Voices into Action (VIA) Toolkit

A digital resource supporting learner and family participation in educational decision-making

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UK (England)

FLARE Advisory Group and the Department for Education’s Covid-19 related policy development

About:

The Department for Education’s (DfE) young disabled advisory group, FLARE, ran a national consultation focusing on learners with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) and their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

FLARE, which stands for Friendship, Learning, Achieve, Reach and Empower, is a diverse group of 18 young people between the ages of 14 and 24 from different parts of England. They are all disabled or have a special educational need. They come together to share their views and experiences with the DfE and others, in order to:

  • help the DfE understand how learners with SEND want to receive support and services;
  • ensure the voices of learners with SEND are heard and acted on in national work.

FLARE has advised on COVID-19-related policy developments, such as its work with the Rapid Testing in Schools and Colleges team at the DfE. As part of this relationship, FLARE co-designed a national consultation involving more than 643 children and young people, 128 parents and 110 professionals. The national consultation, called Lessons Learnt from Lockdown, was:

  • driven by the need to give children and young people with SEND an equal opportunity to engage in decision-making;
  • informed by the direct experiences of FLARE and local groups;
  • co-designed by FLARE to be inclusive and accessible, with young people having a range of options (one-to-one interviews, focus groups, online survey, drawings) for the best way to participate and contribute.

Outcomes:

The national consultation led to a report called Lessons Learnt from Lockdown. The consultation has been shared widely, including with the Minister, who heard directly from FLARE. It also resulted in important policy developments, including changes to COVID-19 testing in schools to ensure accessibility for disabled learners. Stakeholder feedback showed that the DfE listened to FLARE and how the group directly influenced changes in testing processes. Feedback also showed that the group was aware of how their voices were or were not acted upon.

Key element(s) of the VIA Framework:

This example reflects the full framework of learner participation – SPACE, VOICE, AUDIENCE and INFLUENCE. The young disabled advisory group is directly connected with the DfE and has the ability to express views and influence decisions at a national level. The DfE clearly values the advisory group and ensures that those in positions of power are equipped to responsibly listen and ultimately act on their voices.

Read the report, Lessons Learnt from Lockdown, and learn more about FLARE.