A message from Sarah Pawson - Local Offer Lead

5 May 2021,

Dear Bradford Council Colleagues and service providers (Inc. SEND voluntary and community sector),

I have worked for Bradford Council for 21 years, therefore this has not been a decision I have taken lightly and I have been considering for some time now.

I have worked in the Bradford Council SEND service since 2015 leading the statutory SEND Local Offer Service, I have been known as the “Local Offer Guru go to person” or “ask Sarah Pawson she is the Bradford Local Offer”. I am proud of what I have achieve during my time in service at Bradford Council and in particular the SEND Local Offer Service, which has been a strength for Bradford. I would like to thank colleagues in services and provisions across education, health and social care, the voluntary and community sector, children and young people and parent carers for developing, co-producing and evolving the Local Offer service with me since 2015. I have always been a believer, that if you listen, work closely and in partnership together with children & young people, parent carers and joint service providers/commissioners, you will get it right for families in terms of service design, delivery/outcome and this is where my passion, determination and development of the Local Offer Service came from.

I have been working within the SEND Services and SEND Transformation & Compliance Team ensuring the Local Offer is co-produced with families, continually developing and evolving the information website using the feedback received from co-production activities with young people with SEND and their parent/carers alongside ensuring the service is complaint with our Local Offer Officer the newest member of the team and the T&C team. I will very much miss working alongside our newest member of the team who is a great asset to the Local Offer website and our SEND T&C team/SEND Services.

I have thoroughly enjoyed supporting and working with children and young people 0-25 Inc. SEND and their families across the Bradford District for such a long time and I am parent myself of a child and a young adult with SEND and life can be tough with many challenges along the way.

I have thoroughly enjoyed working with all my colleagues at Bradford Council; Primary Schools, Children Centre, Family Centre and SEND services, Inc. colleagues in the SEND voluntary and community sector and I will truly miss you all, way too many to mention you all but you know who you are! it will feel so very strange not working at Bradford Council.

I have recently reduced my working hours at the council and this has given me the time to consider work/life/family balance. In this time, I have made the decision to move forward to spend more quality time with my family whilst opening up myself up to new opportunities and a new business venture that works around my family life whilst still being able to support families, children and young people with SEND.

I wish you all farewell and the very best! My last working day will be 2nd June 2021

Sarah Pawson,
SEND Local Offer Lead
Bradford Council SEND Transformation & Compliance Team