Gloucestershire's Local Offer

The SEND LGA Peer review told us:

Work regarding the Local Offer and what is available for CYP whilst on waiting lists is required.

Families need to be clear about what services they can access whilst they are waiting for assessment and diagnosis and this needs to be effectively communicated to them.

What we have done already:

Our Local Offer platform has been co-designed and co-produced with young people and families to make it more accessible. All information has been updated, with regular reviews.

We have made it easier to find and access information about NHS services including those services families can use whilst waiting for assessment such as ‘Waiting Well’ which provides emotional skills for young people on the CAMHS waiting list.

A new ‘Parent Carer Approved’ logo is displayed throughout so families can be confident the content has been reviewed by parents with experience of SEND.

What’s next

The short breaks statement is currently being finalised and will be published on the GCC website. It will provide families with an up-to-date account of services within Gloucestershire. This aims to support families and young people with a disability to know what services are available and how they can access them, to achieve a short break from their caring role.

We will continue work on our User Experience digital project to improve the experience of families waiting for an autism assessment.

We will continually monitor the Glosfamilies Directory and Gloucestershire’s Local Offer webpages to ensure it is up to date and we are responding to needs.

The annual Local Offer Report will be published on the Local Offer website and in the Families in Partnership Newsletter.