Survey 2009

Here are the summary results from our survey of October 2009. For a full and visual breakdown (with bar charts) click here. This has been written by Douglas personally:

“How would you best describe yourself?”

61.5% of people said they were the parent of a child with SEN; 14.8% an advocate for parents of children with SEN; 11.9% as working for an education or disability organisation; 10.4% as an ‘educational professional’; 7.4% as a parent partnership advisor;  5.2% said they were a local authority officer with the same percentage saying that they were a teacher/Headteacher; 3% a learning support/teaching assistant and the same percentage saying that they were a lawyer.  A further 1.5% said they were a SENCO. A minority of people said they came under ‘Other’.

I think this just goes to show just how wide an audience our website attracts although I am a bit confused how we seem to have more than 100% in total! 

“Do you like the simple style of www.specialeducationalneeds.co.uk or do you feel it needs to look more professional?”

A whopping 96.6% of people said they liked it how it is with only 3.4% saying that it needed to look more professional.  This validates my approach when designing the website to just concentrate on making information as easily accessible as possible and try and reflect what we try to be: up-front, honest, neutral and, most of all, having no frills attached!

“Would you prefer to receive infrequent detailed updates from Douglas from time to time or would you prefer to receive more frequent less detailed updates when news arises?”

53.2% people said they preferred receiving infrequent detailed updates from time to time with 46.8% saying that they would like to receive more frequent less detailed updates when news arises. Although this was a fairly close result I am going to keep up my twice yearly detailed updates but will also try to send out ad-hoc updates wherever possible when relevant news arise.

“What would you say is/are the best feature/s of www.specialeducationalneeds.co.uk? (you can tick more than one)”

The clear leaders here were the Downloadable Factsheets/Guides with 57.2%; information about Types of SEN/Disability with 50%; and information about Changes to SENDIST with 44.7%.  However, a respectable 36.2% of people also liked our sections on Useful Resources; 28.9% our Latest News; 27.6% Education News Online; 26.3% our email course on ‘Everything You Wanted To Know About The Law On SEN But Were Too Afraid To Ask’; and 21.1% our List of LEAs/List of Special Schools.  I was pleased to see that 19.1% of people liked seeing information about Douglas Silas Solicitors, but was surprised that only 11.8% of people found our section on Video/Audio About SEN useful.  

“What would you like us to add to www.specialeducationalneeds.co.uk? (you can tick more than one)”

I was unsurprised to see that the clear winner here at 66.9% was my idea of having a new section on SEN Education law judgments although 44.4% of people said that they would like more SEN Education news (and 19.7% more Education news generally); 31.7% more Factsheets/Guides; 30.3% more SEN Info/Resources; and 16.9% more email courses. 

You will appreciate that being able to provide this information, particularly new Factsheets/Guides and email courses, has to be left to when I can find time to write something.  In addition, putting SEN Education law judgments on our website may cause copyright difficulties, but I will look into this in the hope that I can do so in the future.

“Do you use other education websites?  If so, which ones? “

Most of the answers here were the same with websites such as IPSEA; NAS; ACE; Oaasis; Afasic; DCSF/Teachernet; Teachers TV; SENDIST; Network 81; Nasen; Scope; Down's Syndrome Association; Education Otherwise and TES.  In addition, many people said they used other government or local authority websites and the websites of particular support groups for particular SEN or disabilities and of particular schools where their child was currently or hoped to be in the future. 

I have therefore put links to some of these websites here and have also added them to our Further Information page if they were not already there).  I hope that this helps makes people’s lives a bit easier when they are looking for relevant information, especially since responses that I received to this question included things like ‘sometimes I search in desperation…’, ‘I find it difficult to locate information…’, ‘so little time with SEN kids at home as I am sure you understand.’ 

“What one thing would you like to tell us or other people about us or our website?”

I was extremely touched by the responses to this question.  There were nearly 100 responses so it would not be right for me to set them out in full here so I have instead added most of them to our What The Public Say page (although you can see the responses separately by clicking here.)  However, I hope you do not mind if I share some of my favourites here:

• Informed parents are more likely to get good results and your site is the best for informing parents.  

• It is excellent because it is free.

• Really impressed about how the site explains concepts and gives information.  The language and overall tone are perfect. 

• Douglas Silas is simply the best SEN solicitor operating in the UK today.  His website is more than just a business window or source of information – it has become a National Resource for SEN parents.  His passion and commitment to helping SEN children is breathtaking.

• You’re brilliantly informative!  Thank you, thank you, thank you! 

• It's about Douglas, and there is no better!

• Your website is a very true representation of the people who work at Douglas Silas Solicitors – they are informative and very efficient. 

• Go here for honest, professional, direct and informed advice.

• To you, thanks for all the free stuff.  To others – Stop Press: Solicitor giving advice for free! 

• It’s the most accessible site I use.

• How generous you are with information you collate and share.  As a parent with an SEN/disabled child I don’t have so much time to find all that I need to know so your website really helps.  Thank you so much. 

• Clear factual legal information in accessible language.

• Non bias – does not favour either the parents or the educationalists – presents both views.  As parents we can become so focused and intense upon our child’s needs that we lose sight of the bigger picture.  Your site keeps things in perspective. 

• Advertise: parents need to know about the law and the hard times coming.

• You are doing a great job which is very much appreciated by the people you are helping.   

• There is no such thing as ‘too much information’ when it comes to our children, their education is just as important as ‘regular’ children, if not more.

• It gave excellent advice – wish I had found it sooner. 

• Easily accessible and non-threatening.

• I like the way you send to everyone therefore being transparent to all. 

• The best resource for parents with SEN children. 

• Thank you very much for creating it and making it freely available to parents of children with SEN.   

• I don’t know of anyone or any organisation working so tireless and unselfishly.  If it can be done you know who will do it.  Even when it seems impossible.  And it isn’t just moral support, it is practical and sensible and makes you feel you are not alone. 

• I always tell people how brilliant Douglas is, especially other lawyers. 

• You are very thorough with the cases you take on.

• Really useful website for parents confused by all the red tape associated with SEN which makes the whole process of being a parent of a child with SEN so confusing and challenging.   

• You are humans who in this current climate are unique, you care for our precious children.

And my favourite, for all the wrong reasons:

• IT’S A BIT IN YOUR FACE but packed full of very helpful information.  A great resource.

Click here for a full version of the answer to the question 'What one thing would you like to tell us or other people about us or our website?'

For a full and visual breakdown (with bar charts) of our Survey 2009 click here.