Welcome to the Parents’ Voice website, run by Worcestershire parents for Worcestershire parents.
As parents in Worcestershire, we want Worcestershire to be a great place for our children and young people to grow up in. For many issues that we encounter there is not one answer, so we want you to help us with your views and ideas. We will use your thoughts to influence decisions which are made in Worcestershire. We are not experts - we are parents just like you, but we will try to work with you to make a change.
Parents’ Voice will do this by sharing information with you about developments and changes to services for children, young people and their families and letting you know how you can get involved.
We want to challenge and be an impartial voice for parents.
Have a look around our web pages to find out more about us and join Parents’ Voice today - together we can make the voice of EVERY parent matter in Worcestershire.
Parents’ Voice was started as a result of an information workshop and consultation event with parents and carers in 2005. Parents and carers said that they wanted to learn more and be involved in the services that affect their children. Parents were invited to become members of the steering group and its core membership was formed.
Although still independent, the group works in partnership with Worcestershire County Council and the Health Service and is supported by Worcestershire County Council’s Parent Engagement Adviser.
Parents’ Voice also has an extended membership of parents, carers and parent groups from across the county to ensure that the views it represents reflect those of as many parents and carers as possible. Join us.
Parents’ Voice have a seat on the Childre's Trust Board as an advisory member, ensuring that parental views are heard and the best decisions are being made for children and young people.
Parents’ Voice is an independent group in Worcestershire run by parents for parents. The group was set up to encourage parents and carers to have their say on issues that affect them and their children.
We are all volunteers who try to meet some of the need parents have for information. We do this by talking to and informing a range of different groups including professionals and other parent groups.
We share information with parents about developments to services for children, young people and their families, ensuring that their views are fed back to decision makers.
By acting together we will be able to influence change for the benefit of every parent, child and young person in Worcestershire.
To find out more about who we are and who we work with please click on the 'Who' tab in the top right corner.
- As a group we influence change, gather parent's points of view and keep parents informed. We try and do this in several different ways:
- Consultations – Collecting views from parents around their concerns and how things can be improved.
- Children's Trust Board – As a group we have a seat on the Children's Trust arrangement in Worcestershire. This is a group of professionals who are working to improve Worcestershire for children, young people and their families. Our representative shares parent's views and influences the decisions made.
- Workshops – Parents' Voice organises events to inform parents about decisions made in the county which will affect their children and young people. Recently this has included a workshop on Contact Point.
- National Consultations – we take part in national consultations giving Worcestershire parents an opportunity to influence national decisions.
- Publicity – we produce newsletters and flyers.
- To find out more about our most recent activities follow the links to either our what we have done page or future and upcoming events page.
Vision
Our vision is to:
- Give parents and carers in Worcestershire a voice
- Hear your views
- Make a positive difference for children, young people and their families.
Values
Our values underpin everything that is important to us:
- To inform and empower all parents and carers and give them confidence to speak out
- To represent as many different parents and their view points as possible
- To encourage open and honest engagement with parents and carers
- To promote clear communication and respect between parents and decision makers.
Aims
This section summarizes how we aim to achieve our vision:
- Share information about important issues with parents and parent groups in Worcestershire
- Recruit and expand both our steering group and wider membership
- Ensure that decision makers are aware of the issues that are important to parents and carers
- Have a bigger and louder voice in Worcestershire for parents and carers
- Empower parents with the information and knowledge they need to be able to have their say and contribute effectively
- Promote genuine involvement of parents and carers across services in Worcestershire
- Improve communication with parents and carers about what is happening in the county.
Action Plan
From consultations we have carried out around the county we have created an action plan which reflects what parents and carers in Worcestershire want. The core steering group update this action plan once a year and will ask Worcestershire parents to influence what we do next.
Terms of reference
As a group we have a terms of reference which directs how the group approaches projects and decisions they make.