SEND Family Guidance

SEND Family Guidance Reviews⬇️

SEND Family Guidance 💚
SEND Expert & Registered Children’s Nurse | EHCPs, EHCNAs, appeals, mediation & tribunals | DLA/PIP support | School & LA advocacy | Helping families understand their rights, strengthen their case & get the right support.

SEND parents during the school holidays:“No school run! No uniform battles! Fewer demands! This might actually be easier...
01/09/2026

SEND parents during the school holidays:

“No school run! No uniform battles! Fewer demands! This might actually be easier…” 🎉

Also SEND parents during the school holidays:

“What day is it? Why has the routine disappeared? How are we out of snacks again? And why does everyone suddenly need me at the exact same time?” 😅

The holidays really can be easier in some ways. Our children may have more time to regulate, recover and be themselves without the pressure of holding everything together at school.

But they can also be incredibly hard.

The loss of routine, constant transitions, sensory needs, sibling tensions, childcare difficulties and the pressure to keep everybody entertained can be exhausting.

If you are looking forward to the children returning to school—or simply having some predictable routine back—please don’t feel guilty.

You can love your children deeply and still need a break.

You can enjoy parts of the holidays and struggle with others.

Both things can be true.

Roll on back to school… or at least knowing what day it is again! 😂

01/09/2026

🌻 HAS SCHOOL ASKED YOU TO COLLECT YOUR CHILD TO “COOL OFF”?

If your child is being sent home because of their behaviour, the school cannot avoid the formal suspension process by describing it as:

❌ Cooling-off time
❌ A fresh start tomorrow
❌ An early finish
❌ A chance to regulate at home
❌ A decision made in your child’s best interests

An informal or unofficial suspension is not permitted—even when a parent agrees to collect their child.

A formal suspension must follow the correct process, including notifying the parent in writing.

This is different from a child genuinely leaving because they are unwell or going home under another lawful arrangement.

Read the current Department for Education guide for parents.

Save this post and keep a written record of every occasion your child is sent home.

🌻 SEND MYTH: “My child needs a diagnosis before school can support them.”This is false.Support should respond to your ch...
30/08/2026

🌻 SEND MYTH: “My child needs a diagnosis before school can support them.”

This is false.

Support should respond to your child’s identified needs and the difficulties they experience—not depend upon securing a formal diagnosis first.

Schools should use a graduated approach to assess your child’s needs, plan appropriate support, put that support into place and review whether it is helping.

A diagnosis may provide valuable evidence and understanding, but children should not be left without support while waiting for an assessment.

Save this post—and share it with a parent who needs to hear it.

This information relates to the SEND system in England and reflects current Department for Education guidance.

29/08/2026

Some days you will question every decision.

You might wonder whether you said the right thing, fought hard enough or could have handled something differently.

But one difficult day does not define you as a mum.

Your child does not need perfection. They need your love, your understanding and the person who continues showing up—even when it is hard.

You are still enough. 💗

29/08/2026

🌻 APPLYING FOR AN EHCP NEEDS ASSESSMENT? 🌻

A strong application needs to clearly demonstrate why your child may require support through an EHCP.

I can prepare a detailed EHCP needs assessment request that brings together your child’s needs, existing provision, professional evidence and the difficulties they experience accessing education.

The application can include:

✨ Your child’s strengths and needs
✨ Their educational difficulties
✨ Evidence of the support already attempted
✨ Why ordinarily available provision may not be sufficient
✨ Relevant professional recommendations
✨ The legal test the Local Authority must apply

£450 fixed fee.

Message SEND Family Guidance to book your application support.

SpecialEducationalNeeds SENDAdvocacy SENDFamilyGuidance

🙃 Why do some children LOVE hanging upside down?If your child is constantly hanging upside down off the sofa, tipping th...
28/08/2026

🙃 Why do some children LOVE hanging upside down?

If your child is constantly hanging upside down off the sofa, tipping their head backwards, doing handstands or dangling from climbing equipment… there may be a sensory reason behind it.

Hanging upside down gives the brain a big dose of vestibular input — sensory information from the inner ear that helps us understand movement, gravity and where our head and body are in space.

It can also provide proprioceptive input through the muscles and joints when a child is gripping, climbing or supporting their own body weight.

For some sensory-seeking children, this type of strong movement input can feel incredibly satisfying and may help them:

✨ Meet their need for movement
✨ Increase their awareness of their body
✨ Support balance and postural control
✨ Feel more organised and ready to engage
✨ Get the intense sensory input their nervous system is seeking

So when a child repeatedly chooses to be upside down, it isn’t necessarily “silly behaviour” or an inability to sit still.

Sometimes their body is telling us:

“I need more movement to feel regulated.”

The important bit? 💗

We don’t want to simply stop sensory-seeking behaviours. We want to understand what sensory need the child may be trying to meet and find safe, appropriate ways for them to access that input.

Every child’s sensory profile is different, and movement that helps one child regulate may overwhelm another.

💗 SEND Family Guidance

Helping families understand the why behind their child’s needs — and finding practical ways to support them at home and in education.

Has the Local Authority made a SEND decision you disagree with?You may have the right to appeal to the SEND Tribunal—but...
28/08/2026

Has the Local Authority made a SEND decision you disagree with?

You may have the right to appeal to the SEND Tribunal—but strict deadlines apply.

This guide explains:

💚 How appeal deadlines usually work
💚 When a mediation certificate may be required
💚 What documents and evidence to include
💚 How to explain the outcome you want
💚 How to build a clear, child-focused case

The Tribunal considers the relevant legal test and the evidence available—not simply which party feels most strongly.

Save this guide in case you need it and share it with another SEND family.

SEND Family Guidance can support families with case reviews, mediation preparation and SEND Tribunal appeals.

Refreshing my inbox as though the statutory response might magically appear.Anyone else currently waiting for a decision...
28/08/2026

Refreshing my inbox as though the statutory response might magically appear.

Anyone else currently waiting for a decision, response or piece of paperwork?

🌻 Not sure which SEND service you need?You might be considering applying for an EHCP, reviewing a plan you have received...
28/08/2026

🌻 Not sure which SEND service you need?

You might be considering applying for an EHCP, reviewing a plan you have received, preparing for an important meeting, challenging a Local Authority decision or completing a DLA form.

Swipe through this post to find the support that best matches what is happening for your family right now.

If you are still unsure, message me privately and briefly explain your situation. I will help you understand your options and discuss which service may be most appropriate.

No pressure—just clear information and honest advice.

SEND Family Guidance provides independent SEND advocacy and consultancy. Outcomes cannot be guaranteed.

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