The UK’s leading catering consultancy The Litmus Partnership has launched the pilot of a pioneering new Consumer Insight (CI) programme designed specifically for special schools, marking it as the first initiative of its kind in the sector.
Recognising that traditional written surveys aren’t always the most effective way to capture feedback from pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), communication needs or additional needs, Litmus’ new approach takes a more inclusive and engaging route by using accessible visual communication instead of words to gather feedback about the school catering experience.
Through carefully designed visual tools, pupils can express their opinions on everything from food choices and portion sizes to dining spaces and service experience – empowering pupils with SEND or additional needs to share their views in a way that’s meaningful and accessible to them. The programme can also be used in conjunction with communication approaches that individual special schools already use, such as Talking Mats, helping encourage all pupils to take part.
The new CI programme is being piloted under the Litmus Haven Fund – an initiative Litmus launched in 2024 to support organisations such as charities, special schools, and other settings that have a genuine need for consultancy services but may not have the budget to fund them.
Candice Finn, Managing Director at The Litmus Partnership, said: “We’re passionate about making sure every student’s voice can be heard – and that means finding new ways to make engagement truly inclusive. For many pupils in special schools, traditional surveys can be a barrier rather than a bridge. Our new visual-led Consumer Insight programme turns that on its head, giving students the tools to express their views easily and confidently.
“Not only is this pilot a first for the industry but, thanks to our extensive work with hundreds of schools, we’re also able to benchmark the findings from a CI programme against other schools, which provides valuable context in helping schools understand how their catering services compare to others nationwide.”
The Litmus team spent two days at Treloar School and Treloar College to pilot the new Consumer Insight programme and gather first-hand feedback from students and staff. Candice Finn continued: “As this is the pilot of our programme, we see it as an ongoing learning opportunity, and we’ll keep building on it over time to make it as inclusive and accessible as possible. It’s a privilege to launch this new CI programme pilot under our Haven Fund, as it allows us to give something back to the schools that make a real difference every day.”
Kristy Quantrell, Catering Manager at Treloar School and Treloar College, said: “It was fantastic to be involved in trialling Litmus’ new Consumer Insight programme. The picture-led approach really resonated with our students and enabled them to share their opinions in a way that felt natural and enjoyable. We believe this new tool has huge potential to help other special schools better understand and respond to their students’ needs.”
Through the Haven Fund, Litmus offers their consultancy services and expertise to organisations in need, for free. Litmus donates to the Haven Fund on an ongoing basis by setting aside a percentage of profits and supplementing it with an additional £20 for every feedback response received following proposal submissions to prospective clients.
For further information please visit www.litmuspartnership.co.uk.
