Practical considerations for setting up and sustaining an effective approach to youth voice in local SEND systems: A summary report of the Youth Voice Learning Community
This report draws on learning from the What Works in SEND (WWiS) programme to explore how local areas[1] can strengthen and sustain youth voice within their SEND systems. Building on evidence from a dedicated learning community (the What Works in SEND Youth Voice Learning Community) of eight local authorities (LAs), it provides practical insights into how children and young people with SEND can meaningfully engage in and influence local decision-making.
The Youth Voice Learning Community brought together eight local authorities to develop and strengthen approaches to youth participation within local SEND systems, between September 2025 and March 2026. Through a series of structured engagements (including workshops, peer learning, and regular check-ins) participants tested and refined their approaches in real time. Rather than following a prescribed model, the community adopted an action learning approach, enabling local areas to shape their own priorities while learning from each other and from established examples of effective practice.
The SEND Effective Practice Evidence Framework considers the strength of evidence of the SEND Youth Voice Learning Community as promising. The eight participating LAs are developing their approaches to youth voice through an action learning community, so drawing on the experience and expertise of their peers whilst also learning from best practice elsewhere. This has helped to accelerate the development and delivery of the community’s approach to youth voice. The breadth of impact of the learning community is also promising with impact demonstrated in two of the four impact indicators, specifically the lived experience of children and young people with SEND and feedback from professionals.
[1] While the Youth Voice Learning Community focused on the work being undertaken by eight local authorities to strengthen the role of youth voice in their local SEND systems, the LAs’ efforts and achievements are part of coordinated work by their local area SEND partnerships. While we focus on the work of the local authorities in this report, we acknowledge the role played by other agencies within their local area partnerships including education, health, social care, Parent Carer Forums and the Voluntary and Community Sector.