About Parent Carer Forum Devon
Parent Carer Forum Devon is the official independent forum for the voice of all parents and carers of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities aged 0-25 years in Devon.
Our goal is to make sure that every parent carer in Devon feels heard and valued, and that their experiences and ideas matter.
We work in partnership with the LA, NHS, and social care to bring to the table the voices and experiences of Devon’s parents and carers and ensure families influence how services are designed, delivered, and improved.
We challenge when changes or improvements are needed and highlight where local services and processes are working well.
Together, we’re building a stronger voice for families and working towards a future where every child and young person with SEND is valued, included and supported to thrive.
Working with Families
Reaching Families
We want to hear from all parent carers of children and young people with SEND – whether your child attends a special school, a mainstream school, or is not currently in school.
We value the full diversity of SEND family experiences – every story helps us to better explain and share what matters most.
Ambassador Volunteer Network
Our Ambassador Volunteer network
connects parent carers within their own communities and across Devon.
Ambassadors help us to:
Hear directly from families where they are.
Signpost families to trusted advice and support.
Listening to Families
We invite families to share experiences through:
Events
Online sessions
Surveys
These may be organised by us or in partnership with other organisations and services.
Working Together
Funding
Parent Carer Forums are all funded by core grants from the Department for Education distributed by the national charity Contact. Most PCFs receive additional funding from their Local Authority and health services to support their work. Each Parent Carer Forum is an independent organisation with robust governance and reporting arrangements. Accepting funds helps us to do our strategic work and to connect with families – it isn’t a bribe to tell services what they want to hear. Funding also allows us to remunerate our amazing parent carer representatives for their hard work and expertise.
Contact: Grants and Monitoring
Contact Grant: currently £17,500
Local Authority Grant: currently £37,000
NHS Devon Integrated Care Board Grant: currently £15.368
Stay Connected
Keep up with our latest news stories
Contact us to share your story and connect with the forum