Because SEND Support is About More Than Paperwork

Over the last two years, Independent SEND EHCP Advisory has supported hundreds of families through some of the most complex and emotionally demanding journeys — navigating assessments, drafting robust EHCPs, and standing firm in the face of local authority delays and system fatigue.

Each week, I’ve written about law, compliance, and practical steps to strengthen your child’s plan. But recently, through conversations with families, one theme has come through again and again: this journey is about far more than what’s written in an EHCP.

It’s about mental health, resilience, and connection — for children, young people, and the parents who hold everything together behind the scenes. It’s about sleepless nights, sensory overload, school refusal, burnout, and finding small moments of peace in between meetings and battles.

That’s why, starting this month, I’ll be publishing a new fortnightly blog series alongside our usual legal updates and guidance.

This series — “Calm & Connected Families” — will explore themes like:

Supporting emotional regulation at home

Understanding school anxiety and avoidance

Building family resilience during EHCP stress

Practical grounding and mindfulness tools for overwhelmed kids and parents

Trauma-informed approaches to daily life

These posts will sit alongside your regular SEND/EHCP advice and will offer something gentler — a space for reflection, understanding, and practical wellbeing support for families living this reality every day.

My hope is that these articles bring you both information and comfort — a reminder that you’re not alone, that there’s a community walking this path with you, and that advocacy and wellbeing can (and must) go hand in hand.

The first post in the series will be published next week:

👉 “When Meltdowns Aren’t Misbehaviour: Understanding Emotional Overflow.”

Thank you for being part of this journey and for trusting me to walk beside you — not just through the legal maze, but through the human side of it all.

With warmth,

Rebekah Herbert

Independent SEND EHCP Advisory Service

www.independentsendehcp.co.uk

“If there’s a topic you’d love covered in this new series, I’d love to hear from you — email me at rebekah@independentsendadvisor.co.uk or comment below.”