The County Council are arranging in-person events, for people to share their experiences and support the development of plans for services for children and young people with special educational needs in Hertfordshire.

There are five listening events, hosted by Councillors Mark Watkin and Hillary Skoczylas, taking place across Hertfordshire from 11-17 July.

These free, drop-in events will give people a chance to talk to the county councillors responsible for Education, SEND and Inclusion about what's working well and what challenges they face.

These listening events will also help us to gather insights from students, parents and teachers ahead of the planned SEND Summit, taking place on Monday 15 September.

"Please stop by at one of our listening events; it's so important that we hear your views. We want as many voices as possible to help us shape the future of our SEND services. By listening and understanding, we will be better able to deliver the improvements in the SEND system that families and schools need. Together, we can build a system that truly works for every child and every family in Hertfordshire." - Cllr Mark Watkin, Executive Member for Education, SEND and Inclusion

County councillor listening events: 

• Friday 11 July, 9-10.30am, Hemel Hempstead
• Hobbs Hill Wood School, Peascroft Road, Hemel Hempstead, HP3 8ER
• Tuesday 15 July, 1.15-2.45pm, Stanstead Abbotts
• Amwell View School, Station Road, Stansted Abbotts, Ware, SG12 8EH
• Wednesday 16 July, 9.30-11am, South Oxhey
• South Oxhey Young People's Centre, Gosforth Lane, Watford, WD19 7AX
• Thursday 17 July, 9.30-11am, Letchworth
• The Icknield Centre, Icknield Way, Letchworth Garden City, SG6 1EF
• Thursday 17 July, 1-2.30pm, Hatfield
• Breaks Manor Youth Centre, Link Drive, Hatfield, AL10 8TP

For those not able to attend one of the county councillor listening events, there are a number of ways people can still be involved. The SEND Local Offer team are attending certain family events over the summer. They will be there to provide advice and support, and they will also be available to listen to your feedback and suggestions for the SEND summit and the new SEND strategy.

Additionally, we are looking to capture the feedback of as many people as possible via our online SEND summit surveys, with different ones intended for professionals, parent carers, and children and young people. These are all available via our SEND summit information page on the Hertfordshire SEND Local Offer: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/SENDSummit

Anyone looking for information, support and advice relating to SEND in Hertfordshire can find it on Hertfordshire's SEND Local Offer: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/SEND