Parent and carer SEND survey findings and next steps

We conducted a parent and carer survey to capture and understand how well local services supported our children with additional needs and their families throughout 2020.

The survey ran during March and April 2021 and we received 165 responses.

The survey findings were from parents and carers from across the range of provision and were statistically relevant.

We have analysed the responses from the survey and the following slides set out what we will do to improve the Local Offer and the wider system in place to support our Dorset SEND families.

This report is a blend of quantitative and qualitative findings.

How we organised this survey

We organised our survey into the following sections:

Results of our survey and what we plan to do in response

This is a summary of:

  • what parents and carers told us
  • what we're doing to improve our services
  • and how we will share findings with our schools and health teams

Section 1: About your child or young person

Feedback about children being left out of activities

26% of respondents told us their child is left out of activities such as sports, school clubs and social opportunities.

Our answer about children being left out of activities

We are working with early years, schools and the voluntary and community sector to embed accessibility in order to ensure that services can meet the needs of our children and young people with SEND.

We're working on a revised accessibility strategy and guidance to support schools to create their accessibility plans, to drive inclusion and to change the culture.

Feedback about parents not knowing who to contact in their locality

40% of respondents told us they don’t know who to contact in their locality or how to find out what services could be available to support them or their child.

Our answer about parents not knowing who to contact in their locality

We have created postcards with details of our locality teams and how to contact them. We'll share these postcards widely from September.

We are improving our SEND Local Offer to promote the use of this widely to all stakeholders in the Dorset Council area.

Feedback about information or support from a locality team

51% of respondents told us that the information or support received by their locality team made a difference.

Our answer about information or support from a locality team

We have created an Early Help Strategy to improve delivery of local information and support.

We will embed the graduated approach within schools to ensure the appropriate support is available.

Feedback about waiting times for services

Waiting times for services such as CAMHS, Speech and Language Therapy, Educational Psychology and other educational Services take too long.

Our answer about waiting times for services

We will share these findings with relevant teams at Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group and Dorset Healthcare.

We will establish a set of measures within Dorset’s education system to tell us where delays occur in the system and put in place improvement plans to reduce unnecessary delays.

Feedback about explanation of a child's needs

That for some parents and carers more is needed to be done to explain their child’s special educational or health needs so that parents can support their child.

Our answer about explanation of a child's needs


Share these findings with relevant teams at Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group and Dorset Healthcare.  ​

Dorset Council Children’s Services will introduce a Dorset Education Advice Line (DEAL) resourced from the Education Team so that parents can speak with professionals at the earliest opportunity, understand and access support.

Section 2: SEN support

Feedback about understanding the difference between SEN support and an EHC plan

That parents and carers are not aware of the difference between SEN support and an education care and health (EHC) plan.

Our answer about understanding the difference between SEN support and an EHC plan

We will work with our local offer team and Dorset’s education teams to ensure that we clearly explain the levels of support that are available.​

Promote the Graduated Approach for all professionals.

Feedback about slow communication between professionals

We will share the findings with relevant teams at Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group and Dorset healthcare.

Our answer about slow communication between professionals

Within Dorset Council’s SEND teams prioritise transition year children each and every year during the autumn term to ensure that there is good enough time for open discussion and clear communication.

Feedback about SEN support awareness

Not all parents are aware of the need for SEN support plans to be reviewed.

Our answer about SEN support awareness

We will share these findings with SENCOs and educational settings. SEN support plans should be reviewed at least 3 times a year with young people, parents and carers.

Feedback about long delays to health services

Delays to health services were too long.

Our answer about long delays to health services

We will share this finding with relevant teams at Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Dorset Healthcare.

Sections 3 and 4: EHC plans and reviews

Feedback about improving EHC plans

The majority of respondents said their child’s education, health and care (EHC) plan reflected the needs of their child, but more could be done to ensure that the review of the EHC plan was better, with more focus on the changing needs of the child or young person.

They also told us that when amendments to EHC Plans are agreed these need to happen in a timely way.

Our answer about improving EHC plans

We will:

  • work with SENCOs and Dorset Council staff to provide training and learning opportunities for professionals and colleagues to drive improvements to the quality of the Annual Review stages and to ensure these are always person centred
  • make sure our Dorset Local Offer clearly sets out the annual review process and the requirements so parents have confidence in the system, know what to expect and can be fully involved in their child's or young person's review
  • put measures in place which tells us the quality of annual reviews
  • make sure that all annual reviews take place each year

Dorset SEN Provision Leads will ensure that the statutory process for annual review of EHC plans is followed, including the requirement to inform parent, carers and young people (over the age of 16) if the EHC Plan is to be maintained, ceased or amended within 4 weeks of the review taking place.

Dorset SEN Provision Leads will ensure that EHC plans are amended where needed after annual reviews have happened.

Feedback about EHC plans not preparing for adult life

72% of respondents told us that their child’s plan wasn’t doing enough to prepare them for adult life.

Our answer about EHC plans not preparing for adult life


Within Dorset Council’s SEND teams we will prioritise Transition Year children each and every year during the autumn term to ensure there is good enough time for open discussion and clear communication.

Feedback about outcomes progress in EHC plans

Less than half of respondents agree the setting tracks progress towards each of the 'outcomes' in my child's EHC plan effectively.

Our answer about outcomes progress in EHC plans

We will work with our parents and providers to ensure outcomes are clear, understood and a central focus of each annual review of an EHC plan.

Feedback about the care section of the EHC plan

47% of respondents shared that the 'care' element of the EHC plan was not felt to be as strong or supportive as the 'education' and 'health' sections.

Our answer about the care section of the EHC plan

We will work in partnership with the Dorset Parent Carer Council (DPCC) to understand this in more detail and make plans to improve this area for children, young people and their families.

Feedback about lack of clarity around funding in the EHC plan

That the funding element of the EHC plan is not always clear.

Our answer about lack of clarity around funding in the EHC plan

We will work with the child's or young person's educational setting to ensure that the funding arrangements, including transport where agree, are clear and understood.

Feedback about transport clarity

That requirements and cost of transport need to be clearer for parents.

Our answer about transport clarity

We will review the current arrangements for transport and improve areas of service delivery where required.

Section 5: Information and advice

Feedback about finding information

Only one third of respondents said that finding information and advice was easy.

Our answer about finding information

We will:

  • improve our SEND Local Offer; we will ensure that good quality information and advice is available for our young people, parents and carers and the professionals who work with them
  • work with the DPCC to develop a Dorset Education Advice Line (DEAL)
  • make sure families, including young people, have access to an impartial information, advice and support service
  • share this finding with our partners in education and health and work with them to make sure they promote the use of the Local Offer

Feedback about how parents prefer to receive communication

Parents would prefer to access information through email. Parents would appreciate regular communication and correspondence through newsletters.

Our answer about how parents prefer to receive communication

We will:

  • make sure we have a calendar for regular communication
  • work with our SENCOs to promote access to newsletters and the Local Offer through emails to parents

Section 6: Care

Feedback about caring responsibilities

74% of respondents consider themselves to have caring responsibilities.

Of these:

  • 46% felt that their role as a carer affected their ability to go to work
  • 44% felt this affected their ability to socialise
  • 52% felt that sometimes this affected their own wellbeing
  • 33% said it affects their wellbeing all of the time

Our answer about caring responsibilities

We will:

  • work with our Dorset Council social care teams and the Dorset Parent Carer Council (DP CC) to promote the carer assessment with our families to provide a better understanding of the help and support that's available to them
  • engage with our families to promote and encourage those who are concerned about their physical and/or emotional wellbeing to discuss with their GP who will assess and signpost help as required

For anyone over the age of 18 you can self-refer to the Steps to Wellbeing service which provides mental health support.

Feedback about needs assessments for caring roles

84% said they have not had a needs assessment for their caring role with some reporting that they have received some financial support. while others report that nothing has changed.

Our answer about needs assessments for caring roles

We will:

  • share this information with our Dorset Council social care teams to promote the carer assessment with our families to help them get the appropriate support for their individual needs
  • share and promote information with our families for carer support
  • make sure our Local Offer includes this information in the future

Find information about support for carers.

Feedback about short breaks

Over half of respondents had no knowledge of short breaks.

Our answer about short breaks

We will share our findings with our Dorset Council social care team to promote short breaks information with our families and make sure our Local Offer is updated to reflect what is available.

Section 7: The impact of coronavirus (COVID-19)

What has been the most positive thing about 2020?

Parent carers told us they:

  • had more quality time with their family at home
  • felt they achieved more at home than at school

Some said their child development improved alongside better mental health, less anxiety and they felt happier.

Our answer to the most positive thing about 2020

We will work with the DPCC to understand what we can learn from this experience so we can make improvements where we can.

What was the most difficult thing about 2020?

Our respondents felt that:

  • they had lost social interaction with their peers and friends
  • their mental health was affected
  • they were less motivated
  • they experienced difficulties with settings
  • access to education was difficult

Lockdown presented challenges and concerns with rule changes and health risks.

As well as delays and cancellations to appointments, they also reported a lack of:

  • professional support
  • visits
  • check-ins
  • face to face contact

Our answer to the most difficult thing in 2020

We will work with the DPCC to understand what we can learn from this experience so we can make improvements where we can.

Give feedback to your local SEND team contact

Find details of the SEND team in your locality to give feedback.

Go to SEND locality contact page