Rutland Parent Carer Voice
Our Mission
Our mission is to be the listening ear and representative for parents and caregivers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in Rutland. As the official Parent Carer Forum, we are committed to elevating the voices of those who champion the needs of individuals with special needs.
As a non-profit organization established by parents and caregivers of children with disabilities in the local community, our goal is to ensure that the services in Rutland effectively address the needs of disabled children and their caregivers. As an independent forum, we collaborate with, but operate separately from, the local council and health services.
meet the memebers
Jane ritchie-smith
Jane Ritchie-Smith is a parent carer and valued member of the Rutland Parent Carer Voice committee, where she also serves as Co-Treasurer.
Jane is a dedicated and committed member of the team, bringing both lived experience and a strong sense of purpose to her role within the forum. As a parent carer herself, she is deeply passionate about supporting families and advocating for young children with SEND, ensuring their voices are heard and understood.
Dionne Roundhill
Dionne Roundhill serves as Chair of Rutland Parent Carer Voice. In her role as Chair, Dionne attends and represents the forum at meetings across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR), working in partnership with a range of organisations including the Local Authority (LA), NHS, Department for Education (DfE), Integrated Care Board (ICB) and the SEND Alliance Management Board.
Dionne and her husband, Dave, have four children, one of whom has severe and complex needs (PMLD). Alongside her chairing responsibilities, Dionne also coordinates training opportunities for parent carers and organises meetings between families and professionals, helping to ensure parents’ voices remain central to local decision-making.
Kerri Westley
Kerri Westley
Kerri’s main role within the forum will be supporting the Key Working Project and the DSP Review Group. She brings a wealth of experience from within the SEND sector and is a passionate and effective advocate for parent carers.
Kerri’s knowledge, insight and commitment to ensuring parent carers’ voices are heard will be a real asset to the forum, and we are very pleased to have her working alongside us.