Driving positive change for SEND families in Derbyshire

About DPCV

Who We Are

We are Derbyshire Parent Carer Voice (DPCV) – a community of passionate volunteer parent carers united by one purpose: To improve the lives of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) across Derbyshire.

We understand the challenges of this journey. That’s why we’re here to listen, support, and amplify your voice. Our forum brings together lived experiences to help shape and improve services across education, health, and social care. Working in partnership with families and professionals, we drive meaningful change, guided by compassion and a trauma-informed approach.

We are proud to be the recognised voice of parent carers in Derbyshire, with a seat at the table alongside senior leaders from the Local Authority, Health, and Social Care. Our strong and trusted relationships with services place us in a unique position to represent the lived experiences of families and advocate for meaningful change. Every two months, we meet with the heads of SEND, Education, Inclusion, Social Care, Educational Psychology, and Health to share the common themes we hear from parent carers across the county. In return, service leads provide updates from their departments, which we then share with our members ensuring transparency, accountability, and a continuous feedback loop. We are passionate about making sure parent carers are heard, valued, and empowered to shape the services that matter most.

Our Mission:

To use our lived experiences to actively improve Health, Education, and Social Care Services.

We achieve this by providing our members with opportunities to:

Engage and Participate: Be part of the change
Enhance Wellbeing: Prioritise and support family strength
Enable Advocacy and Support: Speak up and stand together
Provide Knowledge and Information: Stay informed and empowered

Our Vision

Through inclusive engagement, co-production, and collaboration with families and professionals, we aim to achieve measurable improvements in local services. Our Vision is for every child and young person with SEND to reach their full potential, and for parent carers to be valued, heard, and fully supported every step of the way.

Let’s Connect and create change

It’s free, easy, and we’re waiting to welcome you!

We know the journey of a parent carer can be complex, and you don’t have to navigate it alone. By joining the Derbyshire Parent Carer Voice, you’ll instantly connect with a supportive, understanding community of people who get it, because we’re all in this together.

Membership is about both support and action. You’ll receive updates on useful workshops, events, and simple ways to share your valuable perspective through surveys and feedback. Your experiences are the key to shaping the future of SEND provision in Derbyshire. Let’s work together to ensure services truly meet the needs of our children and families.

If you’d like to find out more about getting involved with the forum as a Trustee or Representative , Click here to explore how you can help make a difference.

Together, we can achieve more!

Explore Memberships

Register Your Interest

Complete the details below to become a member – it’s completely free!

Upcoming Workshops, Surveys and Resources

Partnership of Inclusion for Neurodiversity in Schools Project (PINS) Help Shape SEND Services - have your say here Your Bi-Monthly SEND Update Oct 2025 Annual Area SEND Survey 2025 Neurodiversity and Mental Health Survey Exciting Upcoming Events AGM Minutes 2025 SEND Glossary - What it all Means Winter Message from DPCV

Meet the Team

Trustees: We’re a small team of parent carers, each bringing our own lived experience of raising a child or young person with SEND in Derbyshire. What unites us is a shared passion for making a real difference to the lives of SEND families across the county.

We’re all volunteers, giving our time because we know how important it is that families feel heard, supported, and understood.

Together, we use our energy and insight to help shape and improve SEND services because we’ve lived it, and we care deeply about making things better.

Coordinator: Although I’m not a parent carer myself, I’ve spent over 12 years working with children and young people with SEND, and I’m passionate about supporting families across Derbyshire.

I’m employed by Derbyshire County Council to act as a critical friend to the Local Authority and to support the DPCV trustees with the day-to-day running of the charity. This means they can focus their time and energy where it really matters by attending meetings, raising the voice of parent carers, and pushing for meaningful change in the world of SEND.

I love my role within DPCV and feel privileged to be part of such a dedicated team. If you have ideas, suggestions, or feedback, I’d love to hear from you, let’s keep working together to make a difference.