Special educational needs and disability (SEND) law

SEND law applies to children and young people up to 25 years old who have a wide range of additional needs (including special educational needs, disabilities and medical needs) requiring some level of adaption or additional support to access education, as well as possible health, therapy and social care needs.

What do we do?

We provide special educational needs and disability support for families to navigate a complex system ensuring every child with SEND has all they need to be a happy student and reach their potential in all aspects of their lives. Our SEND law advice is unique, being given by a SEND parent.

How can we help?

We advise on all aspects of special educational needs and disability law for children with all types of SEND including specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, high functioning autism, sensory impairments, learning disabilities and physical disabilities.

We can advise about:

• Obtaining an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), including refusals to assess, negotiating contents of a EHCP and requesting a reassessment of needs 
• Appealing to the Special Educational Needs Tribunal 
• Annual Reviews 
• What to do when the provision in the EHCP is not being delivered 
• SEN Support and whether it is working 
• Considerations around the appropriate school and how to get a place there 
• How to get a better understanding of what your child needs 
• What to do when school raise educational/other concerns, or you have received a recent diagnosis 
• Liaising with school to achieve the right support 
• Making complaints about support at school 
• How to work in a successful partnership with your child’s team (e.g. school, therapists, Local Authority) to achieve the best outcome

Recent advice has included

• Advising a family on how to obtain better support from school for their child with SEND who was struggling to access home learning during the recent lockdown 
• Advising a family on the process to commence an appeal of EHCP sections B, F and I (needs, provision and school placement) 
• Advising a family on making a complaint to the Local Authority regarding delayed receipt of a draft EHCP 
• Advising a family on Local Authority legal obligations to educate a child who is not at school and on obtaining an emergency school placement whilst needs were assessed 
• Supporting a family at mediation whose child needed access to a bespoke package of education to complete their A levels remotely due to medical needs