Lancashire SEND Partnership Communication and Engagement Strategy 2025–2028

Introduction

The Lancashire SEND Partnership Communication and Engagement Strategy outlines how partners will communicate and engage in partnership working. The strategy has been co-produced with children, young people and their families through:

Feedback received from families through Lancashire Parent Carer Forum.
SEND Survey feedback from parent carers and children and young people.
Responses to the Local Offer Survey.
Engagement Events such as Working Together events, SEND Strategy events, and Capital Plan events.
Correspondence and complaints.
SEND Inspection feedback.

We would like to thank all those who have reviewed, contributed, and provided feedback for this strategy.

Background

The Local Area SEND Inspection in 2024 identified communication as an area for improvement stating 'Leaders across the partnership should continue to improve their communication strategies at all levels. This includes communicating with children and young people with SEND and their families so that they are kept better informed about the support that they receive, plans in place to improve their outcomes and where to access support and guidance while waiting for assessment'.

The SEND Strategy 2025-8 and Priority Action Plan sets out sets out how the SEND Partnership will improve services and support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families. This Communication and Engagement Strategy is the overarching vision and framework that defines our approach to strengthening communication and engagement across the SEND system in Lancashire. It includes the vision, values and principles of communication across the partnership.

Stakeholders

The Lancashire SEND Partnership brings together all the agencies in Lancashire which provide special educational needs and disability (SEND) services for children, young people, their parents and carers, with representatives of those who use the service. Lancashire SEND Partnership stakeholders include:

POWAR, the participation forum for children and young people with SEND, representing the voice and views of children and young people.
Lancashire Parent Carer Forum, representing the voice of parent carers.
Lancashire County Council, responsible for SEND including representatives from Specialist Teaching, Educational Psychology, Children's Social Care (including the Designated Social Care Officer (DSCO), Early Help (including the Children and Family Wellbeing Service - CFWS) and Public Health.
Education settings, schools and colleges – including Head Teachers and SENCOs.
NHS Integrated Care Board - responsible for health services for children and young people in Lancashire with SEND.
NHS Healthcare Providers (GPs, Hospitals, Community Services, Mental Health, Specialist Services).
Additional Healthcare Providers (0-19 Health Visiting / School Nursing).
Designated Clinical Officers (DCO) for SEND.
Lancashire SEND Information Advice and Support Team (SENDIAS).
Voluntary, Faith and Community organisations.
County Councillors

Lancashire Parent Carer Forum

Lancashire Parent Carer Forum (LPCF) is a strategic partner and provides the first point of contact with families.

As a trusted and representative voice of parent carers across the region, the Forum plays a central role in facilitating open, two-way communication, ensuring that lived experiences inform strategic decisions.

Stakeholders engaging with the SEND Partnership are encouraged to connect with the Forum early in the process to foster collaboration, build trust, and ensure that co-production remains at the heart of service development and delivery.

POWAR SEND Youth Forum

POWAR SEND Youth Forum is a strategic partner and provides the first point of contact with children and young people. POWAR is a participation group for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, who influence decision making and make a difference to young people's lives.

The Children and Families Act 2014 makes clear that local authorities, in carrying out their functions under the Act in relation to needs (SEND), must have regard to:

the views, wishes and feelings of the child or young person, and the child’s parents.
the importance of the child or young person, and the child’s parents, participating as fully as possible in decisions, and being provided with the information and support necessary to enable participation in those decisions.
the need to support the child or young person, and the child’s parents, in order to facilitate the development of the child or young person and to help them achieve the best possible educational and other outcomes, preparing them effectively for adulthood.

Vision

Our vision is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities thrive in a nurturing inclusive environment, from birth into adulthood, where they will be safe, happy and healthy, achieving their potential, with the support they need, when they need it.

To achieve our vision for children, young people and their families we will ensure open, honest, and accessible communication across Lancashire’s SEND services.

We aim for every child, young person, parent carer and professional to feel informed, involved, and empowered.

Stakeholders should be able to say:

“I receive clear and understandable communication.”
“I am aware of changes and improvements in SEND services.”
“I know how to contribute to shaping SEND services.”
“My voice is heard and valued.”

Communication Values Framework

The RIACT framework outlines our values for effective and inclusive communication and engagement.

We will ensure our communication is:

R – Respectful
Value each partner’s time, input, and cultural context.
I – Inclusive
Reach all communities, including those with additional communication needs.
A – Accessible
Use plain language and provide information in multiple formats.
C – Consistent
Maintain regular communication using agreed-upon channels.
T – Transparent and Timely
Be open and honest about challenges and progress and share updates regularly and responsively.

Communication and Engagement Aims

Our aims include:

Broadening reach to underrepresented families.
Creating consistent, two-way communication channels.
Enhancing the SEND Local Offer website and other channels.
Promoting co-production in all areas of service improvement.

Engagement Process

Our engagement model includes:

Insight: Gathering data and feedback.
Co-production: Working together on solutions.
Influence: Building trust and shared understanding.
Feedback: Closing the loop and showing impact.
Resilience: Supporting communities to thrive

Principles of communication, collaboration and co-production

Who: Who is our audience?
What: What do they need to know?
Why: Why is it important we reach them?
When: When do we contact them? How often?
How: Methods, channels, accessibility

We will achieve this by creating a communication strategy and delivery plan that has been co-produced by our partners.

We will:

Value relationships and working in partnership to ensure support is coordinated and of high quality.
Make sure lived experiences help us to shape services and are making a positive difference.
Ensure children and young people and their parents/carers are fully involved in decision making at an individual and strategic level.
Encourage innovation and digital enhancements.
Communicate well with our families, communities and partners.
Have clear monitoring and accountability processes to ensure we review whether we are making a difference.

Participation and Co-production as Core Principles

We are embedding participation and co-production at the heart of our work.

Participation is the recognition of children and young people's right (as well as the supporting right of their parent carers) to take part and express themselves in decisions that affect them. They should be listened to, understood, and their views taken into account according to their age, ability and maturity.

We use the Lundy Model to understand how this can be respected in line with Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

This model provides a way of conceptualising Article 12 of the UNCRC which is intended to focus educational decision-makers on the distinct, albeit interrelated, elements of the provision.

Article 12:

The right to express views
The right to have views given due weight

The four elements have a rational chronological order:

Space: Children must be given safe, inclusive opportunities to form and express their view
Voice: Children must be facilitated to express their view
Audience: The view must be listened to
Influence: The view must be acted upon, as appropriate

The Participation and Co-production Team lead POWAR SEND youth forum, which is a growing network of groups and individuals seeking to promote children and young people's participation across the Partnership.

POWAR - Participate, Opportunity, Win, Achieve and Respect

The Four Cornerstones of Co-production and Inclusive Practice was developed by Genuine Partnerships (a community interest company from Rotherham made up of practitioners, parent carers and young people working together as equal partners). Genuine Partnerships work with Contact (a charity for families with disabled children) to deliver training in local areas.

The Four Cornerstones underpin Lancashire's SEND Strategy 2025-2028, and this Communication and Engagement Strategy 2025-2028 will be used to evaluate the progress in changing the culture. To understand co-production, and put our values into practice, we collectively adapted the Four Cornerstones of Co-production and Inclusive Practice for Lancashire.

Through this strategy we want to improve the way that we:

Welcome and care
Value and include
Communicate
Work in partnership

We will ask organisations across Lancashire to sign up to acknowledge and follow these principles in how they seek to co-produce with children, young people and their families.

4 cornerstones of co-production in Lancashire

Welcome and Care

We will:

Create and invest time in building relationships and understanding one another
Create welcoming and caring spaces
Consider who needs to be involved at the earliest opportunity
Introduce everyone and their role and seek to make connections
Provide a clear purpose for involvement
Outline any commitment needed (e.g. time, responsibility, role)
Consider when, where and how activities take place, thinking about the needs and availability of all involved
Nurture confidence and emotional well-being through reassurance

Value and Include

We will:

Seek solutions using what's working well
Be clear about where and how everyone can influence decision making
Ensure appropriate partners are involved in the development of policies, systems and values
Embrace difference and acknowledge varied perspectives
Ensure everyone can access information they need, when they need it, in a format they can access
Ask who is not being heard, seek their involvement and enable an opportunity to be heard
Recognise that individuals communicate and contribute differently and adapt to support this

Communicate

We will:

Communicate clearly and honestly
Remember all behaviour is a form of communication
Use language and a tone that is respectful and constructive
Set realistic actions and timescales for change and report on progress
Respond in a way that is timely, reasoned and fair
Welcome opportunities to develop our understanding and maintain accountability
Engage in difficult conversations
Celebrate strengths and achievements
Ensure that information about strengths and needs are shared, with permission, and with all who need to know

Work in Partnership

We will:

Listen and value everyone's contribution and work towards shared solutions and decisions
Expect that everyone has the knowledge, understanding and skills or is supported to develop them
Work well together to explore options, develop plans, set shared goals and deliver specific projects
Be clear about how decisions will be made
Identify opportunities for co-production at all levels
Do what we say we will, or give a reason why we can't

What is co-production?

Co-production is a collaborative process where different stakeholders, including those with lived experience, work together as equal partners making shared decisions to design, develop, and evaluate services or projects or work to improve an outcome. All partners are involved in the process all the way through, from beginning to end.

Why have we created these cornerstones?

We know that working with those with lived experience improves outcomes for children, young people and their families. It is also their right to be involved in issues and decisions that affect their lives and how we do this really matters.

You can participate and co-produce in different ways

Individually, around the needs of a child or young person
At a service level, to improve how services work
And strategically, to influence long-term change in the future

SEND partnership four cornerstones pledge

To pledge to adopt these principles within your own team or organisation, please complete the SEND partnership four cornerstones pledge form.

To learn more about the SEND partnership in Lancashire, visit the SEND partnership page.

Key Messages

We will continue to listen and act on feedback.
We will invest in improvements and want to share progress.
We will continue to work in partnership with families and professionals.
We will improve the SEND Local Offer to be a trusted resource.

Communication Channels

The Local Offer

Every local authority must identify education, health and social care services in their local area provided for children, young people and families who have SEND.

The Local Offer is set out in one place, so children, young people, their families and professionals have access to the same information about services available in their area. The Local Offer can be found by searching Lancashire County Council/SEND on the internet and by searching Lancashire Local Offer on Facebook. People who do not have internet access will be able to access this at public libraries throughout the county.

The Local Offer is not a guarantee that a particular service will be available, but it is a guide to what you can expect to find and how you can access it. It should give a broad range of information about the support available.

The SEND Local Offer Directory provides information, advice and activities for children, young people with SEND, their families, organisations, providers, and services in Lancashire (and national, if relevant).

To keep the Local Offer useful, relevant, and collaborative, we will involve children and young people with SEND and their parents in:

Adding content to the Local Offer
Reviewing the Local Offer
Making comments and providing feedback about the Local Offer

As we develop and improve the Local Offer, we will ensure it is:

Collaborative
Accessible
Comprehensive
Up to date
Transparent

There is space on the Local Offer website for feedback and there is also information about our complaints and compliments process.

The Communication and Engagement Delivery Plan embeds the strategy into practice. It will be reviewed annually and explains how we will use the Lancashire SEND Partnership Local Offer website and other channels which include:

SEND Improvement Board Chair's Update / formal minutes
SEND Newsletter
Education Bulletin with Inclusion SWAY for schools.
Social media posts on the Local Offer Facebook page.
Webinars, videos, and face-to-face events.
Surveys, focus groups, and forums.
Annual reports.
Engagement events face to face and online

Strategic aims

By implementing this strategy, we aim to:

Improve trust and satisfaction among families and professionals.
Increase awareness and use of the Lancashire SEND Local Offer.
Strengthen stakeholder involvement in service development.
Demonstrate visible improvements in communication and service delivery.

Outcomes

Through this strategy we will achieve the following:

Clearer communication pathways with our stakeholders.
A refreshed and widely used SEND Local Offer.
Improved satisfaction and engagement.
Embedded co-production across the partnership

Measuring Success

We will monitor and track progress termly through:

Surveys and feedback from families and professionals.
Website analytics and social media engagement.
Case studies and stakeholder testimonials.
Participation rates in engagement activities.

SEND Partnership Communications and Engagement Delivery Plan

Purpose

To strengthen communication and engagement across the Lancashire SEND Partnership, ensuring children and young people with SEND, their families, and professionals are well-informed, actively involved, and supported throughout their journey.

Strategic Objectives

Improve Engagement with Children, Young People (CYP) and Parent Carers.
Enhance Communication Across Professionals and Organisations.
Increase Visibility and Accessibility of Information.

Key milestones include:

Promote the SEND Local Offer website.
Publication of Four Cornerstones Co-production Model, as part of the Communication and Engagement Strategy 2025-8.
Regular engagement events and feedback reports.
Termly SEND Surveys to track progress and satisfaction.

Actions

Provide advice, guidance and support for the new Lancashire Parent Carer Forum (LPCF) chairs in developing the LPCF

When: April 2025 – April 2026
Who:
- Chairs of LPCF
- Head of Inclusion
- Associate director of SEND and Complexities (ICB)
Why (Impact): Foster a culture of constructive feedback and continuous improvement, where challenges are addressed proactively.

Children and young people's participation plan is in place

When: May 2025 - Sept 2025
Who: Strategic Lead for Participation and Co-production
Why (Impact): Compassionate and strength-based communication which uses inclusive language supports better outcomes and wellbeing.

Work with children and young people to revise the current SEND Survey

When: June 2025 – Sept 2025
Who: Strategic Lead for Participation and Co-production
Why (Impact): Improved satisfaction on communication through SEND survey.

Develop a programme of joined up multi-agency training for health, social care and education

When: Aug 2025
Who:
- Designated Social Care Officer
- Designated Clinical Officer
- Senior Manager STS
Why (Impact): Children and families benefit from every practitioner working together to achieve the outcomes within the EHCP.

Co-produce a strategy to deliver the growth of POWAR as the SEND Forum

When: Sept 2025
Who: Strategic Lead for Participation and Co-production
Why (Impact): Increased engagement and membership with POWAR.

Launch the Four Cornerstones model of co-production across Lancashire

When: Sept 2025
Who:
- Strategic Lead for Participation and Co-production
- LPCF
Why (Impact): Embed co-production as an ongoing cyclical process. Improved consistency and transparency in how we co-produce.

Develop a termly programme of 'Let's talk' sessions in conjunction with Lancashire Parent Carer Forum, that aligns with parents' requirements across the partnership

When: Sept 2025
Who:
- Chairs of LPCF
- Head of Inclusion
- Associate director of SEND and Complexities (ICB)
Why (Impact): Ensure the voices of all people within the SEND community are heard and valued.

Co-produce and publish an engagement strategy with clear and transparent mechanisms in place for communication engagement

When: Oct 2025
Who:
- Chairs of LPCF
- Head of Inclusion
- Associate director of SEND and Complexities (ICB)
Why (Impact): The voice of children and young people, as well as parents and carers heard through various means.

Develop and implement an active communication plan for those seldom heard, including those who are NEET, educated at home, in other settings or less likely to attend those more accessible settings

When: Oct 2025
Who: Strategic Lead for Participation and Co-production / LPCF
Why (Impact): All CYP have mechanisms in place to have their voices heard and to influence partnership decisions.

Re-Produce and embed a partnership communications protocol

When: Dec 2025
Who: SEND Partnership Manager
Why (Impact): Improved consistency and transparency in how we co-produce.

Implement multi-agency SEND development sessions to improve cross organisational working

When: Dec 2025
Who:
- Head of Inclusion
- Associate Director of SEND and complexities (ICB)
Why (Impact): The views and experiences of CYP and parent carers are at the heart of decision making.

Improve the accessibility of the local offer website through co-production

When: Dec 2025
Who: Local Offer Development Officer
Why (Impact): A user friendly and accessible local offer will improve experiences for CYP and families, reduce frustration and increase access to wider service provision.

All partners

SEND Local Offer Website

When: Ongoing
Why: Shares up to date and engaging information collected through involvement and co-production.
How: Online webpages

SEND Partnership Webpage

When: Ongoing
Why: Shares up to date information for partners, including monthly SEND Improvement Board Chair's Update and formal minutes.
How: Online webpages

Local Offer Facebook Page / Social Media

When: Ongoing
Why: Regular posts added to promote activities, news, events and signposting.
How: Social media platforms

SEND Newsletter

When: Quarterly
Why: Shares engaging articles from partners and information promoting support groups, activities, news, events and signposting.
How: Digital / paper copies

Development Days / Workshops

When: Termly
Why: Events providing updates and collating feedback from all partners.
How: In person

SEND Roadshows

When: Monthly
Why: Information events providing support for families and practitioners, gathering feedback.
How: In person

Engagement Events

When: Monthly
Why: Events including webinars and videos highlighting progress and gathering feedback to help shape services.
How: Teams meetings

SEND Improvement Board Meetings

When: Monthly
Why: Progress made against the Priority Action Plan is shared in the milestone tracker, the Highlight Report and in papers detailing data and performance, Quality Assurance, and deep dives.
How: In person

SEND Improvement Board Chair's Update and Minutes

When: Monthly
Why: Summary of what was said and what the partnership will do in response, in plain English. Formal minutes detail what was challenged, the response and the actions that will be taken as a result.
How: Online

SEND Partnership Strategic Meetings

When: Monthly
Why: Meetings to progress milestones in the Priority Action plan. Progress, risks and challenges shared in the SEND Operation Board meetings.
How: Team meetings

SEND Partnership Communication Survey

When: Termly
Why: Developed to ensure feedback helps to shape services. Feedback shared termly through communication channels.
How: Online

Press Releases

When: Ongoing
Why: Reactive and proactive statements to provide consistent and agreed shared messaging.
How: Media channels

Annual Reports

When: Annually
Why: Summary of progress made by SEND Partnership and shared via SEND Partnership webpage.
How: Online

Families: Parent Carers

Let's Talk Events

When: Monthly
Why: Events hosted by Lancashire Parent Carer Forum (LPCF) for parent carers, providing updates and listening to feedback to shape services.
How: Teams meetings

Round Table Meetings

When: Termly
Why: Regular officer and senior lead attendance at LPCF Round Table events to share key messages and listen to feedback.
How: In person

SEND Survey and Sharing of Results

When: Ongoing
Why: Developed through co-production to ensure feedback helps shape services. Feedback shared termly on Local Offer website and through other channels.
How: Online / paper copies on request

Families: Children and Young People

SEND Survey and Sharing of Results

When: Ongoing
Why: Developed and being co-produced to ensure feedback helps to shape services. Feedback shared termly on Local Offer website and through other channels.
How: Online

Schools and Settings

Inclusion Sway for Schools and Settings

When: Fortnightly
Why: Regular SEND updates for schools and settings.
How: Email via Education Bulletin

Head Teacher Briefings

When: Monthly
Why: Regular SEND updates for schools and settings
How: Teams Meetings

Meetings with Education Forums

When: Ongoing
Why: Attendance at Early Year Federation, Primary Heads in Lancashire, Lancashire Association of Secondary Schools Headteachers, Lancashire Special School Head Teaching Association, The Lancashire Colleges meetings to share key messages.
How: In person meetings

Internal: Inclusion Staff

Inclusion Sway

When: Fortnightly
Why: Regular updates to internal staff.
How: Email

Team Briefings

When: Weekly
Why: Content shared as needed.
How: Teams Meetings

SEND Academy Service Days

When: Termly
Why: Information shared to improve knowledge and skills of staff.
How: In person meetings

Internal: Social Care Staff

CSC Weekly Brief

When: Weekly
Why: Information relevant to SEND shared as needed to upskill social care staff and improve communication.
How: Email

Internal: Health Staff

SEND Champions Network

When: Monthly
Why: Information relevant to SEND shared as needed to upskill health provider staff and improve communication.
How: Team Meetings

Internal: Education and Children's Service Staff

ECS Newsletter

When: Fortnightly
Why: Information relevant to SEND shared as needed to upskill all ECS staff and improve communication.
How: Email

ECS Network Events

When: Termly
Why: Information relevant to education and children’s services shared as needed to upskill all staff and improve communication.
How: In person

Internal: All staff

Chief Executive SWAY

When: Monthly
Why: Information relevant to County Council staff.
How: Email

Events

SEND Roadshows

September 2025: 25 Sept, 9:30–1pm: Kirkham Family Hub, Fylde
October 2025: 22 Oct, 9:30–1pm: Skelmersdale Family Hub and The Zone, West Lancs
November 2025: (No event listed)
December 2025: 3 Dec, 9:30–1pm: Burnley Football Club, Pendle and Burnley
January 2026: 28 Jan, 9:30–1pm: The Park Family Hub, Accrington Hyndburn
February 2026: 4 Feb, 9:30–1pm: Inspire Youth Zone, Chorley
March 2026: 26 March, 9:30–1pm: Clitheroe Family Hub, Ribble Valley
April 2026: 15 April, 9:30–1pm: Lune Park, Lancaster
May 2026: 6 May, 9:30–1pm: Rawtenstall Family Hub and The Zone, Rossendale
June 2026: 16 June, 9:30–1pm: Fleetwood Library, Wyre
July 2026: 1 July, 1:30–4:30pm: Moor Nook Family Hub, Preston

Let's Talk Parent Carer Events

September 2025: 8/10/12 Sept: AI / EHC Dashboard
October 2025: 7/8/10 Oct: Support for Families
November 2025: 11/12/14 Nov: Transitions and PfA; 24/25/27 Nov: Supported Internships
December 2025: 8/9/10 Dec: Neuro-divergence Pathway and plans
January 2026: 12/14/15 Jan: Support at School (OAP)
February 2026: 10/11/12 Feb: Short Breaks
March 2026: 9/11/13 March: SEND Local Offer website
April 2026: 14/15/16 April: EHCP process
May 2026: 11/13/15 May: Community activities / Support services
June 2026: 8 June: Home Education
July 2026: 8/9 July: School anxiety

Development Day / Workshops

November 2025: 19 Nov: Measuring impact
January 2026: 6 Jan: Inclusive practice
March 2026: 5 March
May 2026: 13 May
June 2026: 11 June

Let's Talk SEND for Practitioners

September 2025: Developing the plan
October 2025: EHC Dashboard
November 2025: Navigating the Local Offer
December 2025: Support at School
January 2026: ND Pathway
February 2026: Support for Families
March 2026: Transitions and PfA
April 2026: EHCP processes
May 2026: Short Breaks
June 2026: Community activities / support
July 2026: School anxiety

Risks and mitigations

All risks relate to the SEND Priority Action Plan that will have a direct impact on communications.

Children and families report they are not being listened to

Mitigation: A proactive approach in place, strengthened by Local offer Development Officer and Strategic Lead for Co-production and Participation.

Colleagues feel disengaged and disheartened

Mitigation: Colleagues involved and consulted with, feeling more informed, supported and listened to.

The Local Offer website is not as engaging as it needs to be

Mitigation: Local Offer Development Group exploring the use of video and podcasts, involving children and parent carers.

Gaps in training for health, education and social care on the SEND Code of Practice and Co-production

Mitigation:SEND Academy and Partnership Workforce Development ensures training is provided across all agencies.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Use pre- and post-engagement surveys to assess impact.
Track participation metrics across events and digital platforms.
Review feedback from CYP, families, and professionals termly.