Hampshire SEND Youth Forum (HSYF)

Empowering and engaging young people with special educational needs and disabilities

Hampshire County Council are pleased to introduce the Hampshire SEND Youth Forum (HSYF), a participation platform to be co-designed with young people aged 14 to 25.

This exciting initiative aims to empower and engage young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) by providing them with a space to voice their opinions, share experiences, and drive positive change in Hampshire.

What is the HSYF?

The HSYF is a collaborative space where young people can connect, learn, and advocate for their rights. The forum will focus on issues that matter to them and will feedback into workstreams across Hampshire to impact service delivery and strategic decisions.

Inclusivity

The forum welcomes participants from diverse backgrounds, abilities, and experiences. It is not a requirement to have a formal diagnosis or education, health and care (EHC) plan to be able to join the forum - the voice of all young people with SEND matters.

Virtual and face to face

The forum will operate online and in person, allowing all young people to participate. Decisions on the format and location of meetings will be co-produced with young people to enable them to engage in discussions, attend events, and contribute to meaningful projects.

Peer support

An opportunity for young people to connect with fellow young advocates who understand the challenges faced by those with SEND. An opportunity to share stories, offer encouragement, and build a supportive network.

Join the HSYF

Are you a young person between the age of 14-25 with SEND? Would you like to have your voice heard and make an impact? If the answer is yes, we would like to hear from you.

This is your chance to develop a forum to:

  • feedback on issues which are important to you
  • have a real impact on improving the lives of young people with SEND across Hampshire
  • meet new people, develop new skills, and have fun!

If you are interested in taking part, register your details and be the first to receive the latest updates.

Register your details for the Hampshire SEND Youth Forum

Meetings

The forum currently meet on Wednesday afternoons every fortnight at 4pm on Teams. If you would like find out more about how these take place, please email the team at [email protected] for chance to chat about this.

Our forum members come from all areas of Hampshire so meeting online is good to keep in contact regularly however we are developing plans to be able to meet in person throughout the year.

Outreach

If you are part of a youth voice organisation or group in your school and college we also provide outreach opportunities to come and meet with you to discuss your feedback. Please contact the team to discuss this further at [email protected].

Latest updates

September 2024

  • National Inclusion Week messages
  • What Matters to You? Focus groups

August 2024