In late 2014, the SEND Consortium (led by Contact a Family) appointed us to design, build and deliver an online platform for parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. The award-winning SENDirect service allows parents and carers to research and compare services, communicate and negotiate on provision and make payments for services and goods.
At its foundations, SENDirect provides access to a self-supporting community that contribute to the direction of service provision in the UK. The service empowers families and carers to source information regarding health, education and social care within their communities.
Establishing the platform’s interface and wider user experience was critical to its success. Exceptional usability was vital to ensure users are equipped with the tools to familiarise themselves with the service’s feature set. The project involved stakeholder engagement, user testing and intensive evaluation.
It was essential that the platform worked across a range of devices and also met leading accessibility standards. The deliverables associated with the project were recommendation-driven, allowing the platform to gain improvements backed by the opinions of those actively testing the service.
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Looking ahead, user feedback, changing requirements and support from its community will influence the shape of the service, allowing the platform to reach its full potential.
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