CASE STUDY

Essex Local Offer

How PLMR Genesis collaborated with Essex County Council to increase awareness of the Essex Local Offer, recruit SEND providers, and empower families, delivering exceptional results in both 2023 and 2024
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ECC

Client

Essex Local Offer

Sector

Social Care

Healthcare

Services provided

Digital Marketing

Essex Local Offer

The Situation

In late 2022, Essex County Council launched a revamped Local Offer website, a key resource for families and children aged 0–25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The website aimed to provide a centralised hub for accessing support, services, and activities across Essex. 

By 2023, the council identified two key challenges: 

  • Provider Recruitment: The need to expand the directory by attracting SEND-specific providers and encouraging general businesses to offer SEND-inclusive services. 
  • Family Awareness: Raising awareness among SEND families about available resources and driving traffic to key areas of the website, including guides, directories, and health and education resources. 

Following the success of the initial 2023 campaign, Essex County Council approached PLMR Genesis to build upon this foundation in 2024. 

What we did

PLMR Genesis delivered two workstreams in 2023 and 2024 to meet the council’s objectives: 

Workstream 1: Provider Recruitment 

Using Meta, we developed a digital advertising campaign targeting SEND-specific providers, businesses offering SEND-inclusive services, and potential SEND-providers across Essex. The campaign aimed to encourage businesses to apply for the Essex Local Offer Directory by promoting the benefits such as increased visibility to current and new audiences and the community impact that registered providers have. Our tailored messaging inspired non-SEND businesses to explore SEND inclusivity through accessible changes.  

Via clear calls-to-actions we directed businesses to the “Request a Listing” form on the Local Offer website. 

Workstream 2: Family Awareness 

This campaign also utilised Meta to reach families with children navigating SEND challenges, including parents in early diagnosis stages and caregivers seeking long-term support. 

Through different ads, we drove engaged traffic to key website sections, such as “I think my child needs help,” the directory search tool, and health resources. The messaging of the ads was designed to reassure families, combat misconceptions about SEND support eligibility, and highlight the website as a one-stop resource. Ultimately, encouraging engagement through relatable scenarios, clear guidance, and actionable links. 

The Result

The Essex Local Offer campaigns targeting SEND Providers, Non-SEND Providers, and Families achieved outstanding results across 2023 and 2024, far exceeding objectives and delivering significant engagement, reach, and conversions. 

The ads generated 4,396,443 impressions, a reach of 580,435, and 31,686 clicks across both years. Post engagement across the campaigns was successful with a total of 117,864 post reactions. This engagement saw positive sentiment with user comments tagging others for awareness.  

The campaign was a success in terms of exceeding the campaign objectives, as a result, website traffic saw: 

  • The “Getting Listed” page achieved 5,908 total views, a 595.2% increase. 
  • The Non-SEND Providers page received 4,711 pageviews, a 8,309% increase. 
  • The “I think my child needs help” page and other family-focused areas garnered 3,866 visits from engaged users. 
  • 162 SEND Providers completed a Request a Listing form, exceeding the combined goal by 131%. 

These campaigns collectively strengthened the Essex Local Offer’s visibility, drove traffic to key resources, and fostered increased engagement from both providers and families, cementing its reputation as an invaluable resource for the SEND community. 

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