We work in partnership with local services to ensure parent carer voices shape support, provision & improvement. Family Voice Calderdale is the official Parent Carer Forum (PCF) for Calderdale and is hosted and supported by the charity, Unique Ways. We are a representative group of local parent carers of children and young people (aged 0–25) with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
Our role as part of a Steering Group is to bring the collective voice of families to the table and work alongside education, health and social care services to improve local provision. We are a pan-disability forum. This means we represent families across the full range of needs described in the SEND Code of Practice. Every voice matters — whether your child has a diagnosis, is on a pathway, has suspected SEND, is masking, struggling quietly, or is navigating the SEND system in any way. We work in co-production as equal partners with service providers. That means we don’t just highlight problems — we help shape solutions. We act as a critical friend: celebrating what is working well, and constructively challenging where change or improvement is needed. Our focus is always solution-focused and centred on better outcomes for children and young people. There is one Department for Education (DfE) funded Parent Carer Forum in each local authority area in England. We receive our annual DfE participation grant (administered by Contact) to support our running costs. As part of this, we are committed to working together in strategic co-production. We are also members of the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF), working alongside forums across England to ensure lived experience shapes local and national SEND developments. Through regional and national networks, we amplify Calderdale families’ voices beyond our local area. Most importantly — we are parent carers too. Everything we do is rooted in lived experience. We stand alongside you. And we work to ensure that SEND families in Calderdale remain seen, heard and valued every step of the way. If you are a parent carer of a child or young person with SEND aged 0–25, you can be a member of our forum. Membership is free and you can join on our website or email us for more information. Together, our voices are stronger.
