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Child and Family Partnerships: Partnership with Parents and Carers

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Two People Talking

Partnership with Parents and Carers

Parents or carers of children with emerging needs and SEND are often juggling many roles in supporting their child and hold a wealth of key information and knowledge about their child. It is important that settings foster partnerships with parents/carers relating to all aspects of their child’s needs and support, however, as we can see from the illustration there may be many involvements with the family and settings should be sensitive to the needs of the family and work with them to establish what they will be involved with and how.

Parent and Carer SEND Elements
Illustration of some of the elements that parents and carers may be involved in relating to supporting their child with SEND in an Early Years setting.

Click for a larger version of image.

  • Website – This is often the first point of contact for families considering early years setting; this should be friendly, welcoming, and understandable (no acronyms or jargon), demonstrating an inclusive ethos and identifying their support for children with SEND and their families. (There is a section below on developing family-friendly information relating to SEND).
  • Staff who are dealing with initial contact should understand that parents and carers of a child with SEND may have different questions or priorities and should be sensitive in responding to these.
  • The setting is welcoming, showing an interest in the child as a person as well as their needs
  • Setting has a “can do” attitude that focuses on strengths.
  • Diversity is valued, actively acknowledged, and reflected within the setting.

  • Parents have a vital, unique, and enduring knowledge about their child’s needs - this is even more vital to understand and respond to for children with SEND or emerging needs.
  • Be prepared to learn from the child’s parents they will have a wealth of information
  • The setting should actively plan to support the transition that supports the child and family’s needs.
  • Identify early on how you will communicate with the family – consider what works for them and ensure that strengths and celebrations are regularly communicated
  • Aim for a partnership approach.
  • Develop a relationship with parents based on mutual trust and respect.

  • Who is their child’s key person is.
  • Who they should communicate with when they need to raise important things about their child.
  • Where to access the setting’s policy and procedures.
  • What the procedure is if they have a concern.

  • Parents or carers’ views are actively sought and responded to.
  • Practitioners understand and respect that parents and carers may have differing views and perspectives on the setting.
  • There is ongoing and regular positive two-way communication.
  • Practitioners try not to use jargon and acronyms.
  • The setting actively seeks to engage and involve parents in setting life.
  • Where challenges arise, these responded to appropriately.
  • Parents or carers know what support the setting is putting in place and their views and input are actively sought.
  • Parents or carers are fully involved in any referrals, practitioners ensure they understand the process and their views relating to the child are fully captured as part of the process.
  • Parents or carers engage in creating and reviewing individual child plans, not simply reading, and signing.
  • Settings should inform parents and carers of any communication with outside agencies about their child and parents and carers should be aware of any visits to the setting by professionals relating to their child.
  • Settings sensitively consider the perspectives of families of children with SEND in their outgoing communication e.g., when sending out “what my child needs to be able to do before school”.