Documents and information on this page are of general interest. PaCC is part of the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF); some documents and information have been provided by one of the many parent carers forums active in England. If you need specific information and support around your child and your family’s needs please contact SENDIASS, Amaze’s advice line at [email protected] or call 01273 772289 (open Monday to Friday 9.30am to 2.30pm).
Welcome to PaCC’s January 2026 Round-Up PaCC has been even busier than usual lately. Fiona (PaCC Interim Lead), Paolo, (Engagement Coordinator), Nikki, Leila and Gabi (PaCC Autism in Schools & PINS Engagement Workers) and the whole PaCC Steering Group have been ensuring your views, experience and suggestions are taken into account when services for your[...] Read More
PaCC, in partnership with Brighton & Hove Inclusion Support Service (BHISS), is coordinating the delivery of the Autism in School (AiS) and Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programmes to schools across Brighton and Hove. Read more about AiS and PINS here. We are in the process of delivering the last part of[...] Read More
Parent carers feedback via PaCC, and national legislation have provided the information for Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC)’s officer workplan for 2026. PaCC has asked BHCC officers to share updates with the community on the priority areas, including: The Local Offer Online page. Social Care, including Short Breaks Strategy, Short Breaks and Respite, Short[...] Read More
Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) has received an inadequate inspection report – find out more about the draft Social Care Improvement Plan here. Members of the People Overview & Scrutiny Committee will review and provide feedback on the draft Adult Social Care Improvement Plan at their meeting on Wednesday 28 January. PaCC will attend[...] Read More
PaCC are feeding back to councillors about Brighton & Hove’s budget for 2026/27 A key area that PaCC has fed back on so far is a £40,000 cut to children’s disability services. Services for children with disabilities – management, assessment, operations and administration. Direct payments, family support services and short breaks summary of proposal: to[...] Read More
In January 2026 Brighton and Hove City Council appointed Graham Davis as the Designated Social Care Officer (DSCO) in Brighton and Hove. PaCC are pleased that this recruitment has now taken place as PaCC have flagged the need for this essential strategic role for several years. The DSCO plays a crucial role in bridging social[...] Read More
In November, Becky Robinson is stepping down from her PaCC Co-Chair role, having made the difficult decision to create more time to focus on her wellbeing and family. The PaCC steering group would like to thank Becky for her dedicated contributions over the past four years, during which she has served as Vice-Chair, Chair, and Co-Chair. Many of you[...] Read More
The Sussex Parent Carer Forum Collaborative (SPCFC) is a newly-formed partnership between the three parent carer forums in Sussex: Brighton & Hove’s PaCC (Parent Carers’ Council), East Sussex Parent Carer Forum (ESPCF), and West Sussex Parent Carer Forum (WSPCF). Together, we will amplify the voices of parent carers across Sussex. We decided to do this[...] Read More
SEND Reforms White Paper: Meetings with the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson The Department for Education has said that a White Paper on SEND, which will outline the Government’s approach to reforming the SEND system, will be published in Autumn 2025. Towards the end of the summer term 2025, Becky Robinson and Fiona England,[...] Read More
September 2025 Dear Chris Ward MP, We wanted to get in touch to make you aware of the upcoming parliamentary drop-in from the Disabled Children’s Partnership (DCP) and Let Us Learn Too. As your local SEND charity, working closely with two parent carer forums representing Brighton & Hove and East Sussex, we would like[...] Read More
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Day is observed annually on 9th September, symbolising the nine months of pregnancy. Brighton and Hove City Council is inviting everyone to join throughout September in raising awareness about the importance of alcohol-free pregnancies and signposting to support services. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) refers to the range of[...] Read More
On Tuesday 3rd of June 2025, PaCC organised a PaCConnect engagement event for parent carers. The purpose of this gathering was to update the parent carer community about the work and planning that is happening in the city around education. The idea of updating the SEN community around education, followed discussions at an earlier PaCC[...] Read More
SEND Sufficiency Update Brighton & Hove City Council is developing a SEND Sufficiency Plan to ensure that children and young people with SEND have access to the right provision, in the right place, at the right time. This includes forecasting future need, identifying gaps, and setting out plans to create more specialist and inclusive provision[...] Read More
Autism in Schools and Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools Autism in Schools (AIS) year 2 is progressing with coffee mornings happening in many of the schools. The Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) year 2 is taking shape, with expressions of interest forms being sent to the city SENCOs. The schools[...] Read More
Courageous Conversation Event in Brighton and Hove In April, PaCC had the opportunity to take part in a SEND Courageous Conversation event in Brighton & Hove – a dedicated day for honest and constructive discussions about local SEND services. These conversations are part of a South East regional initiative supported by the South East Sector[...] Read More
Updates on Short Breaks PaCC have continued to facilitate well attended parent carer meetings with Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) commissioners, Jacqui Parfitt and Katie Rowe, and other invited Local Authority officers. The meetings offer a space for BHCC to inform parent carers of Short Break developments, and for parent carers to feedback and[...] Read More
SEND & AP Change Programme Brighton & Hove City Council (BHCC) have provided an update around the SEND & Alternative Provision Change Programme, and the different workstreams within it, which you can see here. The SEND & AP Change Programme is part of a wider initiative taking place across the South East Partnership with Brighton[...] Read More
Updates on Learning Disability Partnership Board – May 2025 The Learning Disability Partnership Board (LDPB) brings together different organisations and agencies – with the aim to improve services for people with learning disabilities who live in Brighton and Hove. Below here are updates from the last Board meeting, which took place at the beginning of[...] Read More