Parent Carer Forums

Amaze works closely with the parent carer forums (PCFs) in Sussex to make sure the voices and views of parent carers are heard.  With the PCFs we work to represent families’ experiences to improve services for local families of children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). 

What is a parent carer forum?

A parent carer forum is a group of parents and carers of children with SEND who work together with local authorities, health services and other providers to develop the way services are planned and delivered for families.  It is a requirement of the SEN Code of Practice that partners work together in co-production and the PCFs facilitate this. Forums listen to and gather the views of other parent carers to make sure they represent as wide a range of parent carers as possible.

Why get involved?

Joining your local parent carer forum is a great way of keeping up to date with local and national SEND issues and feeding back about the services your child gets or the support your family needs. 

If you want to get more involved, you could become a parent carer representative who works alongside the commissioners who plan local services for disabled children, giving the parent carer view. Or join your forum’s steering group to decide on the strategic priorities to be influencing.

Find out more about how your local parent carer forum works to improve services for disabled children and their families and how to join:

How Amaze works with the forums

Amaze hosts and supports PaCC in Brighton and Hove and ESPCF in East Sussex.  We are excited to announce that from April 2026 Amaze will also host West Sussex Parent Carer Forum (WSPCF). As WSPCF is a charity, it means WSPCF will merge with Amaze, but the relationship will be identical to the way Amaze hosts PACC & ESPCF; the forums retain their individual identity, decision-making, activities and goals, but Amaze provides their back-office, and support where needed.

This will make all three forums more resilient and ensure the voice of Sussex parent carers is heard loud and clear amidst coming changes in SEND and local governance.

More about the merger between Amaze and WSPCF

Why merge now?

The three parent carer forums (PCFs) are already working closely together and have formed Sussex PCF Collaborative to help them speak with a coherent and unified voice.  This is a strategic and considered response to local government reforms, devolution and the coming together of NHS Sussex and Surrey, which require different ways of working.  Each PCF will maintain its unique local focus and ensure different experiences and issues are worked on across Sussex as needed. We are all excited by the opportunities that will come from us being stronger and more resilient together, in these ever-challenging times,

What does hosting mean?

Being hosted by Amaze means that all three Sussex parent carer forums can focus on representing parent carers of children and young people with SEND, relieved of the responsibilities of running an organisation, with Amaze providing back-office support with things such as finance, HR, IT, as well as the legal and policy framework for their operations.  The hosting arrangement is set out in a Memorandum of Understanding between each PCF and Amaze.  The steering groups for each of the forums remain responsible for decision-making around priorities and workplans. The role and remit of each forum in providing the voice of local parent carers is separate to Amaze’s focus on service provision.

What happens when?

  • Nov 2025 – April 2026: Amaze and WSPCF – we will be carrying out due diligence checks, preparation and planning.
  • Nov – ongoing: Sussex PCF Collaborative will be in development and operating
  • April – June 2026: staff consultation likely leading to TUPE transfer
  • July 2026: full transfer of WSPCF to Amaze and wind up of WSPCF as a charity

 What is not happening?

This merger does NOT mean that Amaze is now offering services for families in West Sussex. WSPCF and other charities in West Sussex continue to offer information, advice and support and the SENDIASS service continues to be offered by West Sussex County Council.

However, through the merger, Amaze and WSPCF will work together to identify what’s missing for SEND families in West Sussex and how services, including Amaze, might help to fill those gaps.

We want to reassure families and stakeholders in West Sussex that Amaze is scrupulous in maintaining its strategic separation from the PCFs. Amaze has over 20 years’ experience hosting PaCC and ESPCF whilst enabling them to set their own distinct priorities and activities. We are happy to answer any more detailed queries about this. Email [email protected] or [email protected]

What is the difference between Amaze and the parent carer forums?

Amaze provides services for families with children and young people with SEND in Brighton & Hove and East Sussex. The parent carer forums gather and represent the views of parent carers of children and young people with SEND to the people who commission and plan services.  We work closely together because we know that families get better services and support when their views are placed at the heart of the planning and delivery process. We call this co-production.