Attending meetings at settings can feel like an intimidating experience for some parents/carers. Their own previous experiences of education may influence how they feel about working with and meeting staff, particularly during meetings or occasions perceived to be more formal. SENCOs identify that it is helpful to support parents/carers by:
- Having a shared agenda for all meetings – agreeing with parents/carers in advance and again at the start of the meeting what will be discussed and with whom.
- Providing parents/carers and children with a summary of what has been discussed or targets that have been reviewed that they can take away with them. Some SENCOs share children and parent/carer versions of Individual Education Plan (IEP) targets that parents/carers can take away with them to understand what is in place and what is happening to support their child in school or early years setting.
- Facilitating person-centred meetings helps to promote participation and ensure that children and families are at the centre of decision making. Some settings run all meetings as person-centred meetings as part of a whole setting ethos of participation and co-production.