact them at pontefractreads@gmail.com