News

The Bucks Skills Show 2026 is taking place on 4 - 5 March 2026 at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, offering career inspiration, hands-on experiences, and networking with over 120 exhibitors. The Confident Futures segment specifically supports young people with special educational needs and disabilities and others facing barriers to employment, helping them build confidence and skills for future careers.  You can book here to reserve a space You can find more details on the Bucks Skills Hub website FACT will be attending both days so you can add a drop by and say hello.

On Monday 23 February, the Department for Education published its schools white paper 'Every Child Achieving and Thriving', which shares its plan to reform special educational needs and disability (SEND) support in early years, schools and colleges. Alongside the white paper is a national consultation called 'putting children and young people first', running until 18 May 2026. The Council for Disabled Children’s Participation team is working throughout this consultation period to support disabled children and young people, and those with special educational needs, to...

The National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF) welcomes the Publication of the Schools White Paper and the opportunity for families, Parent Carer Forums (PCFs) and stakeholders to comment directly on the Government's proposals. There is shared acknowledgement across partners and families that system change is needed to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND. The NNPCF recognises that some families and Parent Carer Forums (PCFs) have been understandably anxious to see the Governments published...

Welcome to the latest Healthwatch Bucks newsletter. Read here In this edition, you will find updates on current projects, including work with rural communities across Buckinghamshire, welcoming Luisa Contreras to the Healthwatch Bucks team, alongside opportunities to have your say and information to help you stay well. Healthwatch Thank you, as always, to everyone who continues to engage with our work and help make sure local voices are heard.

A huge thank you to the nearly 1,900 families, young people and professionals who shared their experiences in the CQC/Ofsted SEND inspection survey. Your voices made a real impact, and the inspection report has now been published. We appreciate every response. We’re grateful for everyone who engages with our work — and if you would like to take a more active role in the Parent Carer Forum, we would really welcome you Find out more A full...

The NNPCF understands that there have been, and are likely to continue to be, unsettling media leaks about the upcoming Schools White Paper. The DfE has a clear policy that it will not comment on leaks, which is why there is no response from the DfE that we can share with you. While we are not able to comment on speculation or leaks, the NNPCF would like to reassure you that we remain closely involved in ongoing...

Rural communities’ experiences of health and social care in Buckinghamshire Healthwatch are launching a new project to understand experiences of health and social care in rural communities across Buckinghamshire. They want to hear from people living in rural areas about what works well, what’s challenging, and what could make it easier to access care and support. find out more

The National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF) welcomes the Government’s announcement of a £200 million investment to support SEND training for staff working across early years settings, schools and colleges. This commitment recognises the importance of equipping the wider workforce with the knowledge and confidence to support children and young people with SEND. Parent carers often tell us how much difference skilled, informed and understanding staff can make to their child’s experience of education. Investment in...