Our Co-Production Journey - how we designed our SEND Local Offer website
1. Background
The SEND Local Offer website is an important resource for parents, carers and young persons with special educational needs. It serves as a hub of information, guidance, and support.
2. You said, We did; We listen, We value
In our Local Area SEND Self Evaluation Form and Action Plan, parents view was that the voice of young people with SEND was not adequately represented in relation to their needs and provision. They said the LA needed to improve the look, feel and content of the SEND Local Offer so that it provided up to date, accurate and reliable information about SEND in the Borough to families, residents, and professionals. The LA decided the SEND Local Offer Website to be revamped co-productively so that it reflected the ambition of the Local Area for Young People.
3. Action
3.1 Mid-June to July 2023
- SEND Team completed the quantitative and qualitative audit for SEND Local Offer website (ref. SEND Code of Practice Chapter 4)
- SEND Team worked with Customer Experience Team (Digital Content Designer) to re-design a new microsite of SEND Local Offer
- SEND Team linked with Participation, Opportunity and Wellbeing Team, Early Years Team, Education Strategy Commissioning and Intelligence Team, Inclusion Team, Health – North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT) NHS, Social Care Portage Team, Transport Commissioning Team … to create and update the content for new SEND Local Offer website
3.2 August – October 2023
3.2.1 SEND Local Offer Website Consultation
SEND Team worked with One Borough Voice Team to launch SEND Local Offer Website Consultation
SEND Local Offer Website Consultation from 22 August 2023 to 21 September 2023
3.2.2 SEND Local Offer Newsletter
On 5 September 2023, 1st SEND Local Offer Newsletter issued to promote the consultation and co-production events
3.2.3 SEND Local Offer Website Co-Production Meetings and Professional Dialogues
The SEND Local Offer website co-production meetings and professional dialogues were held in September and October 2023 with:
Just Say Parent Carer Forum, Speak Up Young People Forum, SENDIASS, Local Youth Groups: AbPhab, Barking and Dagenham Youth Forum (BADYF), DADB, Future Youth Zone, Progress Project, Purple Penguin; our Schools: Trinity School, Mayesbrook Park School, Pathway School, and Parent Support Advisors Forum
3.2.4 SEND Local Offer Weekly Quick Update
While we prepared the new website, SEND Team sent out SEND Local Offer weekly quick updates via emails to our children and young people with SEND and their families, and also service providers to improve our communication and signpost them to visit our current SEND Local Offer website for new information and advice.
Previous Weekly Updates
List of weekly updates:
SEND Local Offer Greeting Card and updates 25 September 2023 PDF
SEND Local Offer Greeting Card and updates 2 October 2023 PDF
SEND Local Offer weekly updates 9 October 2023 PDF
SEND Local Offer weekly updates 16 October 2023 PDF
SEND Local Offer weekly updates 30 October 2023 PDF
SEND Local Offer weekly updates 6 November 2023 PDF
SEND Local Offer weekly updates 13 November 2023 PDF
3.3 November to 5th December 2023
- The new SEND Local Offer website (beta version) is on live for testing and debugging. SEND Team and Customer Experience Team are working with Speak Up Young People Forum to design the new logo and Young People/Preparing for Adulthood Subpage content and logo. Speak Up Young People Forum are invited to provide feedback about the functionality, navigation, accessibility, layout and design
- The new SEND Local Offer website (public version) will be launched officially on 5 December 2023
4. Result
Collaborative:
- We involve parents, children and young people (e.g. Just Say Parent Carer Forum and Speak Up Young People Forum) in developing and reviewing the Local Offer. We also co-operate with those providing services e.g. Schools, Youth Clubs, NHS.
Accessible:
- The new published Local Offer is easy to understand, factual and jargon free. It is structured in a way that relates to young people’s and parents’ needs (i.e. by broad age group). It is well signposted and well publicised.
Comprehensive:
- Parents and young people know what support is expected to be available across education, health and social care from age 0 to 25 and how to access it. The Local Offer include eligibility criteria for services where relevant and make it clear where to go for information, advice and support, as well as how to make complaints about provision or appeal against decisions.
Up to date:
- When parents and young people access the Local Offer, it is important that the information is up to date.
The old SEND Local Offer website
Your new SEND Local Offer website
From the consultations we had we knew that the new Local Offer website needed to be bright, colourful, and engaging. We also needed the content to be accurate, up to date and easy to access.
We feel the new Local Offer website for Barking and Dagenham achieves this and the feedback we have received backs this up:
“It improved a lot. More colours and pictures.”
“Thank you so much – this is looking great – a transformation.”
“It is very good that you are getting feedback from young people and making changes in response.”
“The LO website looks brilliant. Well done!”
“It looks great!”
“We like how the website is looking with all the pictures, images, symbols, and links use of colours, and less black and white pages of writing.”
5. What’s next?
We will continue to test our website and online services with real users, making iterative updates to improve customer experience.
Written by Gigi Kwong, SEND Family Co-production Lead, and Paul Blake, Digital Content Designer