17th March 2014

• Every year, our volunteers attend dozens of council meetings to represent the views of parent carers. Our reps are usually the lowest-paid people around the table, but they do an incredible job – reading briefing papers, gathering and representing parents’ views, giving feedback …

  As parents of disabled children, however, they have caring responsibilities which limit the amount of time they can contribute. When officers asked us to join five new groups tasked with implementing the SEN reforms in Sheffield, we knew it was time for a recruitment drive.

  A mail shot to our members elicited a fantastic response – over 20 parents volunteered! – and led to the recruitment of eight new parent representatives. These new volunteers will be trained and mentored by our “old hands”, to help them get to grips with their new role.

  Meet our parent reps! They would love to hear your views and experiences. You can chat to them at our subgroup meetings and quarterly open meetings – please see our calendar for dates.