Last summer we attended the Kent Parents and Carers Together (PACT) picnic event in Dartford.

Here we spoke to parents of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

We were both interested in how they viewed the support their child received but we also wanted to understand what techniques and support they leaned on to maintain their own wellbeing. As part of an engagement exercise in Swale at the end of October 2023 we visited a soft play and gymnastics centre in Faversham along with Leisure Centres in Sheppey. We asked a similar set of questions.  

Some of the headlines

• 36% (4) of parents told us that long waits for access to health and social care services has negatively affected their confidence in caring for their child and 15% of people we talked to in Swale mentioned difficulties in accessing GP services impacting on their ability to care for their child. 
• 36% (4) of parents at the picnic event advised that their social support network has been the most valuable source of help for them and 85% (11) of respondents from our Swale engagement identified that spending time with friends, family or neighbours was their most effective support function. 
• 69% (9) of parents we spoke to in Swale said walks, green spaces and exercise had a positive impact on their mental health.

Next Steps 

We will liaise with Kent PACT to enable them to raise the concerns of parents and carers evidenced within this report. 

• We will share this report with Public Health and Mental Health services as insights of the positive impact of social networks and open spaces on managing mental health and wellbeing.