Learning & events for forums

Whether you are completely new to Padlet or looking for fresh ideas on how to use it within your forum, this session will provide practical demonstrations, examples, and tips to help you get started.

You can join us live or catch up via the recording at a time that’s convenient for you.

This session will be led by Kim Stephenson from West Northants Voices in Partnership.

Please email [email protected] ASAP if you would like to make us aware of any accessibility issues, so that we can assist your access to the session.

To register for the session please see the registrations details below;

When: Thursday 17^th September 2026 11:00am-12:00

Register in advance for this session: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/nwd2244gT1qWM-sFJOwdnA

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the session.

Please note if you are unable to attend on the day, a recording of the session along with relevant documents will be available shortly after the session on our Resource Pages.

We will be sharing a short update on what we know, and this will be an opportunity to compare what is happening locally, and to identify the questions Contact should raise with DfE.

We appreciate the recent announcement impacts forums differently and that for some areas there will be significant uncertainty. We want to make sure we hear from everyone who is affected.

This session will be hosted by Mary Mulvey-Oates and will provide an opportunity to:

• Share what is happening in your local area
• Identify issues forums may need help with
• Help shape the questions that Contact raises with DfE

You are invited to a Zoom meeting on Tuesday 22 September 12 to 13pm.

Register here in advance for this session: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/1AH7v-yNSEyvc58xr_2K-Q

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Please note that this session will not be recorded. However recordings of past online learning sessions can be found on our Resources page.

A message from our new Local Government Reorganisation and Devolution Lead, Mary Mulvey-Oates:

Hello, I’ve recently taken on a new role at Contact, leading our work on devolution and local government reorganisation.

I’ll be working with parent carer forums to understand what the changes could mean locally, engaging with forums in areas where change is expected to explore the options available, and ensuring forums’ experiences and concerns inform our discussions with DfE. I’ll also be offering further drop-in sessions and sharing updates as more information becomes available.

I’ve worked at Contact for several years, most recently leading our Early Years SEND Partnership programme. My background spans policy, participation and programme management, including working with parent carer forums, local authorities and family hubs to strengthen co-production, bring families’ experiences into national policy discussions and support improvements to local SEND services.

I’m looking forward to meeting forums potentially affected by local reorganisation and hearing from you to understand what’s happening in different parts of the country.

Celebrate diversity and Inclusion with your peers – be part of this fresh approach to EDI training focusing on interactive discussion, space to engage, challenging our own biases, understanding who is around you, and finding your ‘blind spots’. Use these engaging sessions to complement your forum’s knowledge of the Equality Act 2010, protected characteristics, and Contact’s Diversity and Inclusion toolkit to enable you to push boundaries and effect real culture change by ensuring growth, increasing empathy, and developing as human beings.

We challenge you to keep an open mind. Set yourselves challenges and take your actions forward.

Join an engaging and fun session that is shaped by you, the participants – let this be the start of your journey to inclusion, of something bigger!

Aims of training

• Forums to have a wider and more diverse membership

• Forums to use their training to influence other organisations

• Forums to build supportive relationships with each other Intended outcomes

Attending will increase your confidence to reach out to underrepresented groups and communities and help you to develop an inclusive and diverse forum team.

Each 2-hour session will be open to 25-30 participants, and we are running the session twice for forums who didn’t get to join us last year, each session will be different.

Book direct via the links shown below.

Session capacity is limited to 30 per session for booking purposes, if you find your preferred session is already fully booked, please try registering for the other session if you can.

Please email [email protected] ASAP if you would like to make us aware of any accessibility issues, so that we can assist your access to the session.

Dates and times of sessions and joining links

• You are invited to a Zoom meeting.  When: Thursday 1st October 2026 10:00 am until 12:30. Register in advance for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/VFMN-vAFQXKYpcw6aYymEA
• You are invited to a Zoom meeting.  When: Friday 2nd October 2026 10:00 am until 12:30. Register in advance for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/NES9cMcHTmOyVP5IU_eCew
• You are invited to a Zoom meeting.  When: Thursday 7th January 2027 10:00 am until 12:30. Register in advance for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/HYoDk1sMTt6fNsVwxvwlOA
• You are invited to a Zoom meeting.  When: Friday 8^th January 2027 10:00 am until 12:30. Register in advance for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/r3EEgqowSjKRysT-VyBK2g

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Workshops will not be recorded to encourage open discussion and a safe space to discuss challenges and barriers

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]

This interactive session will explore:

• Planning effective annual and topic-specific surveys.
• Choosing the right survey platform, including SurveyMonkey, Microsoft Forms, Google Forms and other digital tools.
• Promoting surveys through social media, newsletters, events and partner organisations.
• Encouraging more parent carers to take part, including the use of incentives and prize draws.
• Understanding and tackling survey fatigue.
• Alternative ways to gather feedback beyond traditional surveys, such as focus groups, listening events, polls, conversations and engagement activities.
• Analysing your results and identifying key themes.
• Reporting back to families and demonstrating the impact of their feedback.
• Using survey findings to influence local services and strengthen co-production.

There will also be plenty of opportunity to ask questions, share your own experiences and learn from other Parent Carer Forums.

Whether you’re new to running surveys or looking for fresh ideas to improve response rates and engagement, this session will provide practical advice you can take away and use straight away.

Who should attend?
Parent Carer Forum staff, volunteers, steering group members and anyone involved in gathering parent carer feedback.

Book your place today and discover how to make every survey count!

Register in advance for this session: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/UbwiHRclTQGvsyTDeyV15A

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Please note if you are unable to attend on the day, a recording of the session along with relevant documents will be available shortly after the session on our Resource Pages.

All sessions will run from 10-12.30 but please make sure you log in at 9.50 to ensure a prompt start. The sessions will run on Zoom on 4 Fridays from 10 to 12.30 as follows:

• 6th November
• 13th November
• 27th November
• 4th December

The sessions cover all you need to know about becoming a Parent Representative and is specifically for parent carers who are:

• New to your forum and thinking about getting more involved.
• Interested in becoming a parent rep to represent other parents’ views on strategic groups
• Already a Parent Rep and want to refresh their knowledge and to gain more confidence in the role
• Interested in learning more about the roles and responsibilities of a rep

This training will be facilitated by Fazilla Amide and Katie Clarke and gives an overview of the role of parent carer representative and the role of forums.

The course will help you to:

• Understand the history of parent participation and how it works across the country.
• Increase your understanding of key principles and legislation around parent carer participation
• Develop an overview of how the 0-25 SEND system works
• Develop your confidence when participating in meetings
• Help you gain a greater understanding of the roles and responsibilities of a parent rep
• Offer a unique opportunity to network with other forum representatives
• Help you communicate more effectively
• Consider how you will gather feedback and provide evidence of the collective needs of parent carers

Participants will need to commit to all 4 sessions though we understand if something crops up at the last minute that prevents you from attending one.

Please book your place on by emailing [email protected].

Please include any accessibility needs or reasonable adjustments when you email us, so that we can assist your access to the session. If you need additional resources in advance or in a specific format please let us know as soon as possible.