New event aims to boost awareness among professionals at Portsmouth City Council
A new initiative is set to launch in Portsmouth to raise awareness of the city’s SEND (Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities) Local Offer, with a particular focus on professionals who support children and young people up to the age of 25. Organised by Portsmouth City Council, the event will bring together internal teams and key partners who play a vital role in supporting families across the city.
The Portsmouth SEND Local Offer is a centralised resource that provides comprehensive information about services, support, and guidance available to parents/carers, professionals, and young people with SEND. While awareness among families has steadily increased, professionals remain a crucial audience, often serving as the first point of contact and a vital link to services that can make a real difference.
To strengthen this connection, Local Offer Live Mini will deliver a more intimate, focused format tailored for internal council teams. The event will feature representatives from:
- Portsmouth Parent Voice – a parent/carer-led group advocating for families with SEND
- Dynamite – a youth-led advocacy group amplifying the voices of young people
- HDRC – a co-production team working collaboratively with families and services
- Children in Care Council – a group who use co-production to support care-experienced young people
A spokesperson from Portsmouth City Council said:
“Portsmouth is a diverse city, and we work with communities that have a wide range of needs. Families with children and young people who have SEND often face barriers to accessing services, many of which stem from a lack of awareness. Professionals are in a unique position to help bridge that gap by signposting families to the right support at the right time.”
Local Offer Live Mini is exclusively for internal staff only, designed to strengthen knowledge and collaboration across departments. However, the wider community will have the opportunity to engage with the full-scale Local Offer Live event at the John Pounds Centre on 6 November, where families and professionals can meet representatives from up to 24 exhibitors across Portsmouth.
