Children's Learning Disability Service (CLDS) feedback opportunity.

September 22, 2025

The Children's Learning Disability Service (CLDS) is due to be recommissioned in 2027.

We recently wrote to our membership to let you know about an opportunity to give your feedback on the Children's Learning Disability Service, (CLDS). 


When a new contract is developed, it’s important that the voices of children, young people, and families are heard so that services meet their needs.

The Learning Disability and Autism Health Inequalities (LD/A HE) team are keen to hear your feedback and experiences, and details about how you can give your views can be found in our letter.


Read our letter in full below;



Dear Members,

Our colleagues from the Learning Disability and Autism Health Inequalities (LD/A HE) Team would like to hear your views about the Children's Learning Disability Service, (CLDS).


The CLDS is an offer for children and young people aged 5-18 living in Southend, Essex and Thurrock with a moderate to severe learning disability and behaviours which challenge. The service is provided by Essex Partnership University Foundation Trust (EPUT) and is a specialist community-based behavioural assessment and treatment service.

The CLDS is due to be recommissioned in 2027; this means the current contract will come to an end, and LD/A HE Team Commissioners will need to organise a new contract to be provided. To help them deliver the right service for children, young people and families who really need it, they are asking for your feedback.

The team would like to hear from you:

  • If you have used the service,
  • If you have not used the service but have tried to or would like to or
  • If you have not used the service but meet their criteria


To give your feedback, please click HERE


The survey will be live from 19th September until 3rd October. After this date the results will be analysed and will be used to help inform options for the new contract which will be considered in the design of the new service specification (the document describing what we want the service to do, and how we want the provider of that service to do it). This part of the process will start in 2026.

If you have any questions, or if you would like any further information about the survey’s or recommissioning process, please contact the team directly:
Becca King, CYP Commissioner – Rebecca.king2@essex.gov.uk
Claire Bate, DSR Coordinator – Claire.bate@essex.gov.uk

Best wishes,

SSIF

Engaging in National SEND Reform Discussions

January 13, 2026
(photo credit - David Burton-Sampson MP (Team) - Facebook ) Engaging in National SEND Reform Discussions As you are aware, the Schools White Paper is due to set out the Government’s planned reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. We are very proud to be involved in these important discussions and are committed to engaging with every opportunity available to ensure parent carer voices are represented. We have attended several ministerial meetings hosted by the Minister for Education, Georgina Gould OBE, MP , which form part of the Department for Education’s wider SEND reform programme. These meetings brought together a range of stakeholders to explore SEND reform through the five key principles set out by the DfE: early, local, fair, effective and shared . Alongside these, we have also taken part in Parent Carer Forum (PCF)–specific meetings , which provide a dedicated space for PCFs to contribute directly to the reform process. We continue to attend both public ministerial and PCF-focused sessions, ensuring that we are fully engaged in all discussions made available to us. Within the recent PCF-specific meetings, solution-focused discussions explored two key areas: • what accountability is needed in a reformed system to support an effective and inclusive mainstream education system; and • what the key foundations are for building trust with parent carers across the SEND system. In addition to live discussions, PCF members shared extensive feedback through chat functions and written comments. This combination of lived experience, shared themes and practical suggestions was fed back collectively to the Minister to support ongoing SEND reform work. The Minister acknowledged both the complexity of the challenges and the value of the constructive contributions shared through Parent Carer Forums, recognising the importance of collective parent carer insight. At a local level, we were also particularly pleased to meet with our MP, David Burton-Sampson , and are grateful for his time and engagement. This meeting enabled us to contribute directly to Southend’s response to the Schools White Paper , ensuring that local parent carer perspectives were included. We remain committed to listening to parent carers, gathering shared experiences, and representing those voices wherever opportunities arise — locally, regionally and nationally — as SEND reform continues to develop. (NB - photo credit David Burton-Sampson

What is a Parent Carer Forum (PCF) - A Simple Guide

January 9, 2026
We’re excited to launch our new mini guide, What Is a Parent Carer Forum? – A Simple Guide . This guide builds on our original poster and was created in response to parent carers asking for more detail about our role. Through a short series of videos, it explains who we are, what we do, and how a Parent Carer Forum supports families of children and young people with SEND. Click the button below to watch the full guide.

SSIF 2024/2025 Academic Year Feedback Report

December 16, 2025
Our latest Family Feedback report is now available to read. Each term SSIF collate the feedback and information shared with us by parents and carers via our Family Feedback Form (hosted here on our website) and our in-person engagements events, including our coffee mornings. We would like to thank all of the parents and carers who took the time to complete our feedback form and share their experiences with us. This information will be used to help shape and improve SEND services in Southend. Our Family Feedback survey is available all year round, so please continue to share your experiences. To read the full report and presentation click on the button below.

Southend SEND Information Day

November 6, 2025
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