New Quality Assurance Framework to strengthen the SEND Local Offer website
A new Quality Assurance Framework has been introduced to help ensure our SEND Local Offer continues to provide families with accurate, up-to-date and helpful information about local services and support.
The framework sets out a clear process for regularly reviewing and improving the Local Offer content. It is designed to make sure that information remains easy to access, relevant to families' needs, and reflects the experiences of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
A key feature of the framework is its commitment to co-production. Parents Carers, children, young people and partner organisations will be involved throughout the review process, helping to shape information and influence future improvements. Feedback from families, website users and partner organisations will play an important role in identifying priorities and monitoring progress. You can find our latest consultation and engagement opportunities in the Have Your Say section of the Local Offer.
The framework also introduces a Parent Carer Approval Process, working alongside the Gloucestershire Parent Carer Forum (GPCF) to help ensure information is clear, accessible and meaningful from a family perspective.
How Parent Carer approval works
Rather than simply checking whether information is factually correct, Parent Carers review content through the eyes of a family looking for support. They ask questions such as:
- Is the information easy to find?
- Is it written in plain English?
- Does it explain what support is available and how to access it?
- Would it make sense to a parent carer who is new to the SEND system?
GPCF members use agreed criteria to review Local Offer pages and test how easy the information is to understand and use. They then provide detailed feedback and recommendations for improvement. The Quality and Engagement Team works through this feedback, updating content where needed. Once changes have been made, Parent Carers carry out a further review to check that their recommendations have been acted upon and that the information meets the required standard.
Only when parent carers are satisfied that a page is clear, accessible and useful for families is it awarded Parent Carer Approved status. You will see this logo on all of the Local Offer pages that have been granted this status.
This approach helps ensure that the Local Offer is shaped not only by professionals, but also by the people who use it every day: children, young people and their families.