From 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024.
The
Leeds Local Offer website is for those 0-25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and has been operational since 1 September 2014.
The Leeds Local Offer is not just a directory of services, it is the unique place where young people with SEND and their families can provide suggestions for improving services and for new services they need. Comments that come in through the website and to
llo@leeds.gov.uk drive and influence service improvement.
Leeds City Council must respond to all feedback and comments received about the Local Offer on an annual basis and outline what actions have been taken in response to the comments received.
In this report you will find:
For further information please contact the Leeds Local Offer at
LLO@leeds.gov.uk
Leeds Local Offer website
Reviewing and developing the Leeds Local Offer
The Leeds Local Offer is not just a directory of services, it is the unique place where young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families can provide suggestions for improving services and for new services they need. Comments that come in through the website and to
llo@leeds.gov.uk can drive and influence service improvement.
The SEND Ofsted Inspection in 2016 highlighted
- Only a few of the parents to whom inspectors spoke were aware of the Leeds Local Offer. Those who know about the web-based information are involved in working with the local area to improve the website. Records show that very few parents use the independent advice and support service. Parents describe both feeling isolated and benefiting from the support networks created by schools and settings.
- Nearly all of the parents that inspectors spoke to during the inspection did not know of, or use, the Leeds Local Offer. This means that they miss out on key services or do not know where to get high-quality support. The feedback from a small number of parents in August 2016 is being acted on by leaders. Some parents, through the EPIC (empowering parents, improving choices) parents forum, remain involved in improving the offer.
Based on feedback received from children, young people, parents, carers and professionals over the last 4 years a new Leeds Local Offer website and branding was developed and launched in April 2024.
Members of the Leeds SEND Youth Council and Leeds Parent Carer Forum took part in the user testing of the new website. The new website will be continuously reviewed the Leeds Parent Carer Forum and the Leeds SEND Youth Council.
The full report can be downloaded here.
To ensure a partnership approach across education, health and social care to ensuring information on the Leeds Local Offer website is up to date service leads have been identified to take ownership of their information on the website. The leads will be provided with website content management training and provided with login details so they can edit and update their own information.
Visitors
In the report period from the 1 July 2023 to the 30 June 2024 the Leeds Local Offer website had 17,626 unique visitors; unique visitors are the number of visitors to a website in a single reporting period. The figures show a decrease in the number of visitors to the website based on the previous year, however this isn’t necessarily the case as the google analytics reporting has changed from the previous year.
Providing information to families about SEND services
Information about how families can access information about the Leeds Local Offer and SEND services in Leeds can be found here.
A Leeds Local Offer facebook group was set up for families in December 2020 as an alternative mechanism for families to receive updates about SEND services and activities taking place in the city. There are 1,190 members in the group; 419 have joined in the last 12 months. During the last 12 months over 398 posts about services have been posted on the group.
A Leeds Local Offer Information booklet is available for families and professionals. The booklet is an introduction to key SEND services in Leeds. The booklet was distributed to all schools in Leeds, and can be downloaded from the website or hard copies requested.
A monthly parent carer information drop is available for families to attend to find out information about services and receive support. The drop in in run in partnership with Leeds SENDIASS, Leeds Parent Carer Forum, Scope and Leeds Speech and Language Service. The first drop in took place in November 2023; and there have been 7 in total. 54 parents / carers have attended the drop-in sessions.
Leeds Local Offer Live is an annual marketplace event that provides families and professionals with the opportunity to learn about and speak to SEND services in Leeds. The 2024 event took place on Thursday 21 March 2024 at Pudsey Civic Hall. 58 services booked a stall at the event, with 55 attending on the day. There were three workshops available for attendees on the day. In total 168 people attended the event:109 parents and carers, and 59 professionals.
The full event report can be read here.
For families without access to the internet we encourage them to use computers at their local library or community hub or speak to their school SENCo. We have developed ‘how to’ guides for professionals so they are able to support families using the Leeds Local Offer.
Schools and services provide a direct web link to the Leeds Local Offer from their individual webpages, promoting the Leeds Local Offer to families.
For families who require any of the information printing can email
LLO@leeds.gov.uk to make the request.
Compliments
“The website is very clearly set out in ways that numerous people of different abilities could access.”
“The website had a good clear range of places which where clearly labelled into delegate category’s to make it less confusing.”
“It was very detailed, and I found the information easy to understand.”
“The website feels very welcoming.”
“The event was useful and well organised.”
“This type of event is crucial for families, keep it going.”
You said our response
A
‘you said our response’ section is available on the website to share the comments and feedback received and the response to them.
Families can provide feedback about the Leeds Local Offer website by email, through the feedback link on the website and also face to face.
Feedback and actions taken in response is outlined below for the last 12 months:
| You Said | Our Response |
|---|
It would be useful if the Alternative provision section included a link to some of the different APs and AIPs within Leeds so parents know their options. | A list of alternative provisions and area inclusion partnerships is now available on the website.
|
A website that is easier to use and navigate with clear and concise information. | In April 2024 a new Leeds Local Offer website was launched. Development of the new website took into account all the feedback received over the last 4 years from young people, parents, carers and professionals. Members of the Leeds SEND Youth Council and Leeds Parent Carer Forum took part in the user testing of the new website, download the user testing report. |
Clear information about Early Help. | The new website includes a section on Early Help, which also includes a video to explain what Early Help is. |
Information about personal budgets. | Information about personal budgets and direct payments has been added to the new website. |
Accessibility of the website. | The accessibility has been improved on the new website, including the option to change the language. |
More information about specific support for learning establishments. | A professionals section has been added to the Leeds Local Offer website to provide information about SEND teams who can support learning establishments. |
Have the option to filter results by disability. | A disability filter has been added to the filter options on the new website. |
Voice and Influence
Services across Leeds are encouraged and supported to seek the views of children, young people, parents and carers to enable them to continually review and develop their services. The full voice and influence offer can be
found here.
The Leeds Local Offer website has a section devoted to the
voice and influence of children, young people, parents and carers.
Voice and influence of children and young people
Leeds SEND Youth Council
The
Leeds SEND Youth Council is a group of fifteen young people aged 11 to 25 years old with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who live in Leeds or attend school in Leeds.
A full list of the SEND Youth Council’s involvement and achievements can be found here, some of the highlights are below:
- Developed how to communicate with young people eLearning.
- Leeds Local Offer website user testing.
- Raising awareness of disabilities artwork project
- Short breaks review.
- Child poverty board consultation.
- Developed interview questions for two recruitment panels.
- Developed training material for Scope.
SEND Summit
On Tuesday 14th November 2023, 36 students from Green Meadows Academy, Brigshaw Partnership, John Jamieson, Oulton Academy and West SILC attended the SEND Summit at Leeds Civic Hall.
Students took part in the Short Breaks Review consultation; Child Friendly Leeds wishes consultation and Youth Activity Fund consultation as well as having the opportunity to visit service stalls to find out what is available to them in the city.
Click here to read the event report.
SEND Partnership Board Takeover
Each year students from specialist schools and settings takeover the Leeds Area SEND Partnership Board as part of National Takeover Challenge. The takeover is an opportunity for students to speak to board members about the issues that are important to them.
The takeover is supported and facilitated by the Voice, Influence and Change Team.
On Wednesday 22 November 2023, 11 students from St John’s School, West SILC, East SILC and Future Horizons tookover the Leeds Area SEND Partnership Board as part of National Takeover Challenge.
Students consulted with 99 young people with SEND to find out which of the 12 Child Friendly Leeds wishes is most important to them, and to seek feedback about what we can do in Leeds to achieve this wish.
The top three wishes were shared with the board, and discussions took place about what could be done to work towards achieving this wish in Leeds.
Click here to download the full takeover report.
Compass House
Compass House is a great youth voice project that enables staff and students from across six settings to work in partnership to create a valuable work experience project.
Supported by the Voice, Influence and Change Team; students from East SILC, West SILC, Broomfield South SILC, Green Meadows Academy, The Lighthouse School and Future Horizons met monthly, September to December 2023, to plan the opening of the 2023 Compass House pop up shop.
Students made all the decisions about promotion, products to sell and shop décor.
The Compass House pop up shop opened Monday 11th to Friday 15th December 2023, 10am till 2pm in Kirkgate Market.
68 students from across the six settings had the opportunity to work at the Compass House pop up shop, with hundreds of students contributing to making products to sell.
Click here to download the full Compass House pop up shop report.
Give it a go
Students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) across Leeds have continuously shared with us how they would like the opportunity to ‘try out’ different sports, groups and activities available to them in Leeds.
Since 2012, Leeds has had a vision to be a child friendly city. 12 wishes were developed by children and young people across Leeds to highlight what their priorities are for Leeds as a child friendly city. The 12 wishes were refreshed in 2022, with one of the wishes having a SEND focus:
Leeds is an inclusive city for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities:
Children and young people feel there is more awareness and understanding of different disabilities and that there are more activities and places to go that are accessible to all.
On Thursday 6th July 2023; 69 students with SEND in Leeds attended the Give it a Go event at John Charles Centre for Sport. The event gave young people with SEND the opportunity to try out different activities and sports that are on offer to them in the city, known as short breaks and fun activities.
On arrival at the event, each student received a Leeds Local Offer bag which included a pen, activity booklet that provided information about the activities and how to book onto them after the event and an accessible play spaces booklet.
Information about activities available in Leeds and accessible places spaces can be found on the Leeds Local Offer website.
The event was funded by the Community Committees and delivered in partnership by the Voice Influence and Change Team, Breeze Leeds and Active Leeds.
Click here to read the Give it a Go event summary report.
Raising awareness of disabilities, a project by young people
Child Friendly Leeds, Leeds Youth Voice and Town Centre Securities PLC (TCS) partnered on a fantastic campaign to raise awareness of disabilities. This was based on listening to the voices of children and young people, ‘Everyone’s Included: the Leeds SEND and Inclusion Strategy’, the
Child Friendly Leeds 12 Wishes and the project idea from our ambassador, TCS plc.
Wish number 12 for the city is: Leeds is an inclusive city for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Children and young people feel there is more awareness and understanding of different disabilities and that there are more activities and places to go that are accessible to all.
In Autumn 2023, the Voice, Influence and Change team visited five settings with art materials to find out what they would like to share with others about their disabilities, what makes them unique, and how we can make a difference. The sessions were extremely eye opening in which we collated fantastic artwork, spoken words and the feedback from young people and the staff. The themes, illustrations and drawings by the young people were used to develop the campaign.
An exhibition was held at a unit in the Merrion Centre to view, hear and feel the emotions and understand more about hidden disabilities and how we as a city can make a difference.
Partners across the city were encouraged to share the key social media messages and awareness raising posters.
The communications pack can, free downloadable posters and resources be found here.
Voice and influence of parents and carers
Leeds Parent Carer Forum
The Leeds Parent Carer Forum is led by local parents working to represent the views of parents and carers of children and young people with SEND while working in partnership with the Local Authority Education, Health and Care services to make a positive difference for children and families in Leeds.
Leeds parent carer support group network
The SEND parent carer support group network compromises of representatives from 25 SEND parent and carers support groups in Leeds. The quarterly meetings are coordinated and chaired by the Leeds Parent Carer Forum and the Local Offer and SEND Voice and Influence Coordinator.
Issues raised on behalf of parents and carers are logged on the tracker and shared with the relevant service and Leeds Area SEND and AP Partnership Board. The issues tracker can be downloaded here.
A summary of the issues raised are:
- Information and support for families.
- Education other than at school (EOTAS).
- Extended school non-attendance (ESNA).
- Education, health and care plans.
- Children’s transport.
- Social care transitions.
- Waiting lists for diagnosis and support.
- Sleep support.
Next Steps
The priorities for the Local Offer and SEND Voice and Influence Coordinator over the next 12 months are:
- Host a partnership event to ensure parents and carers have input into the self-evaluation framework (SEF) and provide feedback on family voice and future service plans.
- Continue to provide mechanisms for children, young people, parents, and carers to have a voice and influence in service review and developments.
- Continue to review information on the Leeds Local Offer website, and promote the Leeds Local Offer to families and professionals.
- Host a Leeds Local Offer Live event for families.
- Support the Leeds Parent Carer Forum and parent carer support groups to represent the voices of parents and carers at a strategic level.
- Lead for the Child Friendly Leeds Wish 12 – Leeds is an inclusive city for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
- Urgent need to explore recruiting an additional staff member to support with updating content for Leeds Local Offer website, promoting the Leeds Local Offer to families and supporting voice and influence direct work with children, young people and families as currently all delivered by one full time member of staff.
