This guest article is from the B&NES Parent Carer Forum, written for World Autism Acceptance Week. We are very excited to welcome the Forum as a new gifting partner of our BookTrust additional needs packs for children under 5.
![BaNES Parent Carer Forum logo](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/VL-image-Square-23-e1712762168162.png?resize=1000%2C723&ssl=1)
B&NES Parent Carer Forum is a voluntary group of Parent Carers of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities from birth to 25 yrs living in B&NES.
Through feedback and consultations with parent carers, we work in partnership with service commissioners and providers to ensure that our voices are heard in developing services for young people with SEND.
Sharing the knowledge and experience of Parent carers, we help shape and develop the quality, range, and accessibility of provision and services for families of children and young people with SEND.
We attend meetings, forums and events to make sure parent carers’ voices are being heard at all levels within health, education and social care so that positive outcomes for children and young people with SEND and their families are achieved.
In order to do this we run regular cafes, training events and workshops on a range of topics pertinent to the lives of parent carers, family activities – such as Avon Valley Play Barn, BMX sessions and craft events for children and young people, as well as social events for parent carers, such as pottery painting, yoga and pub meets. We also go into schools to provide training for staff.
![sheets, puppets and books from a booktrust pack](https://i0.wp.com/baneslibraries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/VL-image-Square-22-e1712762257526.png?resize=1000%2C753&ssl=1)
Recently we have joined forces with B&NES Libraries to gift Book Trust Packs to our members.
These packs have been very well received by many parent carers so far and we have had some great feedback to let us know how much the children have enjoyed the books and activities in the packs. We will be sharing the packs with more families with children with SEND at events in the next few weeks.
If you like to find out more about the Parent Carer Forum our website is BanesPCF – Banes Parent Carer Forum, you can sign up to join us via the website too, anyone who spends time looking after a young person with SEND is really welcome – no diagnosis is necessary.