Bristol Parent Carers

What Bristol Parent Carers does

Bristol Parent Carers is a registered UK charity serving as the Department for Education-recognized Parent Carer Forum for Bristol. Founded around 2010 and headquartered in Flax Bourton, Bristol, it operates with a small team of approximately 9 staff plus a wider trustee and volunteer network. The organisation delivers free support to families with children and young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), operating across three service pillars: Parent-to-Parent peer support sessions held in schools and community venues; Practitioner-Led information sessions on SEND topics including EHCPs, autism, ADHD, sensory needs, and behaviour; and Talking with Families (Parent Voice), which captures parent carer experiences to influence education, health, and social care commissioning. No formal diagnosis is required to access support.

The service portfolio is supported by a modest technology footprint: a WordPress-based website acting as the primary information hub, a YouTube channel hosting multilingual educational video content (including Somali-language content and BSL-accessible material via partnership with the National Deaf Children's Society), the Eventbrite platform for event ticketing, Basecamp for volunteer coordination, and a Microsoft Forms volunteer sign-up workflow. Additional product lines include the annual Together For SEND conference (featuring over 60 exhibitors in 2026), dedicated EHCP and social-care guidance pages, a Health Services information hub, an education support microsite explaining the graduated response and reasonable adjustments, a micro-volunteering programme, and the PINS (Partnership for Inclusion and Neurodiversity in Schools) coordination function.

Bristol Parent Carers is funded through institutional grants rather than commercial pricing. Its primary income sources are a two-year core funding arrangement with Bristol City Council from April 2024 and an annual funding arrangement with the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (BNSSG ICB), supplemented by grants from charitable foundations including the Garfield Weston Foundation, National Lottery, and Quartet Community Foundation, plus a small annual DfE recognition grant. All services are free to families. The organisation distributes services through an event-driven, community-led go-to-market model: in-person peer support sessions, coffee mornings, and information sessions across schools and community venues in North, South, and East Bristol (Greenway Centre, Inns Court, Fishponds Library), alongside website self-service content and social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X).

Name

Bristol Parent Carers

Legal name

Bristol Parent Carers

Website

https://bristolparentcarers.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bristol Parent Carers is a UK charity serving as the Department for Education-recognized Parent Carer Forum for Bristol. It provides free peer support, practitioner-led information sessions, and Parent Voice advocacy for families with children and young people aged 0-25 with SEND in Bristol.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

SEND Family Support Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Other Individual and Family Services (62419)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services (EDACAFAJ)

Keywords

• Parent carer support
• SEND family services
• Special educational needs
• Peer support programmes
• Disability advisory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: Primary funding from Department for Education recognition as the Bristol Parent Carer Forum, receiving a small annual grant. Additional funding from Bristol City Council (two-year agreement from April 2024) and Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (yearly arrangement).
2. Charitable Grants: Additional funding from external grant-making organisations including Garfield Weston Foundation, National Lottery, and Quartet Community Foundation to support ongoing family support activities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bristol Parent Carers is the Department for Education-recognised Parent Carer Forum for Bristol, providing free information, peer support and guidance to families with children and young people aged 0–25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Its core offerings are organised around three pillars: Parent to Parent peer support, practitioner-led information sessions, and Talking with Families (Parent Voice) consultation, supplemented by guidance resources on EHCPs, education, health and social care. All services are provided free of charge and are accessible without a formal diagnosis.

Product overview

Bristol Parent Carers is a charity offering a unified support service for families with children and young people (0-25) with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Bristol. The organisation provides three core service pillars: Parent to Parent Support (peer support sessions), Practitioner-Led Information Sessions (training on SEND topics), and Talking with Families (feedback collection to influence local services). Additional offerings include the annual Together For SEND event, comprehensive EHCP guidance, health services information hub, social care support guidance, education support resources, and a volunteer programme. All services are free and designed to help families navigate the SEND system without requiring a formal diagnosis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Parent to Parent Support Safe, understanding peer support spaces where parent carers can talk openly with other families, share experiences and practical tips, feel listened to without judgement, and build confidence while reducing isolation. Sessions are held in schools and community venues across Bristol.
• Practitioner-Led Information Sessions Free, accessible information sessions led by trusted practitioners covering topics such as SEND processes, EHCPs, wellbeing, autism, sensory needs, and supporting behaviour. Sessions are practical, inclusive, and requested by families, with English as an Additional Language (EAL) support available.
• Talking with Families (Parent Voice) Opportunities for parent carers to share their experiences of education, health and social care services through surveys, Let's Talk sessions, one-to-one conversations, and work with local organisations. Feedback helps decision-makers understand what is working and where improvements are needed.
• Together For SEND Annual event bringing together families, education staff, and professionals to access talks, workshops, peer support, and over 60 exhibitors providing information about local SEND services.
• EHCP Guidance and Support Information and guidance on Education, Health and Care Plans including the assessment process, timeline, appeals, and annual reviews, for parent carers of children and young people with SEND.
• Health Services Information Hub Comprehensive resource covering various health-related topics including ADHD, autism, anxiety, behaviour, communication, complex medical needs, dyslexia, sensory needs, sleep, and toileting, with guidance on assessments and support available, including video content in multiple languages including Somali.
• Social Care Support Guidance Information on disabled children's social care support including eligibility, assessments (Section 17, Carer's Assessment, Young Carer's Assessment), types of support available, and guidance for transitions to adult services.
• Education Support Guidance Guidance on how support works in schools through the graduated response, including quality first teaching, ordinarily available provision, reasonable adjustments, and EHCP processes.
• Volunteer Programme Micro-volunteering opportunities including parent-to-parent support, document reading, meeting attendance, social media support, and translation services for families across Bristol.

Quantifiable outcome

• Families report feeling less isolated and more confident in navigating SEND systems
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and supporting.

• We The CuriousminorOthers · 16 March 2026Venue partner for the Together For SEND 2026 event, providing the location for the annual conference bringing together education staff, families, and service providers.
• Bristol City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBristol Parent Carers works in partnership with Bristol City Council as the Department for Education-recognised Parent Carer Forum. The Council provides funding and collaborates on SEND strategy, education-related issues, and social care services.
• Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (BNSSG ICB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormerly Clinical Commissioning Group, the ICB commissions health services and provides funding to Bristol Parent Carers. Works together on health-related SEND support and service improvements.
• Sirona Care & HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal NHS health services provider that Bristol Parent Carers works with to improve referral processes and health service access for SEND families.
• Friends of the Forum NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 13 voluntary and community organisations across Bristol that collaborate with Bristol Parent Carers on a shared four-year plan focusing on five priority areas for SEND family support.
• SEND and YoucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBristol's SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) that provides free independent advice for families. Bristol Parent Carers works alongside them to support families navigating EHCPs and school support.
• MurmurationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganisation providing parent carer wellbeing sessions at events, including taster sessions and support for parents of children with complex disabilities.
• National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organisation providing Community Connector sessions at events to support families and professionals working with deaf children, with BSL interpretation available.
• Learning Partnership WestsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner providing sessions on trauma-informed practice and zero-exclusion approaches to support inclusion in schools.
• Bristol Schools (Primary, Secondary, Mainstream, Specialist, Independent)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchools across Bristol that Bristol Parent Carers works with to help families understand support available, run coffee mornings, and improve SEND Information Reports.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Autistic Society: Large national charity supporting autistic people and their families with information, support services, and policy work, comparable in mission and beneficiary population at much greater scale.
• KIDS: Established national charity creating opportunities for disabled children and young people across the UK through play, learning, and family support services, with overlapping beneficiary and service mix.
• Ambitious about Autism: National charity focused on education and advocacy for autistic children, providing parent-facing information and youth services that overlap with BPC's information and parent voice functions.

Direct peers

• Contact (charity for families with disabled children): National UK charity supporting families of disabled children, providing peer support, information, and parent voice work directly comparable to Bristol Parent Carers' mission at a national scale.
• SEND and You (Bristol SENDIASS): Bristol's SEND Information, Advice and Support Service named as a core partner of Bristol Parent Carers, providing statutory independent advice on EHCPs and SEND processes for the same beneficiary families.

Others

• Council for Disabled Children: National umbrella body supporting policy, practice, and service development for SEND and children's disability, closely aligned to BPC's co-production and policy influence work.
• IPSEA (Independent Provider of Special Education Advice): National charity providing free legal advice and training on SEN law and EHCP processes, addressing the same EHCP-navigation pain point that Bristol Parent Carers supports families on.

Regional players

• Bath & North East Somerset Parent Carers: Regional DfE-recognised Parent Carer Forum near Bristol delivering the same peer support, information sessions, and parent voice functions to SEND families in BANES.
• South Gloucestershire Parent Carers: Neighbouring DfE-recognised Parent Carer Forum operating the same statutory model directly adjacent to Bristol, with overlapping beneficiary catchment in the Bristol urban fringe.
• North Somerset Parent Carers: Another neighbouring DfE-recognised Parent Carer Forum covering the BNSSG ICB footprint that also funds Bristol Parent Carers, operating the same PCF model in a separate geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BRSParentCarers
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCgrPMgd8SRaQBdGilDIOazA
• Facebookfacebook.com/bristolparentcarersforum
• Instagraminstagram.com/bristol_parent_carers
• TikToktiktok.com/@bristol.parent.ca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bristol-parent-carers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bristol Parent Carers