You told us
People told us they found it hard to spot at a glance what was relevant to them and what was not. This was especially when trying to determine the age ranges covered.
The problem
Pages on Somerset’s SEND Local Offer are grouped by nine different topic areas, such as education, health, social care, leisure and so on. While this demonstrates the wide array of information available, it presents a significant challenge for parent carers.
People navigate in different ways. This structure can lead to information fatigue and overwhelm. Imagine sifting through pages on “education,” only to find that much of the content is irrelevant to your 5-year-old, or conversely, for your 16-year-old. This means valuable time is spent trying to pick out what applies to your child’s specific age group, often leading to frustration and missed information.
We listened
A new feature: “Information by age group” has been developed. This aims to make finding relevant services and information for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) much easier.
We collaborated with SEND Navigators and parent carers to group key information families seek at each age stage, from early years to adulthood. This new section, found by scrolling down the Local Offer homepage, also highlights important but often missed information.
This update streamlines the search for support, whether it is for early concerns, school transitions, or exploring community options. Allowing parent carers to quickly find the resources and support most appropriate to their child’s age and stage of development.
What happens next
This “Information by age group” feature is just one step in improving Somerset’s SEND Local Offer. While this update significantly helps people find the information they need more easily, we are also actively working closely with parent carers to enhance the quality and completeness of the information within each section.
The nine topic areas will still remain as sometimes it is more helpful for families to navigate that way, but we are improving page titles and descriptions to support at a glance navigation.
We encourage parent carers to explore the new feature and share their experiences using the feedback links at the bottom of the page. Your input is vital as we continue to improve Somerset’s SEND Local Offer to best service the needs of all families with SEND children.