for Special Educational Needs and Disability
You see your amazing children succeed and you have great working relationships. But sometimes there is also frustrating progress, lack of support and challenging situations.
Whatever your situation or experiences there are some things that all parents and carers need – access to information you can trust and support from other parents who understand what you’re going through. Many parents also want to share what they have learned and help services get better for everyone.
Our Ambassador Volunteers help parents and carers do those things.
Ambassador Volunteers connect parents within their own communities and more widely into a network across Devon. They’re based in communities across the county. Some are mums and dads of children with SEND and some are professionals and support staff who work with them.
What they all have in common is a desire to help families and an understanding of what life is like with a child with special educational needs.
Ambassador volunteers do a wide range of different things, depending on what is happening in their local communities, what their interests are and how much time they can give to the role. Here are some examples:
Many volunteers are parents who just want to help other parents find their way to the support they need on their SEND journey. Some volunteers are professionals and they support parent carers and their families in support groups.
“I became an ambassador volunteer because I want to help other parents to become more confident in finding and getting support for themselves and their children.”
You’re not expected to do any particular activity. Abi, the programme coordinator, will work with you to achieve what you want and help you to support parent carers of children with SEND in your area in the best way you can.
You are also not expected to be a legal or education expert! If a parent or carer needed specific help or support about their situation the Ambassador volunteer would help them to contact DIAS directly for advice. Ambassador volunteers don’t support parent and carers at meetings either.
We have Ambassador Volunteers across the county – their locations can be found on this map. We also work in partnership with the Family Hubs who support children from the age of 0-18 years (25 years with SEND) and their families. Family Hub SEND Ambassadors can be found in most areas.
These are groups led or attended by an Ambassador Volunteer. Some meet face to face, and others are online support groups.
| NORTH DEVON | |||
| Duncan Casburn | South Molton 1pm Mondays | YMCA Mill St South Molton EX36 4AS | South Molton SEND Parents & Carers | Facebook |
| WEST DEVON | |||
| Isabelle Painter | 10am on the 2nd Thursday of the month term time. See website for other groups such as Mental Health Peer Support Group | Ockment Community Centre Mill Road Okehampton EX20 1WG | Community Links South West CIC | Okehampton, Devon (communitylinks-sw.co.uk) |
| Hannah Stead | Facebook (Holsworthy SEND) via email: holsworthysend@gmail.com | ||
| EXETER/ MID DEVON | |||
| Kate Amphlett, Hannah Reeves, Jo Tagg, Ellie Shepherd, Yona Wiseman | Avanti Parent Carer Support group | Avanti Hall Parent Support Group | Facebook | |
| Mags Dixon | Check online for events each month | John Lewis Community Room Exeter | |
| Katie Cobley | Fortnightly on Fridays 9.30-11.00 Alternate venues Cullompton Scout Hut and Splendidly Blended – check Facebook page | Cullompton Parents and Carers Support Group | Facebook | |
| Mags Dixon | The Beacon Centre, Beacon Lane, Exeter, EX4 8LZ. | Nexus Family Wellbeing Hub open to those who live within the catchment of the 5 Nexus Primary Care Network (Mount Pleasant, South Lawn, Hill Barton, Heavitree & Isca) | |
| EAST DEVON | |||
| Cara Stratford | 9.30-11.30 Wednesday | 39 Scott Drive Exmouth EX8 3LF | Home | EsteemteamAutism enabling | Esteemteam | Devon |
| Cara Stratford | Half termly Check online or email caraesteem@gmail.com for info | 39 Scott Drive Exmouth Seachange | Home | EsteemteamAutism enabling | Esteemteam | Devon |
| Mags Dixon | Check online for events each month | 1-2 Kings Court, New Street, Honiton, EX14 1HG | |
| Mags Dixon | Check online for events each month | All Saints Church, All Saints Road, Sidmouth EX10 8ES | |
| SOUTH | |||
| Sarah Coy | 3.45-5.15 Thursday | Meadow Centre Teignmouth, TQ14 9AQ | After school parent/carer group for children of any age with SEND https://www.facebook.com/tneurohub |
| Sarah Coy | 12.30-2.30 Thursday | Meadow Centre Teignmouth, TQ14 9AQ | Home Education Group https://www.facebook.com/tneurohub |
PCFD is the independent Parent Carer Forum for Devon. It’s for all families of children and young people with additional needs and disabilities in Devon. They are a group of parents and carers of children with additional needs and disabilities who want to make things better for the families, children and young people of Devon.
Page reviewed: April 2024
Page due for review: April 2026
DiAS (Devon, Information, Advice and Support) supports children and young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and their parents and carers.
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