When the forum first started
Nottinghamshire Parent Carer Forum began in 2013 as Nottinghamshire Participation Hub (NPH).
At that time, the forum was co-hosted and supported by a local charity, rather than being fully run by parent carers. Even then, its purpose was to bring together parent carer experiences and help make sure families had a voice in conversations about services for children and young people with additional needs and/or disabilities.
NPH helped create a space where parent carers could share their experiences, raise common themes and contribute to discussions about support and services across Nottinghamshire.
Becoming parent carer-led
Over the next few years, the forum grew and developed.
By 2016, it had fully transitioned to being parent carer-led, with the work of the forum managed by parent carers themselves. This was an important step because it meant those directly affected by SEND systems were leading the forum’s work and helping shape its priorities.
In 2017, the forum changed its name from Nottinghamshire Participation Hub to Nottinghamshire Parent Carer Forum (NPCF). The new name better reflected who the forum was for and made its purpose clearer to families across Nottinghamshire.
Becoming a charity
In September 2022, NPCF became a registered charity.
Becoming a charity helped strengthen the forum’s governance, transparency and accountability. It also gave NPCF a stronger structure to support its work, apply for funding and continue developing opportunities for parent carers across Nottinghamshire.
NPCF today
Since then, NPCF has continued to grow.
The forum now has over 1,000 members on its database. Members receive information, updates and opportunities to share their views, helping NPCF raise wider parent carer experiences and themes with services and decision-makers.
NPCF remains a charity run by, and for, parent carers. Our work continues to focus on listening to families, sharing wider parent carer experiences, and helping to improve support for children, young people and families across Nottinghamshire.
Please visit our SEND Improvement & Engagement page to find out more about our current and recent work.
