Who runs the National Network of Parent carer Forums?
Board of Directors
The NNPCF is led by a Board of Directors, made up of 10 members, each appointed with the support of their regional PCF networks. Each member represents one of the nine Department for Education (DfE) regions. To ensure fair representation and manage the large number of local authorities in London, two regional members are appointed for this area.
Board members serve terms of four years. When applying to become a member, individuals can only apply for one term at a time, with a maximum of two four-year terms allowed.
Throughout their term, Board members must meet the eligibility criteria, which includes being a parent or carer of a child or young person with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) aged 0–25.
Board members are appointed as directors of the National Network of Parent Carer Forums CIC. In this role, they have legal responsibility for the organization’s operations and for ensuring timely submissions of required information to the relevant authorities. (If there is a valid reason a Board member cannot be a director, being a director is not compulsory.)
The Board also appoints two Co-Chairs from amongst the Board members. These Co-Chairs act as ambassadors for the NNPCF, providing leadership and overseeing both the day-to-day operations and the longer-term strategy of the organization.
All Board members are parent carers with firsthand experience in local Parent Carer Forums and are required to also be a strategic representative of their local Parent Carer Forum.
Operations Support Team
The Board is supported by a small, dedicated, and highly committed operations team. This team is responsible for managing essential tasks that ensure the smooth functioning of the NNPCF’s daily operations, enabling the organisation to effectively support and represent Parent Carer Forums and their members across and the views they gather across England.
National Representatives
The National Representatives Team includes all members of the NNPCF Board, as well as selected representatives from Parent Carer Forums from within each NNPCF region.
These National representatives support the work of the NNPCF by attending meetings and events on behalf of the NNPCF across all stakeholders. To become a National Representative, the individual must be active in their region and strategic representative of their local Parent Carer Forum to ensure that they have a greater understanding of the needs of other areas.