Dear Parents and Carers, 

Please see attached an invitation to contribute parent/carer/family voice to The Family Voice Project. The Family Voice Project is keen to gather family voices to understand how services work for SEND families; and to consider how services can be better improved. Several national areas in England are participating in the project and Safelives are keen to recruit, parents and carers, to focus groups and 1:1 interviews/conversations, which can be accommodated both online and in person.

Gemma Kirby, from Safelives will be running an in person focus group for parents and carers of NSPCWT, at The Firs – Parent Carer Resource Hub on Monday 3rd of March 2025, 9:30 -11:30am and we are looking for parents/carers to join in the conversation to help understand SEND provision and the support services available!

All participants will be renumerated with a £20 shopping voucher for their time and expertise!

If you are unable to attend an in person focus group on the 3rd of March 2025, or you would prefer to contribute within a 1:1 conversation, please email Gemma with a signed consent form and a 1:1 online interview, can be arranged.  

For context, Gemma Kirby (from Safelives) as area lead has been working on the Family Voice Project since the Summer of 2024 and she wants to ensure that as many voices of families nationally are captured as part of the Family Voices Project. This project has been jointly commissioned by Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Department for Education, Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Health and Social Care to embed processes for families to share their lived experience of programmes; to inform the development of national programmes and policy, as well as the delivery of programmes locally. 

If you would like to participate or have any questions for Gemma, you can email Gemma directly  at the following address (gemma.kirby@safelivesassociate.org.uk) Please see attached a flier explaining more about the Family Voice Project, alongside an information sheet and consent form. Gemma would welcome any questions that you might have.