Our Parent Advocate for SEND Families, Kelly Lampard, talks to Rhiannon Gogh and Ali Fanshawe (SENDA founder and co-founder) about what drives her passion to support other SEND parents.
Not only is Kelly a mother to three neurodivergent children, she also juggles childcare with her position as Parent Advocate for SEND Families at Bath Family Law, and is the founder of SEND Navigator. She speaks to Rhiannon and Ali from SENDA on the latest episode of Special Needs Planning: The Podcast about EHCP plans, the Government’s recently published Schools White Paper and how her journey started.
“My son was three and struggling at nursery,” shares Kelly. But finding the help he needed wasn’t easy. “I had to go and find the information myself… and it’s a really hard road to travel when it’s your first time round. Not having access to professionals who could help me really started my absolute devotion to early intervention – but also having the right tools available to people when they need it.”
Kelly has worked tirelessly on EHCP plans for her own children and now supports other parents on their SEND journeys in her role at Bath Family Law. “The main point of an EHCP is it offers your child legal protection to support in school. So it’s a legally binding document between the local authority, school and you as a family to lay out what support your child needs,” she adds.
The trio also discuss the prevalence of divorce and separation in the SEND parent community, the additional pressures that puts on families, and how SEND Support services (like those Kelly and the team offer here at Bath Family Law) are crucial to help parents navigate the system.
“For many parents who have children who require EHCPs you’ve got to become a lawyer, an accountant, an advocate,” reflects Ali. “You’ve got to be able to speak well, you’ve got to write good emails, you’ve got to write good reports. Some people have those skills and others don’t. For those who struggle with that side of things a little bit more, it makes the system so difficult to navigate.”
This is one of the reasons why Kelly developed SEND Navigator – a digital support tool guiding families through the UK SEND system. “SEND Navigator’s core functionality is about the organisation of documents and time management,” explains Kelly. “But with an AI capability that gives you really structured, sound SEND support and advice.”
Want to hear more about how Kelly and the team at Bath Family Law can help you and your family navigate separation and SEND? Listen to the full podcast (link below) or book a FREE initial consultation online today.
