Local SEND Improvement
Shout Out for SEND (SOfS)
Buckinghamshire Council wants to listen to and act on what young people with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) think and feel. This is part of the Youth Participation Strategy.
Shout Out for SEND is a youth voice programme for children and young people with SEND. It helps them share their ideas and is linked to the SEND Partnership Board.
Shout Out for SEND runs several youth participation activities including:
- monthly meetings with young people who volunteer as Shout Out for SEND Reps
- school workshops
- youth interview panels
- local forums called ‘Shout Out for SEND: Get Active!’ where young people with SEND can share their views
- public speaking and training opportunities at local and national meetings and events
Children and Young People's Plan
In July 2024, Shout Out for SEND created a plan to improve services for young people with SEND. This plan was made with the help of the Shout Out for SEND young people and professionals from the SEND Partnership Board (SPB.)
The plan follows the SEND and Inclusion Strategy. It is checked and moved forward by SOfS Reps, the Youth Voice Bucks team, and the SPB.
Shout Out for SEND Conferences
Shout Out for SEND, along with Buckinghamshire Council colleagues and partners, hosted annual conferences for young people from 2019 to 2023 (except 2020).
In 2024, the activities were spread throughout the year with school workshops and Get Active! engagement sessions.
On 15 November 2023, the fourth annual Shout Out for SEND Conference was held at Stoke Mandeville Stadium.
The event was planned and led by our Shout Out for SEND Reps, who chose the theme of promoting understanding and acceptance of SEND, with a focus on discrimination and bullying.
- 49 young people in years 8 and 9 from 12 schools attended, along with 21 school staff and 35 council staff.
- The theme was understanding and accepting SEND, focusing on discrimination and bullying.
- Activities included discussing bullying and discrimination, sharing what they want to change, and creating posters and decorating t-shirts to share their views.
Read the report: SOfS Conference November 2023 – Report
Our 2022 Shout Out for SEND Conference was held in November at Aylesbury Rugby Club and was aimed at young people in years 7 to 9 receiving SEN support.
The purpose of the conference was to collect young people’s input on what inclusion looks like.
We gathered their views on inclusion in the classroom, wider education setting and in the community to inform and update the SEND Improvement plan.
The workshops and activities were designed and co-produced with young people from the 'Shout Out for SEND' participation group who also helped on the day. There were also two workshops for accompanying adults on 'Moving to Inclusion' and the Local Offer.
The conference was greatly received by the young people and supporting adults who attended on the day.
For more information, you can see the full conference report on SchoolsWeb.
In collaboration with post 16 providers, we were delighted to welcome 48 young people with SEND from 18 settings across the county to our Shout Out for SEND Conference in October 2021.
Providers included:
- BuDS (Buckinghamshire Disability Service)
- Buckinghamshire New University
- Adviza
- Buckinghamshire College Group
- Stony Dean School
- and FACT Bucks Parent Carer Forum
The interactive event took place at Adams Park, the home of Wycombe Wanderers Football Club, and was opened by Buckinghamshire Council Chief Executive, Rachael Shimmin.
The theme for the day was Preparation for Adulthood, a key focus area for Buckinghamshire. The workshops and activities were co-produced with young people from the 'Shout Out for SEND' participation group who also helped facilitate on the day.
We received great feedback from both young people and the accompanying adults to say how much they had learnt from the day whilst enjoying the icebreaker activities as well as lunch.
For more information about the day, you can see the full conference report on SchoolsWeb.
Our first SEND conference was held in 2019 to collect young people’s input for our local area SEND and Inclusion Strategy refresh.
The refresh of our SEND and Inclusion Strategy provided an opportunity to reach out to a broad spectrum of young people and hear their views directly about their experiences day to day in Buckinghamshire.
'Shout Out for SEND', our first SEND conference for young people, took place in November 2019 and was aimed at young people with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and those who are registered as SEN Support.
The purpose of the conference was:
- to provide opportunities for young people with SEND to share their views on their experiences of living and being educated in Buckinghamshire.
- to enable a co-produced new SEND and Inclusion Strategy for the local area.
The conference will become an annual event, bringing together a range of young people with varying skills and abilities to share ideas and have their voices heard.