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The importance of Parent Advocacy in the SEND System

If you are a parent or carer of a child with Special Educational Needs (“SEND”), the chances are that you have had your fair share of challenges. There is pressure to identify and understand your child’s needs, and to be their spokesperson in ensuring that those needs are met. In short, you have to be your child’s advocate. Understandably this can lead to parents and carers experiencing loneliness, knowing that whilst they are someone’s advocate there is seemingly no one to advocate for them. If this is you, take heart: help is out there, and you are not alone. SEND Advocacy is here to support you to support your child. 



Parent Advocacy in the SEND System


It is up to parents and carers to communicate their child’s needs effectively, and advocacy for parents and carers must ensure that they are heard and understood. There are different opportunities to support parents and carers throughout the various stages of the SEND system and SEND Advocacy can be with you every step of the way. 


Our approach centres families, ensuring the concerns of parents and carers, who know their children best, are heard. Good communication is at the heart of effective advocacy and the foundation of how SEND Advocacy works. When parents and carers know that they will be listened to and their experience and contributions valued, they feel empowered. Empowered parents and carers are then able to participate more equally and effectively in interactions with decision-makers, such as medical and local authority professionals, with confidence. 


A focus on the importance of the parent/carer perspective allows other professionals such as doctors, educational psychologists, and SENCOs, to build and facilitate trust. In turn this leads to better relationships, and an easier path to navigate through the SEND system. Yet one of the best relationships parents can build is actually with other parents. By recognising the importance of advocating for each another, as well as their children, parents and carers can create a peer-lead community of mutual support and assistance, ensuring no one is left behind. 


Parent Carer Advocacy is essential within the SEND system. Your recognition of your child’s needs, and your advocacy in ensuring these needs are heard, are crucial to your child’s success in education. However, it is also important to not neglect your own needs in the process. Daily instances of stress can accumulate into something more serious, and it’s important to look after yourself. It is easy to always feel as though we haven’t done ‘enough’, to believe that we are failing because we do not know everything there is to know about how to support our children. But the truth is no-one knows everything. The role of the parent and/or carer is unique and its importance cannot be overstated.


SEND Advocacy offers expert advice and support throughout the different stages of the SEND system. We understand your frustrations, and we are here to listen. From initial requests for support through to reviews of your child’s Education Health and Care Plan (“EHC Plan”), and support with appeals to the First Tier Tribunal SEND, you can be confident that your child or young person is at the heart of every decision. 


These are just a few examples of how SEND Advocacy supports parents, as work is uniquely tailored for each child or young person. We understand the importance of parent advocacy, and of supporting the whole family’ parents as well as children. We use our expert knowledge of SEND law, policy and practice to ensure information is accessible to parents, and to shine a light on areas of confusion. If you need someone in your corner to help you secure the education your child or young person deserves, contact us today. 

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