SEND Defender provides specialist SEN advocacy and advice for parents and carers of SEN children and young people. Supporting with school challenges, EHC needs assessments, EHCP reviews and SEND Tribunal appeals, as well as webinars and courses. Delivered remotely across England.
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SEND Defender is a specialist SEN advocacy service supporting parents and carers of SEN and disabled children and young people across England. Delivered entirely remotely, so families can access support regardless of location.
Founder Kate Jennings is Level 3 SEN law qualified and works directly with families on EHC needs assessments, plan reviews, school avoidance and SEND Tribunal proceedings, grounding all advice in legal knowledge.
Kate is also a SEN mum to three children, two of whom are autistic and experienced school avoidance before finding the right alternative provision, bringing both professional expertise and lived experience to every case. Services include the SEN Deep Dive and Action Plan, an in-depth session producing a tailored plan to supporting parents in their next steps; EHC Needs Assessment support, covering both review and editing of a parent's own draft and full from-scratch drafting support; and SEND Support Explained, a self-paced course breaking the EHC needs assessment and tribunal process down into clear, manageable steps.
For families further into the process, SEND Defender also offers reviewing of draft EHCP's, annual review support and a Tribunal Support package, guiding parents through appeal proceeding, alongside bespoke one-to-one support for families needing ongoing advocacy through a specific case.
All services are designed to be accessible to neurodivergent parents themselves, with clear, step-by-step guidance and no assumption of prior knowledge of the SEND system.
SEND Defender is open to parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, including but not limited to autism, ADHD and other neurodivergent conditions. There is no diagnosis required to access support, families going through the assessment process or seeking a diagnosis are equally welcome.
The service is most suited to families who are at the stage of requesting or going through an EHC needs assessment, reviewing an existing EHC plan, navigating school avoidance, or considering a SEND Tribunal appeal. Young people themselves may also access support directly where appropriate.
SEND Defender is delivered entirely remotely, so there is no geographic restriction, families anywhere in England are welcome to get in touch. The service is not means tested and is a paid service, with details of current pricing available on request or via the SEND Defender website.
SEND Defender welcomes families of all races, ethnicities, faiths, family structures and LGBTQIA+ identities, and is committed to providing advocacy that is inclusive and respectful of every family's background and circumstances.
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