Wolverhampton’s HY5! Youth Forum recently welcomed members of the city’s SEND & Inclusion Partnership Board to a special celebration event, reflecting on another successful year of partnership working and the positive difference young people’s voices are making.
With the theme Better Together, the event showcased how co-production is helping to shape services and support for children, young people and families with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
HY5! also used the event to launch their annual report in a new video format and hosted a range of fun and engaging activities, to demonstrate how ‘things are better when we work together’.
HY5! is a forum for young people aged 11 to 25 with additional needs and disabilities. Meeting regularly at the Cherry Street SEND & Sensory Hub, the group work closely with the SEND & Inclusion Partnership Board to ensure young people’s experiences and ideas are embedded in local decision-making.
Over the last year, HY5! have achieved significant successes, including helping to improve Wolverhampton’s Local Offer, influencing developments to Early Help services and post-16 pathways, creating new resources for families, and delivering Inspiring Change training to more than 60 professionals across education, health and social care.
The group have also contributed to regional and national youth voice initiatives, including government consultations and the co-production of the national Youth Voice Manifesto.
They have also received growing national recognition. Earlier this year, the group were shortlisted nationally in the Excellence in Co-Production category at the SEND Awards 2026, and have previously received the NHS England Special Recognition Award for Children and Young Person Voice for Change.
Councillor Jacqui Coogan, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: “HY5! have an incredibly important role to play in helping the council and our partners ensure that SEND services are the best they possibly can be – and their passion, insight and determination is helping shape support that better meets the needs of children, young people and families across Wolverhampton.
“I am incredibly proud of everything they have achieved over the last year and look forward to seeing the impact they continue to make as we work together to improve outcomes for all.”