About Me

In 2020 I applied for an EHCP for my child having been informed by an NHS consultant that I didn't have to wait for Nursery to apply, I could make the application myself. This was totally new to me, I had some slight knowledge of an EHCP (my child was only 2 at the time) but I had no idea that I could apply myself, I thought it was something only Schools or Nurseries could do.​

The initial outcome was a Refusal to Assess with me being given a, what I now know to be, unlawful reason that my child was 'too young' for an EHCP - I appealed to the Tribunal (First-Tier Tribunal, Special Educational Needs and Disability) and the Local Authority backed down and agreed to assess. I felt liberated by this success, it felt like I had won part of the battle. ​

From that moment on, I threw myself into learning everything I possibly could about the EHCP process and SEND Law to ensure my child got the best possible chance they could. During the initial assessment the professionals asked me what my aims were for my child and I said - "to know I did everything I could to give him the best chance at having a happy life".  

SEND Law very quickly became my passion. Even after my child's EHCP had been finalised (after several amendments from myself), I wanted to learn more. I wanted to help others. I wanted to make a change in the SEND community. 

So, I enrolled in several different training courses and my SEND Law knowledge grew and grew. I started to be able to quote legislation off the top of my head. I began to share my knowledge with other parents in the SEND community. Hearing the struggles of other parents, I found myself getting quite cross about what these people are put through and I wanted to help - my passion became to advocate for SEND children and their families to ensure that their children/young people get the education and support that they're legally entitled to, need and deserve. ​

At our local SEND group I became the  person that was put forward to help others, I was often sent over to chat to other desperate parents who had felt unheard and unsupported.  Parents who had been told by the Local Authority that there's nothing they can do and  the parents had just accepted what they'd been told because they think they had to. ​

I have been there, in fact, I am still there. I have about 20 years of EHCP's ahead of me still for my own child.

So if you're struggling, feeling stressed and even in despair over what to do - I hear you and I see you. 

I am fully aware of how isolating this journey can be and how daunting navigating the system can be. 

I genuinely believe that unless people have been on this path, they simply don't get it.

I have had disagreements with my own family because they simply don't get it - I can assure you, I really do get it, I get how stressed you probably feel, I get how desperate you probably feel, I understand if you need to vent. ​

I am here to take as much as the stress and pressure as possible away from you, so you can focus on supporting your SEND child/young person rather than worrying about fighting the system.​

When I was at the very beginning of the process of my own child's EHCNA (Educational, Health, Care and Needs Assessment) before I realised that SEND Law was going to be a 'special interest' of mine, I looked at advocacies and they were out of my price range so I had to do it myself. I will say that I fully understand that a lot of work goes into everything advocates do, but the price simply wasn't an option - especially as I'd had to give up my full time job to care for my child.​

Fast forward to now and the fact that I couldn't afford the prices I'd seen for my own child, my mission is to provide the services parents / carers need at the lowest possible cost to ensure these services are accessible to all who may need them. I say who may need them, because you absolutely can apply for an EHCP yourself

It should be noted that you do not need an advocate (or anyone else for that matter) to get the support your child/young person is entitled to. I would always encourage anyone who feels that they could go through the process themselves, to do it themselves, if they want to.

However, I fully understand that not everyone has the ability or time to do what needs to be done. Even those that do have the ability and/or time, I understand when it comes to fighting for your child it can be daunting. I personally found my own child's case more difficult and consuming of my time, energy and headspace than any other case I've worked on. It feels unnatural to be essentially fighting the people we thought would help us. On top of this legislation is confusing, it isn't written for parents/carers to understand, it crosses over in several different legislations and the process is not made easy for parents/carers - and that is why I offer my services.​

I can't say I enjoy the process, in an ideal world every child with SEND would get the support they need, no one would need to fight for it, no one would need to appeal to tribunal and there would be no need for SEND advocates.  But unfortunately this isn't an ideal world. I do not enjoy the fact that parents/carers have to pay someone to be their voice - but I very much enjoy helping people and making a difference. If I can ease a little bit of their stress, 

I enjoy empowering parents/carers and educating them on what they and their child are entitled to by law and knowing I've made supported a family through what can be a very stressful period gives me job satisfaction like no other.​

Just to share one of my 'achievements'- I recently had a very senior Educational Psychologist, who has been the Lead Psychologist for a local authority, look at my sons EHCP which I re-wrote 'for' the LA 3 times and she said that it was the most specific EHCP she had ever seen, not just within my own county, but any county she had worked in. She's been an EP for over 20 years and worked in many counties - so I took this as a huge compliment. ​

If you'd like to know if I can help you with your child, please get in touch. ​

Laura x