Working in partnership with parents is key to successful support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Relationships and interactions with parents should be build on mutual respect, trust and strong communication. It is vital that we keep the child or young person at the centre of the conversation so that the promotion of the learning and welfare remains paramount.
How might this be achieved?
- Ensure that there are open lines of communication between the parent and the setting so that initial concerns can be shared quickly enabling support and early intervention.
- Hold regular review meetings to share progress and to adapt support based on presenting needs.
- Ensure that parents have access to key documents such as IEPs so they are aware of what support is in place.
- When referrals or requests for involvement need to be made to outside agencies, ensure that you have informed consent from parents/ carers.
- When consultations with agencies and professionals takes place ensure that the parent is able to access the meeting and provide additional supports as and when necessary.
- Ensure that there is regular communication between home and school, it is reasonable to expect that parents and carers may wish to receive communications through different methods (e.g in writing via email or letter, verbally or via videocall).
- Always ensure that children and young people are included in review meetings – this may take many forms but capturing their views on their own progress, how they like to be supported and what they wish to improve in the short and long term ensures that we remain child centred at all times.