This page explains what Bristol Parent Carers does, how we support families of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Bristol, and the different ways you can get support or get involved.
Whether you’re at the very start of your journey, waiting for assessments, supporting a child with complex needs, or feeling unsure whether your concerns are “enough”; you belong here. You do not need a diagnosis to be part of Bristol Parent Carers. We welcome families from all communities, backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences.
We exist to make sure the voices of parent carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are heard when decisions are made about local services. Our work focuses on supporting families (with children aged 0-25 years), and on improving local education, health, and social care systems. You can read more about our team here.
Being a parent of a child who needs extra support can feel isolating, especially when you’re navigating systems, waiting for assessments, or feeling unsure where to turn.
Our parent-to-parent support spaces offer a safe, understanding environment where you can talk openly with other families, share experiences and practical tips, feel listened to without judgement and build confidence and reduce isolation.
Our support is open to all parent carers, including those whose children are undiagnosed, on waiting lists, educated at home, in school, or not currently attending.
We work with trusted practitioners to provide free, accessible information sessions for families. These sessions help families better understand topics such as SEND processes and support pathways, Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), wellbeing and mental health, autism, sensory needs, supporting behaviour, and many other topics.
Sessions are designed to be practical, inclusive, and grounded in real-life experiences, and are requested by families. We offer support for those who have English as an additional language. Some sessions are recorded.
Listening to families is central to our work. Through our Let’s Talk sessions, alongside surveys, questions at the point of booking into practitioner-led sessions, and one-to-one conversations, we create opportunities for families to share their experiences – both what is working well and where things are difficult.
This helps services build a clearer understanding of what everyday life is like for families in Bristol.
All voices matter – including those who may feel unheard, marginalised, or unsure whether their experience “counts”.
We will have integrity by being transparent in everything we do, by being honest about who we are and how we do things, respectful of everyone we work with and realistic about what we can achieve.
Bristol Parent Carers empowers families of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) aged 0-25, by championing co-production, amplifying parent carer voices, and collaborating with local services to improve support systems.
We are committed to promoting transparency, honesty, respect, and realistic expectations in all that we do, ensuring families receive the right support, at the right time, in the way that works best for them.
Our vision is for families to feel empowered, with the right support, at the right time, in a manner that best suits their needs.
We imagine a future where SEND processes are effortless and stress-free (for services and families), providing families with the necessary resources and understanding to confidently navigate the path before them.
Collaborating with Bristol SEND services, including the local authority and regional health services, as well as local SEND charities and other organisations, is key to making this vision a reality.
By incorporating parent carer feedback into our work, we strive to continually enhance the services available to all.
We believe that together, we can shape a more positive future for SEND families in Bristol.
We aim to bring co-production to the forefront of service partnerships by promoting equality, diversity, accessibility, and reciprocity, ensuring that all voices are heard, and all efforts are genuine and authentic.
We are the Department for Education–recognised Parent Carer Forum for Bristol and receive a small annual grant to help us support families across the city. All our other funding can vary a little from year to year.
We’re funded by Bristol City Council and the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (BNSSG ICB), with amounts that can vary each year. In April 2024, we agreed a two-year funding arrangement with Bristol City Council, and our ICB funding is arranged on a yearly basis.
We also regularly apply for other grants and funding opportunities to help us continue supporting families across Bristol, including from sources such as the Garfield Weston Foundation, National Lottery, Quartet Community Foundation and others.
Because much of our funding is time-limited, it can sometimes be tricky to plan our work far in advance. However, we always do our best to provide consistent, reliable support for families. Every decision we make and every project we run is focused on making sure parent carers feel supported, informed, and connected; whatever the funding landscape looks like.
You can find out who is currently funding us in our news section, and view our financial information on the Charity Commission website.
Education (all Bristol schools). We work with schools across Bristol, primary, secondary, mainstream, specialist and independent, to help families better understand the support available to their children.
We help parent carers make sense of SEND Information Reports and, when needed, we work together with schools and families to create clear, accessible information that reflects real experiences. We offer support to families who speak English as an additional language, including help with translating key information.
We also run welcoming coffee mornings in schools and community sessions, including support for children and young people who are not currently attending a setting. Our support to schools and families is always free.
We also work with Bristol City Council on education-related issues that matter to families, including attendance, emotionally based school absence (EBSA), and Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).
Health and social care. We help families find the right support at the right time. We work with the Integrated Care Board and support families to navigate Bristol’s Local Offer, which explains the services and support available for children and young people with SEND.
We work closely with Bristol City Council’s social care services, including the Social Care Hub and the Disabled Children’s Team, and help families understand which services may be right for them and how to access support. We explain what to expect, help families feel more confident, and signpost to the right team at the right time.
When services are not working as they should, we can also pass on families’ feedback anonymously so that issues can be raised and improvements can be made.
Voluntary and community sector (Friends of the Forum). We work in partnership with voluntary and community organisations across Bristol through our Friends of the Forum network.
Alongside our partners, we have agreed a shared four-year plan, bringing together 13 organisations to focus on five priority areas where we believe we can make the greatest difference for families.
We meet once a term to reflect on what’s working, review progress, and agree on next steps. Between meetings, we stay in regular contact to make sure we are hearing from a wide range of families and communities across Bristol, including those whose voices are often under-represented.
Services, guidance and local support can change over time. If you’re looking for recent updates, announcements or changes, you can find these in our latest updates.
See latest updates →Every family’s journey is different, and there’s no single way to be involved with Bristol Parent Carers. You might be here because you need support, because you want to share what life is really like for your family, or because you want to help improve services for parent carers across Bristol.
However you choose to take part, your experiences matter. You can explore these options by clicking the buttons below.
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