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We launched on 30th November 2024 and are really grateful for all of the reviews so far. Thank you for making the SEND world a safer place for parents and carers. This Padlet is in alphabetical order, so you can easily find an advocate and their reviews.

SWIPE SIDEWAYS TO SEE THE REVIEWS

If you have submitted a view and would like feedback on why it hasn't been posted - please message on one of our social media platforms (scroll down to see them)

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Is something missing? Add it here so we can review it

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Is something missing? Add it here so we can review it

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Is something missing? Add it here so we can review it

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Is something missing? Add it here so we can review it

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Rebekah Herbert Indepdent SEND/ EHCP Advice

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Rebekah Herbert Indepdent SEND/ EHCP Advice

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Average Rating: ⭐

Average Cost: ££

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Rebekah Jane, Independent SEND EHCP Advisor. | London

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Rebekah Jane, Independent SEND EHCP Advisor., London. 493 likes. Parent to neurodivergent young people, Diploma in SEND 1,2,3 and IPSEA trained EHCP legal frameworks

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Average Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

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Average rating: ⭐⭐

Cost: £££££

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Special Educational Needs Consultant & Tribunal Representative - Rochelle has an extensive background in law and vast experience in the special needs sector, passionate and…

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We are all fighting so hard for the needs of our children that being preyed on by advocates is completely unacceptable.

But when people share negative experiences with advocates we are threatened with legal action and more - and it isn't right.

So we have created an anonymous SEND Advocate feedback website so we can openly see who offers a great service and who to avoid.

Please help get it started by sharing your experiences with advocates, then these reviews can be added to the site.

It is completely 100% anonymous, so it is safe to share your experiences.

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We have created this page because there has been a huge increase in the number of “SEND Advocates” offering a poor service at incredible high prices. Families are struggling enough without this additional burden. We ask for your name and email address just to confirm it is a legitimate review. This will not be shared and the website will remain completely anoymous. Please complete the form and we will review and add any appropriate reviews :)

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Step 3: If it is appropriate and looks "real", we will add it on

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Step 3: If it is appropriate and looks "real", we will add it on

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By "appropriate" - we mean that it needs to be factual and based on evidence, rather than "slander" for the sake of it.

By "real" - we need to be able to clearly see that a real person wrote the review.

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How to find a parent advocate - Special Needs Jungle

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How to find a parent advocate - Special Needs Jungle

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How to find a parent advocate / SEN lawyer - Special Needs Jungle

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Special Needs Jungle provides parent-centred information, news, special needs resources and informed opinion about SEND - Special educational needs and disability, Education, Health and Care Plans, EHCPs, EOTAS, SEND Tribunal, children’s mental health, rare disease, SEND politics

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(IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice

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(IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice

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IPSEA (Independent Provider of Special Education Advice) - helping children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the education they are entitled to by law

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Find out more about our JR Initiative, The PAP Project!

SOS!SEN is an independent registered charity started in 2002 by a small group who had spent much of their lives in education or related services. We help parents secure the right educational support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

We now have a team of over 70 volunteers advising parents, many of whom have been in your shoes, seeking to get the right provision for their children.

We are able to fund the important lifeline we provide to parents through your donations for our services and our Surrey-based charity shop.

We provide a range of information, advice and support to help parents find their way through the daunting legal and bureaucratic maze of securing SEN support for their children.

Parents are not always aware of their children's entitlement to SEN provision; we help them navigate the process, with advice underpinned by current legislation and best practice.

I would like to say thank you to everyone at SOS!SEN for their direction and invaluable expertise, which helped me work through an appeal... Your workshops [webinars] on appealing against the contents of EHCP and SEND Tribunal video hearings gave me the confidence to represent myself, and succeed at a SEND Tribunal hearing, to secure needed provisions for my son...

I just wanted to write a huge and heartfelt thank you to SOSSEN. I attended the walk in session in Thornton Heath...and spoke to Sarah who was truly wonderful! I have been feeling very overwhelmed...and my head has felt like a tangled ball of wool. Sarah calmly untangled it all and gave me lots of brilliant advice and next steps to work towards...

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Find out more about our JR Initiative, The PAP Project! SOS!SEN is an independent registered charity started in 2002 by a small group who had spent much of their lives in education or related services. We help parents secure the right educational support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

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Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support (SENDIAS) services provide free, impartial advice on matters relating to SEND.

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A Coproduced Guide on finding a good SEND Advocate

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A Coproduced Guide on finding a good SEND Advocate

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Special Needs Jungle: Be Careful Out There!

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Special Needs Jungle: Be Careful Out There!

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Just before Christmas, we took a look at some of the latest figures to come out of the Special Educational Needs & Disability Tribunal (SENDIST). Those figures shone light on a system that was starting to audibly creak under pressure. More and more appeals are being lodged, and an increasing number of those appeals go all the way to a hearing. For thousands of families each year, going to Tribunal represents their best shot at securing their children's educational rights - and 89% of appeals went in favour of parents last year.

But as the SENDIST system starts to run red-hot, other difficulties are emerging. Some families are finding it difficult to obtain honest and high-quality advocacy to support them with SENDIST appeals - and some are being badly and expensively let down.

What's going on?

Over the last year, SNJ has come across an increasing number of cases where families have received poor, misleading, or inadequate advice from people supporting them with SENDIST appeals. SEND is a sector that's long been blessed with high-quality advocates - not only qualified solicitors or barristers, but others too: veteran parents, specialist freelancers, and other volunteers who provide SENDIST appeal expertise at low cost or no cost.

But demand from families for SENDIST appeal advice has spiralled. At its busiest point in the spring and early summer of last year, there were over 2,000 live SENDIST appeals in the system. In this situation, a small group of volunteer experts simply cannot help everyone. So others appear to be stepping in, with sometimes variable results.

We're hearing of more and more cases where families have been let down by people who claim to have the right expertise - but don't. It's tempting to conclude that this might just be amateur volunteers over-reaching themselves, but it's not. Some unregulated advocates appear to be charging eye-watering amounts of money for very poor advice.

And you're not automatically fine if you can tap qualified legal support either. Some of the worst SENDIST advice we've seen over the last year has come from fully-qualified solicitors - often non-specialist commercial lawyers acting pro bono.

What Should I Look Out For?

There isn't any need to panic. If you're a parent considering an appeal to SENDIST, the chances are very high that the outcome will be in your favour. If you have the time, stomach and stamina for it, you might not need any extra support at all. And if you do need help with your appeal, you are still likely to be able to get reliable, high-quality support.

But from what we've seen in the last year, we'd advise parents to be thoughtful when reaching out for help with SENDIST appeals.

We've asked a wide range of experts - parents, young people, advocates, supporters, solicitors and barristers - for their advice on getting help with SENDIST appeals, and between them, this is what they had to say:

First up, think about whether you can manage this appeal by yourself. There's no shame in asking for help, but it's worth asking yourself this question first. The chances are very high that you will be contesting LA decisions that a SENDIST panel will find to be wrong. It is possible to win SENDIST appeals without help - but there's little doubt that the process is grinding. And in some cases, the situation may be so specialised that you are very likely to need expert help.

Before you pay for anything, take a look at local and national organisations that might be able to help. See what help is on offer, and how far they might be able to help you with an appeal. That includes IPSEA, SOS!SEN, and the local SENDIASS service - if you're considering SENDIASS, then ask them whether they can deliver the Minimum Standards for their service, which you can find here. Check your eligibility for legal aid too.

If you decide to pay for SENDIST advice, think about the following:

Do some research: how long has the advocate been working in the field of SEND? Has the advocate published anything online, via a website, blog, or via social media? Ask for references, and if the advocate isn't a lawyer, then look at the advocate's professional background. Word of mouth can be helpful, but don't rely on a single source if you can help it.

Experience & Expertise: What depth of SEND law experience does the advocate or lawyer have, and how does this experience relate to your own appeal? The substance of an individual Tribunal appeal varies from case to case, and if the advocate doesn't have the required experience for your particular case, it could make matters worse.

This isn't just a potential issue with bringing in an inexperienced, have-a-go-hero parent from a Facebook group with one Tribunal under their belt. Even if you're getting support from a fully-qualified lawyer, you need to find out if they genuinely know their education and SEND law - and whether they've got specific experience in what's being disputed in your SENDIST appeal. Even pro bono Magic Circle lawyers can trip themselves up if they don't know the field well.

What am I paying for, and what will I be getting? Before you pay anything, make sure you understand any financial arrangements between you and the advocate for your case - not only for any initial help, but also any ongoing support. If it's an advocate working for a big organisation, clarify who'll actually be doing the work. Ask the advocate whether they have legal liability insurance, or how they resolve problems if they emerge. Solicitors and barristers are regulated and have professional codes of ethics, but not every advocate is regulated.

Ask around - If you've decided to pay for SENDIST support, get quotes from several suppliers. Advocates are usually cheaper than qualified solicitors or barristers, but not always.

Can I work with this person? If you choose to pay an advocate or lawyer for SENDIST support, you'll be in regular contact with this person for weeks and months. It matters whether you can get on with this person. Think more broadly too about how they communicate. It might be tempting to sign up with someone who clearly enjoys a legal brawl, but that won't necessarily get you the outcome you need - particularly when you're the one who'll be dealing with your LA in the long-term.

Keep your eyes peeled for a structured guide to choosing SENDIST support that'll be online in the near future - it's being put together by Samantha Hale from Simpson Millar, Claire Ryan (parent), Josie Ryan (law student), Justine Bailey (parent), Ed Duff from HCB, and barrister Steve Broach -they've shared some of their recommendations above. Big thanks also to Daisy Russell from the IASS Network, and several other anonymous contributors - you know who you are...

And over the last year, we've heard of more and more cases where families have been let down by people who claim to have the right expertise, but don't. It's tempting to conclude that this might just be amateur volunteers over-reaching themselves, but it's not. Some unregulated advocates appear to be charging eye-watering amounts of money for very poor advice.

And you're not automatically fine if you can tap qualified legal support either - some of the worst SENDIST advice we've seen over the last year has come from fully-qualified non-specialist solicitors.

Useful links

Join the SNJ "Patron" Squad & get exclusive content!

Become a Patron!

- The SNJ Patrons' EXCLUSIVE September SEND update Newsletter is OUT NOW! If you're a patron and you haven't received it check your spam. No joy? Get in touch.

Don't miss a thing!

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Getting Help with EHCPs: Be Careful Out There! - Special Needs Jungle

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Just before Christmas, we took a look at some of the latest figures to come out of the Special Educational Needs & Disability Tribunal (SENDIST). Those figures shone light on a system that was starting to audibly creak under pressure.

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SEND Community Allience: What to Look for

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SEND Community Allience: What to Look for

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Raising a child with SEND is probably the most rewarding, yet one of the most profoundly complex caring roles ever. On any given stage of the journey, many families will feel overwhelmed with the physical and mental challenges of ensuring their disabled child has enough support, including education, health and social care.

Many family carers in this situation have more than enough on their plates, without having to fight those whose job is to provide a duty of care and support so children receive their legal entitlements. Unfortunately, however, that the reality for too many parents and carers.

My child needs help with learning - What should I do?

To secure support that is different, or additional, to that normally provided in a mainstream school, your child will need an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan. This will set out their special educational needs, plus education-related health and social care needs, and how they will be helped.

The local authority (LA) is supposed to assess your child's needs, with input from you, the school and other relevant professionals. If the local authority agrees, an EHC plan for your child will be drawn up, in consultation with yourself, the school and professionals. The local authority has a legal duty to ensure that the identified support is put in place.

The EHC Plan must be reviewed every year to ensure it is still meeting your child's needs. This is called an Annual Review, and it provides a further opportunity to discuss whether the child's needs are being met and to consider amendments to the EHCP.

In Practice
Whenever a local authority is taking any decision in relation to children and young people with SEN or disabilities under The Children's and Families Act 2014, it must have regard to principles set out in Section 19 in the SEND Code of Practice, Chapter One.
While the framework sets out clearly how the system should work, it doesn't always work as it should. There are constant pressures within local authorities to save money. Unfortunately, many case officers and school representatives simply do not always know, or properly understand, their legal responsibilities.

You may need to "persuade" the school or the LA to provide what you believe your child needs and to pursue appeal rights. You have legal rights to appeal against a number of decisions including:

refusal to assess

refusal to issue a Plan

the contents of the initial or any subsequent amended Plan including the school named as your child's placement

refusal to amend a Plan following an annual review

a decision to cease to maintain a Plan

For many parents, understandably, this may be more than they can manage. There are a number of sources of free help to navigate the complexities of the system and in enforcing their children's rights.

Where can I get help?

We see an increasing number of parents, carers and young people needing extra support or advocacy.

While local authorities must provide an impartial support service, the SEND Information and Advice Service, some parents may not feel this is a viable option (more on this later).

We often signpost parents to two national SEND charities in terms for advocacy, SOS!SEN (an SCA member) and IPSEA. There are other organisations such as SENTAS that specialise in advising on SEND Transport advice, some that specialise in particular types of difficulty such as the National Autism Society, the British Dyslexia Association and the Downs Syndrome Association and other organisations on social media platforms that cover all aspects of supporting your family on a whole including any carers' support you may need such as respite and Educational Equality who help families navigate through the maze of Special Educational needs. There are many other charities that can assist your family such as Disabilities Rights UK, Pohwer and Mencap to name but a few. Our member Special Needs Jungle also has lots of information and helpful articles about EHCPs and SEND.

Local authorities are required to publish details of their Local Offer on their website listing all education, care and health resources available to children and young people in their area who have disabilities. However, these are not always complete and may not have comprehensive sources of help in all the areas you need. Details of what MUST be included on Local Offer websites can be found here on the SNJ site and in the SEND Code of Practice 2015 - Chapter 4

As mentioned earlier, all local authorities are required to offer a free SENDIAS service (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support). While they are funded by local authorities, they're supposed to operate at arms' length and be impartial. Some parents tell us, however, that they feel wary, because their local service is based in the same offices as the council SEN department they're battling with over support.

All SENDIAS have to meet a minimum standard, but they can vary considerably in size, capacity and resources. This quote below is from their minimum standards document.

The IASS provides advocacy support for individual children, young people, and parents that empowers them to express their views and wishes and helps them to understand and exercise their rights in matters including exclusion, complaints, SEND processes, and SEND appeals.

3.5 The IASS provides information, advice and support before, during and following a SEND Tribunal appeal in a range of different ways, dependent on the needs of the parent or young person. This will include representation during the hearing if the parent or young person is unable to do so.

3.6 The IASS offers training to local education, health and social care professionals, children, young people and parents to increase knowledge of SEND law, guidance, local policy, issues and participation.
IAS Minimum standards

Online SEND Support

Most local areas have their own parent support groups, which are particularly helpful in sharing local resources, procedures, schools, and other sources of help and support. There are also many SEN support groups online and on social media platforms such as Facebook, covering both general SEND topics and also specific areas such as ADHD, Autism, PDA, EHCP support, children out of school and so on. They can be invaluable but, as with all things online, you do need to be aware that there is wide variance in terms of accuracy and reliability. You should never rely solely on any information you received from such sources.

There is a huge need for specialised advocacy, because most SEND families experience disagreements at some stage about the support their children needs. We are finding hundreds, if not thousands, of families nationally in sometimes very harrowing situations. Statistics suggest this is due to cuts to budgets and services. It's often also because LA SEND case officers have not received sufficient training in either helping families or in understanding SEND legislation. This can lead to misinformation, delays and conflict.

Parent experience 1:

The worst part to swallow is if the local authorities actually just provided what our children need, instead of spending budgets meant for children on defending their actions with a battalion of legal experts, choosing to drag parents through an unscrupulous complex system we wouldn't be in this crisis. 90% of parents win the support in the end but at what cost?!
There's an emotional and physical impact on my family as a result. I've been denied essential assessments and spent my life savings on private Independent educational reports. It's a financial and emotional burden on families when the Local Authorities then ensue reports that were vital at the beginning of this chaotic process.
Parent

Solicitors and barristers

There are a relatively small number of specialist SEN solicitor firms around the country, if you can afford this route. If you are considering engaging a lawyer, you should ensure that they genuinely specialise in education law, as relatively few high street firms deal with this area. It is also possible to secure help from barristers who offer Direct Access, but this tends to be limited to specific types of work such as representation at Tribunal appeals. Good sources of referrals for specialist lawyers are the Chambers and Legal 500 guides (although these do not include every specialist firm). Make sure you are looking under the category of those dealing with education for individuals as opposed to those which normally work for local authorities and schools.

Legal help is expensive and you should always seek full information about costs from the outset, including where applicable details of any fixed fee arrangements that are available. Steve Broach, public law barrister, has a list of solicitors on his blog, some of whom have legal aid contracts. Queen Mary University also offer a free clinic for advice

Legal Aid

Some help may be secured through the legal aid system, but in general, the income and capital eligibility limits are set at extremely low levels so that only a relatively small proportion of the population will qualify. You can check whether you are eligible through this link

Only a limited number of solicitors' firms have contracts enabling them to offer legal aid in education cases, and you may not be able to secure a firm that is local to you. However, this need not be a problem, particularly given the availability of online consultation facilities. Some firms also offer pro bono services, so it can be worth asking.

For some types of claim, notably challenges through the courts to failures to comply with statutory duties (judicial review), legal aid may be available in the names of the child affected. This does not cover appeals to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal. Children in care or under Special Guardianship Orders may qualify for legal aid for tribunal appeals in their own right. Tribunal appeal legal aid will cover the costs of securing independent expert evidence, but does not cover representation at hearings or fees charged by independent witnesses for attending hearings.

Hourly rates under legal aid contracts are set at low levels which mean that many firms offering legal aid, particularly for tribunal appeals, are heavily reliant on trainees and paralegals. They should, however, be supervised by more senior members of the firm including solicitors and legal executives.

Parent experience 2:

We were desperate to get my son into a specialist school, I'm unable to work as a full- time caregiver. My husband works all hours and still we did not pass the means test for legal aid. We were just over the threshold and we barely make ends meet. Where does that leave us? We tried to get advocacy through a specialised charity, unfortunately at the time there was extensive waiting lists. Parent

SEND advocates

An increasing number of people without formal legal professional qualifications are offering services as SEND Advocates. They offer varying degrees of support with different aspects of the SEND process. Some offer representation and/or support at tribunal hearings and with further appeals to the Upper Tribunal. Some are very experienced and offer a good service. However, this is an unregulated area. It is only too easy for someone with little knowledge of SEN to set up as an advocate, so a high degree of caution is needed. This is particularly true if they are charging for their services. We strongly advise parents considering using an advocate to read a very useful blog on the Special Needs Jungle site " Getting Help with EHCPs: Be Careful Out There! " by their columnist Matt Keer. Do your research carefully!

Of course, most, but not all, SEND advocates are considerably cheaper than qualified, specialist lawyers. However, in some cases, unfortunately, you get what you pay for. It will be no comfort that your advocate charged half the rate of a qualified lawyer if they've done such a poor job that you've had little value for money. We have seen documents drafted by some self-appointed advocates that are of poor quality, whose clients - desperate parents - have regretted going down this path. Additionally, we know of parents' cases that have been damaged because of their advocate's failure to present the right evidence, or their decisions to make damaging and unnecessary concessions.

Parent experience 3:

SEND SHARKS - I got to the end of my line with advice from various social media platforms, I was vulnerable and desperate for help......I was approached by a person that offered advocacy in the form of a Pre-Action Judicial Review (copy/paste) template. I gave this person copies of our personal documents and we spoke at length over the phone. I later sought advice from a legally-trained person who was shocked at the ill advice I'd received, which ultimately, had left me in a bigger mess. Parent

Anecdotally, we've heard a number of tribunal judges are seriously concerned at the quality of some unqualified parental representatives appearing in front of them, but their hands are tied because it is not their job to interfere in the parent's choice of advocate.

A cautionary tale

This case is a cautionary tale. Parents were represented by an advocate who charged four-figure sums, describing himself as "specialising in cases involving children with autism, with significant personal and professional tribunal experience".

They lost their appeal for a place at their preferred mainstream school. The tribunal named the specialist school the child was attending at the time. The parents still preferred a mainstream placement and appealed to the Upper Tribunal, arguing that the First-Tier Tribunal should have named a type of school, namely a mainstream placement. The Upper Tribunal held that, because the advocate had conceded that alternative, mainstream placements need not be considered, the tribunal had acted correctly.

The judge laid considerable emphasis on the fact that the advocate was presenting himself as experienced, so the Tribunal was entitled to take his concession at face value. The best efforts of specialist solicitors and counsel at the subsequent appeal did not persuade the judge that they should ignore the concession.

What should I look for?

Some particular points to look out for if you are considering using an unqualified advocate:

Qualifications Advocates do not have to have any form of legal qualification, training or experience, although some do. If you are considering using one, we strongly recommend asking what their qualifications and training are.

Insurance While solicitors and barristers are required to have insurance, advocates are not. If they do not have public liability insurance, the risk is that if they give negligent advice or act negligently in other ways in the conduct of your case, in practical terms you would have great difficulty in recovering compensation on behalf of yourself or your child for any damage this causes.

Reputable professional bodies Solicitors, barristers and legal executives have to be members of professional bodies which, amongst other matters, check that they undergo ongoing training to keep their skills and knowledge up to date, and also enforce specific standards of conduct. This does not include organisations where you simply pay a fee to be a member, without needing to show any relevant qualification or experience. We are not aware of any professional bodies for others offering advocacy, which does tend to take away other safeguards. In itself, the fact that an advocate is not a member of a professional body need not disqualify them, but it is a factor to bear in mind.

Success rates Beware of advocates and lawyers advertising extremely high success rates, particularly at or near 100%. Some register a case as a win if they only succeed in getting a few words in an EHCP changed. Their clients might well not take the same view if they have not succeeded in their main objective.

Charges While lawyers are likely to charge considerably more than advocates, they are required by law, to give up-front information about their fees with an estimate of the overall likely costs. Additionally, there is a right to ask the Law Society or the courts to review solicitors' invoices and they have the power to reduce them, in the event that they are found to be overcharging, or charging for work that is unnecessary, or that they have not done. This is not a safeguard that applies to unqualified advocates. Again, if you are considering using one, we suggest you ensure that you fully understand what they are charging for and all their invoicing arrangements.

Terms of business You should check these very carefully, both in the case of lawyers and advocates. Likewise, carefully check anything else you are asked to sign. We have, for instance, seen a document produced by an advocate who required parents to give cart-blanche in terms of giving information to others, including the other side, and in negotiating generally. This is potentially dangerous, since it may lead to confidential information being shared more widely than the parents anticipate. They may find themselves bound by an agreement made by their advocate about which they have not been properly consulted. In another case, an advocate wanted a parent to sign a document limiting how the LA and professionals could communicate with them. It was written in such heavy-handed and draconian terms, there was a significant risk that this could have been interpreted as a deliberate attempt to keep them away (which was not the parent's wish) and thus a significant safeguarding risk.

Ongoing training Barristers and solicitors are required by their professional bodies to keep up to date with the law and current practice by various different means. There is no such requirement imposed on unqualified advocates. We have seen some websites that contain seriously out-of-date and/or inaccurate information. It is worth asking about recent training undergone by any advocate you are considering using.

Ask around

It is always worth asking other parents for their experience of advocates and lawyers. Online forums can be useful for this purpose. Bear in mind that one person's bad experience may not be universal and may be a specific set of circumstances, so a range of opinions is helpful.

Finally, we are not here to say parents who need representatives must use lawyers and no-one else; we have included reputable services above that can help for free. Ultimately it is entirely the parents' choice and indeed, we know of a few excellent advocates. However, it is very difficult to gauge an advocate's quality from a superficially impressive website. Given the vital importance of your child getting the right support, it really is essential not to take unnecessary risks.

Author: Donna Sharp SEND National Crisis/SEND Community Alliance

Credits: Special thanks and credits to Eleanor Wright SOSSEN/SEND Community Alliance, to Disability Rights UK, Mencap UK

Sources: BBC News & The Law Society Gazette.

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SEND advice: What to look for when seeking legal representation or advocacy

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Raising a child with SEND is probably the most rewarding, yet one of the most profoundly complex caring roles ever. On any given stage of the journey, many families will feel overwhelmed with the physical and mental challenges of ensuring their disabled child has enough support, including education, health and social care.

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Guidelines for Parents Carers Looking for Support with Tribunal

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Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

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Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

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Average Rating: ⭐

Cost: £££££

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Hello! We empower and advocate for parents, carers and professionals who support children and young people with SEND. How may we help you?

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Rating: ⭐

Cost: £££££

I paid £2,000 in advance for support. The advocate did not read any documents in advance of any meetings but claimed she did.

I feel completely scammed by the support I received, especially since the prices are so high

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Average Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: ££

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: ££

Sarah Lockwood has offered incredible support to our family. I would not use anyone else!

However, she is very busy and I don't think she is taking on more cases right now

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Average Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

Comment from SEND Allies:

I love the idea of this website, to drive up standards in the area of SEND advocacy. I would just ask though that if any of my clients are unhappy with my service at any time that they chat with me, as I would always want to work things out and do my best for you. Cheers x

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SEND Allies is your support system for navigating the complexities of SEND provision; working with families & businesses to remove barriers to access.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

SEND Allies have offered absolutely fantastic support at an incredibly low cost. Considering how much other advocates can charge, this doesn't feel real!

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SEND Education For All SEND and EHCP support group. | Facebook

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A group to come chat, discuss and answer any questions that you may have.

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Rebecca Fuller: SEND and Inclusion Consultancy 

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Rebecca Fuller: SEND and Inclusion Consultancy 

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Average Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: ££

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Rebecca Fuller: SEND and Inclusion Consultancy | Kenilworth

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Rebecca Fuller: SEND and Inclusion Consultancy, Kenilworth, Warwickshire. 43 likes. SEND and Inclusion Consultant offering specialist support to children, schools and families.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: ££

It is so nice to have support from an advocate who truly cares, and who is full of kindness.

Her input has been incredible

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Average Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: ££

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The SEND Collaborative. 1,002 likes · 170 talking about this. Your complete SEND support now has a name; Welcome to the SEND Collaborative.

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Average Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: ££

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SEND Support – SEND Support throughout England

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Some children and young people, may have additional needs that can become a barrier to their learning and working to their potential if not correctly identified and supported within school.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: ££

Sue Peacock is pretty fantastic. I am not sure what else to say. I wouldn't use anyone else.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: ££

They are great and offered exactly what I needed

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Average Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: ££

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Access key links to support your journey!

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: ££

She knows her stuff, offers an impressive service and is a very reasonable cost

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Rating: ⭐

Cost: £££££

I paid quite of lot of money to be given barely any support and to just be told to do things myself.

For the same amount of money I could have gotten some real support from somewhere else

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Average Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: ££

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Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: ££

Used the monthly subscription service, which was good. Also used the more in-depth service to review EHCP and got detailed, personalised and knowledgeable advice. Plus they are very friendly and approachable too.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

I took an hour of time with Sue Peacock to go over some EHCP questions 121. It was well worth the fee (which was reasonable) and I didn't require further assistance.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

SEND Family Instincts have an online platform you get access to via a monthly subscription, which really gives you the info and guidance you need to become your own advocate.

After a few negative experiences with advocates, this was perfect for me.

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Average Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £££

Used to review our EHCP draft. Great in detail feedback on the key areas of the EHCP. I used Sarah as I know she has experience of EOTAS, and this experience from her was clear in the useful, practical feedback.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: ££

Sarah was incredible for giving me the EOTAS knowledge I needed, after I had a very poor experience with SENDIASS, who seemed to know nothing

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: ££

I used the monthly subscription - this was not a Facebook group membership - but a help desk to which you could email queries and also library of letter templates etc. I also used an additional paid service for an EHCP draft check. I found both very helpful when going through the EHCP process. We went through this, and EOTAS was decided as the only suitable provision without tribunal.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

Fantastic supportive and knowledgeable. Sue has been with us every step of the way.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £££

Great helpful staff, fees weren't the cheapest but they had great knowledge and made good progress with the LA in our tribunal case. It cost a lot of money but took the stress off my shoulders so was worth it. Would definitely use again.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

Sharon is one of the most passionate and knowledgeable advocates I've met. She knows the processes so well and helps to ensure I'm you get whats needed for your child

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

Brilliant service, Sharon is extremely supportive and knowledgeable

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

Absolutely wonderful service - you can ask them anything to do with the EHCP process and they're very knowledgeable, understanding and honest. Their advice is very personalised and doesn't just link to generic advice.

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Rating: ⭐⭐

Cost: £££££

I was very happy when I initially worked with this organisation to the point that we returned to them for work more than once.

However I would say my experience was positive due to the consultants we worked with, rather than due to the organisation them selves. Those employees no longer work there.

I had recommended this organisation to many parents as a direct result of the quality of the support we received from these employees.

When we worked with the organisation again I was horrified when things did not progress positively with how the organisation responded to our reasonable request for an explanation on costs and on work promised and not completed.

I do not wish to give much information here for fear of identification just to say that I was told I was the problem and not the service. We paid our hefty bill and moved on.

I try to be fair. I can see that they help parents as I do see positive reviews. However, my experience of their attitude to us when we questioned costings/ work I found extremely concerning. I would never use them again.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

Alison has helped me with some really complex complaints to the LGO and the ICO. I find her really supportive and knowledgeable.

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Rating: ⭐

Cost: £££££

Let me down at a very important meeting by cancelling just before. Didn't feel I got any support or learned anything I didn't already know when I did speak to them. Fees are eye-watering considering they charge for even opening an email.

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Rating: ⭐⭐

Cost: £££££

I've attended some good courses with them in the past - however, their spiel at the beginning about their company takes far too long and promotes their paid services and are more expensive than other companies offering similar courses. They very rarely mention any free or low cost charity services and seem to go out of their way to disparage these services. They say that they offer some parents a free service if they can't afford to pay but they really let us down on numerous occasions despite us waiting weeks for their help. When I have used their free telephone advice line the advocate didn't even listen to me and was driving at the time and spent most of the call moaning about directions and the traffic. The 15 minutes felt like it was just to offer the paid service rather than give any useful advice or even be listened to.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

Sue got me through Appeal with my daughter's EHCP and we were successful in gaining EOTAS. She gave clear advice throughout and completed tribunal paperwork as well as communicating with our caseworker. It took a huge amount of stress off me and meant I could focus on my daughter. It helped me manage the gaslighting and misinformation from the LA. She re wrote the ehcp using reports and vastly improved it. At Tribunal she showed expertise presenting our case and the judge clearly recognised her knowledge and competency. In my views her fees were extremely reasonable and she only ever charged for with that was clearly itemised. I've recommended her to others and heard similar positive feedback.

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Special Needs Jungle provides parent-centred information, news, resources and informed opinion about SEN, disability, children’s health and SEN politics

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Rate My SEND Advocate. 2 likes · 6 talking about this. Education website

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An anonymous SEND Advocate review platform, to share good practice and high quality advocates, but also call out bad practice and hold people accountable

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Tweets by RateMyAdvocate

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

Amazing value, for small monthly fee they will promptly answer e mails, lots of good resources and add on services like phone calls etc. prompt, friendly, professional and good value.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

My daughter wouldn't be in the right school/setting without Sarah's help. She is very professional and very passionate about helping SEN children and their families.

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Average Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: ££

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Support to Parents and Young People - SEN Action

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We provide affordable support to parents and young individuals, ensuring their voices are heard and their rights are upheld in the SEN process. Contact us now.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: ££

We first approached Sean (http://www.senaction.co.uk/) when our independent Educational Psychologist recommended him. She told us that over the years she’d worked with several SEN Advocates but she had found working with Sean a breeze and out of the lot she’d recommend Sean the most. This strong positive feedback was enough for us and we decided to give Sean a call.

In my first call Sean came across as calm and composed. He listened to our issues and gave sound advice. I was a bit hesitant because he charged a single one off fee. However, Sean and I came to a payment agreement and that worked really well for us.

Once we were with Sean, everything was automatically sorted. He took complete control of the case management, leaving us only to make decisions. He was there most of the times to give advice. There were times when Sean was not approachable, but these were times I knew he was at tribunal or evidence dead line helping other parents in need.

Sean has deep understanding of how LA personnel think and strategize and nearly all his prediction about the way our tribunal will proceed, happened exactly as he expected them to happen. He held our hand through out the process.

Once we were near the evidence deadline is when Sean really came into action and sorted out all the evidence in what can only be called perfection.

At the tribunal, Sean fought for our child's case with extreme skill of a master craftsman. He fought for our child like he would fight for one of his own. At no point did I feel him slacking or compromising. It is an experience of it’s own to see him perform his magic in the tribunal. Sean’s final written submissions were a piece of art. I must have re-read them a dozen times because they were just so skilfully worded.

A few things to add, to this
1. We won the tribunal
2. Although we had one postponement and two adjournment, at no time did Sean ask for additional payment
3. Sean continued to support with “after care” and replied to my queries even after tribunal was over
4. Sean is a wonderful person, and it’s been great to know him and have worked with him.

If you are going to SEND Tribunal over EHC Plan, I cannot recommend Sean enough.

I would also like to refer you to Sean FAQ page on his website that has helped me a lot in understanding the EHCP process

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

Lovely team, who keep our children at the heart of everything they do.

They have helped me navigate the scary and unfamiliar world of SEND and ehcp’s.
Their knowledge, experience and integrity meant I felt ready for each and every step knowing they’d got my back.

I’ve recommended them to so many who’ve become one of us; the parents we didn’t know we needed to be, fighting the battles we never chose to enter.

I’m so grateful

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Average Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: ££

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SEND Education For All, Burnley, Lancashire. 1,186 likes · 15 talking about this. We are an SEND Advocacy company with one goal in mind to make education accessible for all.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

Very knowledgeable, approachable, kind, empathetic and approachable. Lyndsay Critchlow goes above and beyond to support others, for free on the support group and in the paid services she provides. She truly gets what parents are going through and keeps it real when working with you. I have in the past previously used another advocacy service, but after using SEND Education For All I'll not go else where. Highly recommended ⭐️ Thank you for all you do Lyndsay.

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Rating: ⭐

Cost: £££££

The advocate we used was very knowledgeable and helpful however they no longer work for the company. We had no end of issues with the account department and the admin side as they were very clearly money orientated.

We had a payment plan with them and part way through we got told the company name had changed from Sunshine Support to SEN Support Ltd on their bank accounts. Little did I know that a year after clearing our payments, an administration company contacted me saying my payment plan had been handed over to them as Sunshine Support went into liquidation. It took a lot of stress to prove that I had paid off my plan and sadly I don’t trust a company who go into administration then immediately set up under another name offering the same service.

The company is expensive and not very organised or friendly. They can be manipulative of vulnerable parents who then feel stuck needing their support. We ended up spending over £6k for not much progress

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £££

Absolutely amazing service given with a fantastic advocate! They were extremely understanding towards our situation and helped us throughout the time when we signed on with their service. Even before we signed on with them, they were very happy to provide free consultations. We went to SEND Tribunal with Sean as our representative and I could not have fought any better than he did.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

The most amazing caring and passionate service I have come across. I have used advocacy before and didn’t ever feel like we mattered. Not like this! Every step of the way the whole team were there for me. I never felt rushed, pushed or any other negative feeling. I have never known a professional service with such a caring and family feel. I have used them for appeals, EHCNA, PIP and DLA and have had the best experience! I cannot recommend enough. Most importantly….. they are honest!

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Rating: ⭐

Cost: £££££

Very expensive, didn't really help with a complex EoTAS case, the advocate was "kind" but I didn't feel like I was being supported as such or the process really explained well. The bills were enormous, spending nearly 3k and I saw no benefit from this really. As an information service ie Facebook lives etc on what's "good" they spread the SEND word, but as an advocate..i wouldn't recommend them

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Rebekah Herbert Independent SEND/ EHCP Advice

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Rebekah Herbert Independent SEND/ EHCP Advice

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Rating: ⭐

Cost: ££

Rebekah has a good knowledge of the EHCP process and what should happen at each step of the way. We were initially impressed and used her for a draft EHCP check, however, we ended up doing the work ourselves based on her advice which was not what had been requested. Rebekah’s involvement unfortunately also made things far more complicated as she copied emails to our case worker which were not ready to be sent, corresponded with the LA without copying us in and delayed us from doing things (because she disagreed with the LA’s policies) which then worked against us.

Her service is not overly expensive and if you are looking for advice then she is probably good value for money, but unfortunately we were looking for somebody to work on the EHCP process with us and Rebekah ended up creating more work and stress for us.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

I was recommended this service by someone in a SEND group. I’m so glad I was I cannot speak highly enough about them I’ve recommended the service to lots of other parents. I got them to do my draft deck it was SO thorough! It was so much better than I could ever have imagined it said everything I would have wanted and more stating laws and facts! Honestly fabulous and helped secure my son a SILC school. I would always use this service for any advocacy services.

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Average Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

Sara is incredibly knowledgeable, supportive and empathetic. She truly cares about each family she helps. Her input in school meetings is especially beneficial. She helped me to get a new EP report to amend my son's EHCP ready for high school and she is always on hand in her Facebook group to provide advice, guidance and support.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

I was really happy with the service I received from SFI’s paid helpdesk over one year, to support two of my children’s complex EOTAS tribunals, five weeks apart. Staff are ipsea trained and very experienced on tribunal cases and EOTAS.

It was a key part of my ‘circle of support’ and without it I feel I could have crumbled. It’s a great low-cost service though you do need to be fairly organised to email in queries and allow time for a response but I got in the flow with that. I also paid for one hour admin time on a working document draft check. Feedback was that it was excellent and they refunded me the fee! Really appreciated that. I’ll be back when things get tricky with LA again. We won both cases for EOTAS.

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Average Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Average Cost: £

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Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

Lucy at Send Matters is amazing! She supported me with two of my children’s emotionally based school avoidance and then EHCPs. I just couldn’t get my head around everything and I was so overwhelmed with everything I felt like I was drowning and Lucy came to my rescue. With her assistance both children obtained the provisions they so desperately needed. She has an excellent knowledge of educational legislation which is invaluable. She is a force to be reckoned with, she has a fire in her belly and will fight for any child she feels is not getting their educational rights. She is also the most reasonably priced advocate around which is the cherry on the cake for me!

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

Lucy Collins is an outstanding advocate with fantastic knowledge of the law and legislation regarding education and all Sen matters

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

Amazing! Couldn’t recommend enough the work Lucy has done for my daughter and my family

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

Amazing value for money, lucy is supportive imformative very professional easy to speak to and gets the job done in a timely manner

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Average Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

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Helping children and young people to achieve their potential SEN support - EHCPs - Tribunals - Mediation

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

Chris was incredibly thorough and read through all the professional and school reports. He collated the information and put together a very detailed EHCNA, which accurately reflected my daughter’s needs. The application went straight through and we didn’t have to appeal. He also provided lots of help and advice in addition to this - much of which was free. He was a real lifeline.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

Claire is down to earth, knowledgeable & the quality of work she has produced with supporting my daughters EHCP tribunal is outstanding. Claire's fees are absolutely value for money & she has exceeded my expectations for an advocate, being conscientious, thorough & supportive in my moments of panic during my SEN journey. I have already recommended Claire to family & friends so I'm confident that anyone needing an advocate will be happy with their decision if they work with Claire.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

Lucy has been an outstanding advocate for both of my sons. She has first hand experience of being a SEND parent so knows the distress you are going through. Empathetic and determined to help families get to where they need to be. Highly recommend!

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Average Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

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Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

I've worked with Kim from 'The Neurodivergent Advocate' since summer. In the last six months she has been excellent as an advocate. Really knowledgeable, great at communicating and reliable. She's took on a complicated case with us and has handled it so professionally. I can't recommend her enough.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

Hugely popular Facebook group with free advice and well moderated.
We have paid for SEND advocacy and would be completely lost without her support, both personally and understanding of SEND law.
She is amazing

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Rating: ⭐

Cost: £££££

They were very late for a meeting in which I paid a huge amount of money for an advocate

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Average rating: ⭐⭐

Cost: ££££

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Welcome to Talking SENse!

We are a registered charity providing low cost advocacy, advice and support to parents of children with special educational needs & disabilities.

Our advocates have extensive knowledge, skills and expertise in special educational needs. As parents of children with SEND ourselves, we understand the battles parents face in getting the right support for their children

Our advocates have experience and knowledge of how local authorities work and the decisions they make

We offer a wide range of services

Details of our fees can be found here. Free independent advice and guidance can be obtained from IPSEA and SOS!SEN

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Talking SENse! | Advice and Support For Families of Children with SEND

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We are a registered charity providing low cost advocacy, advice and support to parents of children with special educational needs & disabilities. Our advocates have extensive knowledge, skills and expertise in special educational needs.

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Rating: ⭐

Cost: £££££

I would avoid. Can never be contacted, mistakes made within documents submitted to tribunal

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

Absolutely amazing service. Sara is incredibly knowledgeable and experienced and her passion for supporting SEN families shines through. We looked at a number of advocates to help us with an EOTAS appeal and Sara was far the lowest cost and great value for money. She is approachable and goes above and beyond she attended meetings and negotiated with the LA and managed everything on our behalf. I would not hesitate to use her again.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

I found Sue highly skilled in really understanding my child's complex needs which helped secure a great outcome at Tribunal.

Sue made a difficult process feel as stress free for me as possible.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

Sarah was an amazing help for our family and our son who has a diagnosis of autism and an EHCP. We were requesting a change of provision from a mainstream to a specialist school. Sarah corresponded with both the current school and the local authority on our behalf and managed to secure our son a place in our parental preference which was an independent out of county specialist school. Sarah helped secure this place for our son without the need of appealing and in a quick time too.

Sarah is an amazing advocate with so much in depth knowledge and we highly recommend her! If we ever need advocacy support in the future we would be choosing Sarah to support us.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

I’ve used several advocates over the last 10 years, but SEN Action is the only service I’d recommend to you. We’ve used them twice.

Sean did a fantastic job throughout our appeals and at both tribunals. His professionalism and knowledge is astounding. Additionally, his ability to calm my stress/anxiety levels with his humorous comments was very welcome!

Sean is an ex SEN solicitor. It’s this level of training and experience which sets him apart from any of the other advocates I’ve used. As someone else has commented in their review… I was also blown away watching Sean work at the hearing.

I thought his costs were very reasonable considering his level of experience. He offers a set fee for all work (was £3,500, although I’m not sure what his current fee is) which meant I didn’t need to worry about spiralling costs. He was happy to allow me to pay in instalments as well.

At first I was a little concerned that a set fee may mean less work on his behalf but I needn’t have worried. He was available to speak nearly every time I needed advice, emails were answered promptly and he also offered evening phone calls.

Danielle is also lovely and just as professional, they are a great team. She was always available and made sure that my queries were relayed to Sean.. so much better than having to leave a voicemail.

They’re both very approachable and kind, caring people.

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Average rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Average cost: £££

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Garry Freeman SEND Consultancy. 1,519 likes · 1 talking about this. Garry Freeman SEND Consultancy specialises in the provision of a wide range of training, guidance, advice and advocacy support for…

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Rating: ⭐

Cost: £££££

I asked Garry to attend an annual review. He didn’t seem to understand EOTAS very well…he told our caseworker that a school has to be named in section I !!

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

Really knowledgeable knows his stuff deals effectively with schools and LA offers. Advice to questions via X

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Average rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Average Cost: £

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We offer a bespoke and affordable service for parents, carers and people between 0-25 with SEND needs.

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Cambridge Independent SEND Service Review

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Cambridge Independent SEND Service Review

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: £

Laura has supported me and my family for almost 2 years following a journey that left my child NEET and with poor mental health due to school and LA failures. She has a vast knowledge of SEND law and a lot of experience in navigating the system. She has guided me through countless meetings, annual reviews and EHCP drafts with patience, determination and sensitivity. She has given me the confidence to speak out for my child and not only shown me how to advocate for myself and my child but stepped in when I couldn't cope. From despair we are now in a place where we have a plan. Laura goes above and beyond and her service has been invaluable.

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Rating: ⭐⭐

Cost: ££££

Agree with other reviews. Hard to get hold of advocate. Slow communication. Invoices come fast. Knowledgeable but lack of relationship. I expect they are just so busy.

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Average rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: ££

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The Big e | What's The Big e? - Specialist SEND educational services for parents, professionals, children & young people.

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Specialist SEND educational services for parents, professionals, children & young people. UK & JA based.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cost: ££

Helpful, professional, knowledgeable.