Improving Services for Disabled Children & Young People in Wiltshire

There is nothing that cannot be done if we raise our voice as one!
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Representing a 'Voice'

for Parent Carers in Wiltshire     

Parent carers, through raising their own families, have gained first

hand experience of using services; by listening to what they have to say, we can clearly identify what is working well, what needs improving and where the 'gaps' are in provision, ie. where services are needed but do not currently exist.

 

The information we gather is fed directly to the local authority by volunteer Parent Representatives who attend regular meetings with Wiltshire Council, NHS and other agencies - this is referred to as 'parent participation'.  We all work together to look at improving local services and support, to ensure these are designed and developed around the needs of disabled children and their families.

 

How do we work? 

When we first set up the WPCC, we looked at how the local authority was organised and how best we could organise ourselves for maximum effect, impact and consistency.  So, we decided the best way forward was to have parents working in dedicated teams, alongside the professional teams within the local authority.

 

Each of our teams comprises of 1 Lead and up to 4 Parent Representatives. Wherever possible, in our quest to be a truly 'representative voice' we like to ensure each team is made up of parent carers who:

  • have children with a range of needs or disabilities
  • come from a variety of backgrounds
  • live in different parts of Wiltshire

 

More about Volunteering for the WPCC

Training  All Parent Representatives are expected to undergo Participation Training.  This training is invaluable as it prepares you for the role, arming you with useful information, tools and techniques that you will need to get the job done.  Training sessions are always organised in advance and between the hours of 10am and 2pm during school term time.

 

Time Commitment  This is a difficult one to answer accurately as it can be swings and roundabouts really.  This will very much depend on the pace of a project teams are working on at any one time, deadlines set by Government (usually around time constraints for when a certain pot of money needs to be spent by!) and regularity of meetings at County Hall.  However, on average Team Leads should expect to dedicate 3-4hrs per week to WPCC business and Parent Representatives  1-2hrs per week during school term time only.  This covers attending meetings, phone calls, responding to emails, etc. 

 

Opportunities  As well as attending regular meetings at County Hall, there are occasions when the WPCC holds a consultation relevant to the work your team is working on, in which case you may be required to help facilitate that event. This could be anything from helping to set up, registering and welcoming parents as they arrive, leading or taking notes from workshop discussions  – whatever you feel most comfortable doing.

 

Expenses  All volunteer Team Leads and Parent Representatives will be reimbursed for out of pocket expenses, travelling and childcare costs.

 

Want to find out more?

If you are interested in finding out more about any of the above roles, please contact the WPCC Vice Chair, Stuart Hall for an informal chat.  

 

Mobile Tel:   07593-258936

Office Tel:    0167 569300

Email:           vicechair@wiltspcc.co.uk

Please bear in mind that Stuart is a parent carer himself and would

appreciate calls between Monday to Friday 10am-2pm. Thank you!