Feedback & Experiences

Quotes from parents and carers at various events and training sessions

A Parents Journey

I walked into a coffee morning, feeling hopeless, confused and didn’t know where to turn. I sat down after being warmly welcomed. It was busy, there were more people than I expected and I wasn’t sure that I was even in the right place. I don’t even remember how I heard about the forum. Someone asked me if I needed help with something specific and I just said that I had been told that this is the place to come, by another parent. I was listening mostly, to other parents and carers, thinking to myself that they were inside my head, the thoughts that they had, the questions that they were asking, they were the same as I had.

I managed to pluck up the courage to say something about my two boys. I knew that they weren’t doing as well as they could be in school, and their behaviour at home was challenging to say the least.  I explained that I had been to meeting after meeting with the school but the boys seemed to be making no progress at all. I was asked if they had a SEN Plan, I didn’t know what one was, and must have looked like a deer in headlights. At this point everyone was listening to me, not in a bad way, like they do when you’re out and about at shops when everyone stares because your child is currently hiding in a freezer licking the glass, but in a supportive way. Like they were saying, its ok, we’ve got you. 

They must have realised that I had no idea on what was going on, so they broke it down into individual pieces of information. Each week I went back and found out more about what was available, who to speak to for advice, where I can go to get support and about the great organisations that offer training, family activities etc. 

A year later, one of my boys has an EHCP, that I applied for myself and was granted, and my other boy has a SEN Plan that gets reviewed every term and is making more progress than he was before. We access the short breaks grant so we get to go to activities and participate where no one notices if your child likes to wear his t-shirt inside out or if his hair looks a bit wonky because he doesn’t like it being cut. 

 There have been changes at the forum as well, when I first went, there were just two lovely ladies running the place, and I didn’t know how they managed to do so much for so many people. Now there are more and more people volunteering their time to help other parents and carers like me. I’m not at a place where I could help like that, but I always respond to any surveys that they put out or answer their requests for feedback on services if I’ve used them. I’ve attended their listening events and seen changes to services as a result of what they do. 

Thank you