The countdown to the Cumberland Annual SEND Conference 2024 is on

The conference will take place on Thursday 11 and Friday 12 January 2024, at the Learning Gateway, Fusehill Street Campus, University of Cumbria, and is an opportunity for attendees to share professional best practice and learn about the latest SEND research and developments.

Cumberland Council will welcome colleagues from education, health, and SEND-specific settings to the conference. Over the two days attendees will hear keynote speeches from nationally renowned speakers, participate in workshops hosted by a range of professionals and organisations, visit local and national exhibitor stalls, and network with colleagues.

The event, formerly hosted by Cumbria County Council, proved to be a success in January 2023, with tickets selling out and nearly 100 colleagues from around the county attending. In partnership with the university, Cumberland Council are now continuing to organise the annual event as the Cumberland Annual SEND Conference. This is following Local Government Reorganisation which took place in Cumbria in April of this year, and saw Cumbria County Council and the six district councils be replaced by Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council. The event will remain available to attend for all colleagues across the county.

Councillor Elaine Lynch, Executive Member - Lifelong Learning and Development for Cumberland Council, said:

“Cumberland Council are thrilled to be working in partnership with the University of Cumbria to deliver the Annual SEND Conference for its second year. The conference presents a fantastic opportunity for colleagues across Cumbria to collaborate, share knowledge, and enrich their understanding of the latest research related to SEND, which we hope they will share further with other colleagues in their setting. Cumberland Council recognises the importance of our staff having access to development opportunities, so they can continue to support the children and young people under their care to succeed. We would encourage any colleagues who are interested to consider purchasing tickets.”

Dr Ruth Harrison-Palmer, Director of the Institute of Education, Arts and Society at the University of Cumbria, said:

“We are a university for and from Cumbria that is recognised nationally for our ambition to tackle disadvantage in education, and we are proud to offer one the few undergraduate teacher education programmes in the country which has a SEND and Inclusion specialism for those who have a particular interest in this key area.

“Our students, graduates and staff have a transformational impact in supporting young people to reach their full potential and we’re delighted to work so closely with Cumberland Council and other partners as part of our mission to inspire and equip our graduates and communities to enable them to thrive now and for generations to come.”

Limited tickets for the conference are still available via the Cumberland Council Eventbrite page, which can be found here: Cumberland SEND Conference 2024 Tickets, Thu 11 Jan 2024 at 09:00 | Eventbrite