Free legal guidance for parents navigating the EHCP and SEND tribunal system. A former Headteacher and SENCo with 25 years inside the system will review your case — and send you a written report on your legal position. No obligation.
Book a free 30-minute legal guidance review — and receive a written report on your case. Know exactly where you stand before you spend a penny.
Book My Free 30-Min Review →Written report included. Sent to you after the call.
"He stood firm against the legal representation of the LA — and now our son has a place at the school we wanted him to have."
Parent — Tribunal win, June 2026. LA directed to name specialist school.
But that's exactly what the system asks of you. The Children and Families Act 2014 gave families real legal rights — and put those rights inside a process that can take years to navigate, with two-year clinical waiting lists, a different language at every meeting, and decisions that feel made before you sit down.
If you're here, you've probably already been told no. Or yes — but with a plan that doesn't actually describe your child, doesn't specify the support they need, and doesn't bind anyone to anything.
You don't need a hundred-page handbook. You need someone who knows the system, will look at your specific case, and will tell you the truth about where you stand and what to do next.
Fixed prices. Transparent scope. Built to give you control of the process again. Start with a free 30-minute legal guidance review — and receive a written report on your case at no charge.
A focused 90-minute deep-dive into your case — pre-read, call, written next steps.
Comprehensive support for a first application, or a refusal to assess.
For an EHCP that fails to describe your child or specify the right provision.
When a school has excluded your disabled child, refused reasonable adjustments, or treated them unlawfully because of disability.
Full support when the LA has refused, issued a plan you disagree with, or named the wrong school.
For families taking their case to the First-tier Tribunal (SEND).
Attendance at a tribunal hearing in person is available by separate arrangement, quoted case-by-case based on location and complexity. Every package includes free email follow-up for the duration of the engagement.
Whichever package is right for you, the shape is the same. Plain English. Clear timelines. No surprises.
You tell me where you are. I give you honest legal guidance on your position — and send you a written report after the call with your options and next steps.
EHCPs, LA letters, reports, emails — whatever you have. I review every page before our first proper session.
Drafted submissions, written analysis, evidence summary — depending on the package. You see everything in writing.
Ongoing email and call support throughout the engagement. I tell you what to expect at every stage so nothing is a surprise.
Former Headteacher & SENCo
25 years in education
Author of Parent Shield
I spent 25 years in UK schools as a teacher, SENCo and Headteacher. I've written EHCPs, sat in annual reviews, made the calls to LAs, and watched parents try to navigate a system that does not see them as equal partners.
I wrote Parent Shield because the same patterns kept coming up: families with strong cases losing them on technicalities; vague plans signed off because nobody told the parent what to push back on; tribunals lost on evidence problems that were entirely avoidable.
This is the support I wanted those families to have. Practical. Specific. Built from the inside.
No. I am a SEND specialist with 25 years of inside experience, not a regulated legal professional. I do not provide legal advice in the regulated sense. What I provide is practical case-building, drafting and coaching grounded in CFA 2014 and SEND tribunal procedure. For many cases that's the level of help families actually need — and at a fraction of the cost of a specialist solicitor. Where a case clearly needs a regulated solicitor, I will tell you.
It depends on the package. An Initial Consultation is delivered within 7–10 days of you sending documents. Application and Review packages typically run alongside the LA's statutory timeframes, so usually 8–16 weeks. Appeal and Tribunal packages run to the dates set by the tribunal — usually 12–20 weeks from the LA decision letter.
No, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling you something. What I will do is give you an honest assessment of the strengths and risks of your case, build the strongest possible written submission, and prepare you fully for the process. Most parents who lose tribunals lose them on evidence problems that were avoidable — and that's where I work hardest.
I work with the full range of SEND — autism, ADHD, dyslexia, SEMH, speech and language, dyspraxia, moderate learning difficulties, and combinations of all of these. The packages are designed for the structure of the legal process, not for any one diagnosis. Book a free 15-minute call and we'll talk through your specific situation.
Yes. All packages are delivered remotely — video call, email and phone. The First-tier Tribunal (SEND) operates the same statutory framework across England, and most hearings now happen remotely or with a hybrid option. In-person attendance at a hearing is available by separate arrangement.
For the larger packages (Appeal and Tribunal), yes — typically split across two or three instalments tied to project milestones. We'll discuss what works for your situation on the free call.
For the free 15-minute call, just a brief description of where you are. If we move forward I'll send a short intake form and a secure link for uploading documents — typically the EHCP if you have one, any LA decision letters, recent reports and assessments, and a timeline of what's happened so far.
No obligation. No upsell. You'll receive a written report on your case after the call — your legal position, your options, your next steps. Free.
Book my free 30-min reviewUse the calendar to book your free 30-minute slot directly — or send a message using the form.
u{1F4C5} Book a time now — see live availabilityEmail: stephen@sendnavigate.com
Hours: Mon–Fri 9am–6pm. Evening calls available by arrangement for working parents.
All conversations are confidential. Documents are stored securely and deleted at the end of the engagement unless you ask otherwise.