You said

Long waits for health and diagnostic support, particularly CAMHS, autism assessments and therapies.

We did:

• Launched the new Melo service in April 2025, providing early help and wellbeing support for children, young people, and families.
• Worked with NHS partners to create "While You Wait" information, bringing together advice, local services and support to help families while waiting for assessments or appointments.
• Worked with our NHS partners during 2025 to improve access to neurodevelopmental assessments, including preparing for the introduction of approved local providers for right to choose in January 2026.
• Children and young people’s 0 - 25 years neurodivergence support service in development during 2025 with the plan to go live in 2026.

You said

Children and families need better access to mental health and emotional wellbeing support.

We did

• Launched the new Melo service in April 2025, providing early help and wellbeing support for children, young people, and families.
• Additional support through an alternative provision framework for those children and young people unable to attend school due to mental health or emotional wellbeing difficulties

You said

Families report gaps in health, social care and education support services.

We did

• Co-produced a SEND handbook for GPs and primary care staff to improve understanding and ensure children and young people get better support.
• Co-produced a neurodivergence handbook for families of children and young people.
• A handbook was created for families to explain how the children with disabilities team can help them.
• Education inclusion advisors have developed further resources for schools focusing on the graduated approach

You said

Education settings are not consistently meeting children’s needs, including EHCP support, adjustments and attendance support.

We did

• Implemented the partnership for inclusion of neurodiversity in schools (PINS) project throughout 2025.
• Carried out EHCP audits across a range of schools and settings with feedback provided to relevant professionals.
• Strengthened SENCO network with increased levels of engagement from schools.
• Appointed 3 education inclusion advisors to deliver SEND training to schools and settings, improve transition arrangements, support mainstream schools to be even more inclusive, develop further resources for schools focusing on the graduated approach.
• Strengthened our attendance work, including dedicated school attendance and engagement officers working with schools and a countywide attendance network event in June 2025 to improve support for families.

You said

Transitions between phases, settings and adulthood are not consistently planned or supported well.

We did

• Appointment of an education inclusion advisor with specific focus on transition from one phase to another, annual transition to new class and in-year transitions.

You said

Families find SEND pathways, services and sources of support unclear and difficult to navigate.

We did

• Increased awareness of support through targeted Facebook campaigns, signposting to the local offer, assessments, and ways to stay connected.
• New printed materials (flyers, postcards, banners) were produced and distributed across settings and services to raise awareness.
• Promoted services at community events and introduced regular informal coffee mornings, giving parent carers direct access to professionals without the need for appointments or a diagnosis.
• Developed a SEND local offer linktree which gives families direct access to the key pages of the SEND local offer without having to navigate the entire site.

You said

Parents feel they have to constantly chase, escalate or appeal to get the support their child needs.

We did

• PCV meet regularly with members of the SEN Team and other colleagues at Herefordshire Council to escalate concerns on behalf of families.
• PCV meet with colleagues at Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB where concerns are passed on to the relevant teams to follow up
• Regular SENCO network meetings offer opportunities for training and awareness raising

You said

Families feel their views and concerns are not always heard or reflected in decisions.

We did

• Delivered co-production training with SCIE to improve colleagues’ skills and confidence in working with families.
• Continued to co-produce key services and resources with parent carers, young people and partners to ensure they reflect real experiences.
• PCV participate in quality assurance processes when a decision is made not to conduct an EHC Needs Assessment to ensure that an impartial parent carer voice is represented in those discussions.

You said

Communication between services and with families can be inconsistent, with limited updates, coordination and joint working across the system.

We did

• Information from education, health and social care is shared regularly through the SEND local offer Facebook page and the half-termly SEND newsletter. 
• Established and strengthened the joint commissioning forum in 2025, bringing together the local authority and health partners to improve joint working across the system 

You said

Rurality, travel distance and limited transport make it harder for families to access education, services and activities.

We did

• PCV expanded parent carer coffee mornings to Leominster to ensure accessibility for families outside of Hereford, with plans to add Ledbury and Ross on Wye to the schedule of coffee mornings.
• In 2025, SEND social opportunities grant funding was given to providers across Herefordshire, so more families could access activities closer to where they live. 
• PCV provided support and guidance for a new parent carer support group in Kington to enable families in the north of the county to access support.

You said

The targeted short breaks card is too restrictive and cannot always be used in ways that meet families’ needs.

We did

• Coproduced the guidance for card usage with our parent carer forum, PCV, to ensure families can access the support they need and meet the outcomes in our short breaks statement.
• We have worked with individual providers to adjust bank coding to make the card more accessible in a wider range of venues.

You said

Families need clearer information about how the targeted short breaks allowance can be used and where it is accepted.

We did

• Updated the information about what the card can and cannot be used in conjunction with our parent carer forum, PCV; this is sent to every card recipient when their application is processed
• PCV share updates about places that families have used the card
• The half-termly SEND newsletter and SEND local offer Facebook page includes targeted short breaks updates.

You said

There are not enough suitable providers or activities where families can use short breaks funding.

We did

• Launched Visible and Valued SEND celebration week in May 2025, bringing together families, professionals and local providers for a programme of inclusive activities and support, with over 200 children, young people and families taking part.
• Continued to share and promote local activities and events on our SEND local offer Facebook page and the half-termly SEND newsletter.
• Introduced the SEND social opportunities grant, funding local organisations to deliver new daytime and community-based activities so more children and young people can access short breaks and social opportunities across Herefordshire.

You said

Demand for short breaks activities is greater than the current level of provision, especially during holidays and weekends.

We did

• Introduced the SEND social opportunities grant, funding local organisations to deliver new daytime and community-based activities so more children and young people can access short breaks and social opportunities across Herefordshire.
• Worked with commissioned providers to expand their service for children and young people with an assessed need for specialist short breaks provision.

You said

Children with complex needs need better access to suitable short breaks and respite options, including local overnight provision, so families can use their allocation.

We did

• Herefordshire Children’s Services with support from partners, including PCV, are working to develop a local overnight short breaks provision, with updates on the progress of this development expected by the end of 2026
• Whilst this work continues, Herefordshire Council continue to identify and explore alternative overnight short breaks options for eligible children and young people.

You Said

Families struggle to recruit personal assistants, limiting their ability to use direct payments or support packages.

We did

• Developed a free PA training and learning offer to build skills and confidence, alongside practical guidance such as a “Safeguarding on a page” resource, to better support PAs and strengthen the local workforce.

You said

Direct Payments processes can be complex, inflexible and inconsistent for families.

We did

• Improved support for direct payments by introducing a free PA training programme, practical guidance resources, and new incentives to help families find and retain personal assistants.
• We have commissioned services for families using direct payments (DP) offer support and guidance and to assist with using DP to pay personal assistants (PAs).