Independent SEN consultancy for parents in England
Help with the decision or school difficulty in front of you.
An EHCP letter, a school meeting or support that is not working can leave you unsure where to start. SEND Navigate offers independent, remote educational consultancy to help you understand the issue, organise relevant information and decide whether focused paid support would be useful.
I’m Stephen Mallett. I spent 25 years in education as a teacher, SENCo and Headteacher, and I’m the parent of two children with SEN. I work with families across England, with paid scope and fees agreed before work starts.
Free 30-minute consultation + written next-step summary.
A short follow-up based on our discussion and your brief account, not document pre-reading, a full review or a legal merits opinion. Read the free summary scope.
No obligation. Paid work starts only after we agree the scope and fee. Booking does not pause deadlines or appoint me as your consultant.
Find your situation
Choose the page that matches your decision, documents or school concern. Each explains the issue and any optional paid support; you can use free information without booking a call.
The LA refused to assess
Understand the assessment test, the refusal letter and what evidence can support an appeal.
Help after an EHCP assessment refusal →Assessed, but refused an EHCP
Compare your child's assessed needs with the provision that can actually be secured without a plan.
Help after a refusal to issue an EHCP →School has become a source of distress
Mornings may be difficult, attendance may be falling and conversations with school may feel stuck. Get help preparing for meetings and describing the barriers your child faces.
School distress and EBSA help →School is not meeting SEN needs
Separate SEN Support concerns, unclear EHCP wording and specified provision that is missing.
Help when school is not meeting SEN needs →You need an EHCP review
Compare document review, annual review preparation and application support, with written outputs, exclusions and fees.
EHCP review and consultancy →Independent practical SEND support for families in England. No outcome guarantees; paid work only within an agreed scope.
Talk through what has happened
A refused assessment, an inadequate EHCP or support that never arrives can leave you exhausted. You may have tried emails and meetings without getting a clear answer. We help you separate the issues, understand the relevant process and put your concerns into a practical plan of action.
My role is to help you work through your situation, explain the options and agree practical support. I will tell you where my consultancy can help and where another professional would be more appropriate.
Are you dealing with any of these?
30 minutes · Online or by phone · Written next-step summary
Start with the decision or difficulty you are facing.
You do not need to arrive with a finished case or a perfectly ordered folder. Explain what has happened in your own words. We can then discuss the next questions and whether scoped support would help.
in schools
About Stephen
I spent 25 years working in schools as a teacher, SENCo and Headteacher. I know the paperwork and meetings from the school’s side. As a parent of two children with SEN, I also understand how much those decisions can affect life at home.
My role is to help you work through your situation, explain the options and agree practical support. I will tell you where my consultancy can help and where another professional would be more appropriate.
I am the author of The Parent’s Shield and Not Refusing. Unable. These books offer another way to get to know my approach; you do not need to buy or read either before speaking to me.
Questions before you get in touch
Choose a starting point that suits you. Neither a book nor a free call is compulsory before a paid enquiry.
Do I need an EHCP before I can ask for help?
No. You can discuss school SEN Support, an assessment request or a school meeting before a plan exists. We will confirm whether your question fits Stephen’s educational consultancy role.
Do I have to buy a book or book a free call first?
No. The books and free consultation are optional. You can enquire about paid services directly; scope, professional time and fee must be agreed before paid work starts.
Can I ask a general question without a call?
Yes. Ask an Expert is an alternative for a focused general SEND or education question. It is not a full case audit, document review or ongoing casework, and there is no fixed reply-time promise. You do not need to buy a book.
Ask an Expert: send a focused general question · Compare paid services and fees
Paid help and fees
A short question, a detailed document review and a full appeal do not require the same engagement. Start with the level of help you need. Compare the full service details, or discuss the scope before paying. Each “Book securely” button opens the matching Stripe checkout.
Included professional time is shown for every package. The allowance covers work within the agreed case scope, including relevant review, calls, meetings, drafting, correspondence, preparation and reasonable administration. Any work beyond the allowance or outside that scope requires your prior written agreement to a further fee.
Advice, reviews & EHCP support
Professional time included: Up to 1 hour of professional time per £95 booking
Book securely — £95/hr →Professional time included: Up to 3.5 hours of professional time
Book securely — £175 →Professional time included: Up to 5.5 hours of professional time
Book securely — £275 →Professional time included: Up to 7 hours of professional time
Book securely — £350 →Professional time included: Up to 9 hours of professional time
Book securely — £450 →Professional time included: Up to 11 hours of professional time
Book securely — £550 →Documents, benefits & advocacy
Professional time included: Up to 5 hours of professional time
Book securely — £250 →Professional time included: Up to 5.5 hours of professional time
Book securely — £295 →Professional time included: Up to 13 hours of professional time
Book securely — £650 →Professional time included: Up to 24 hours of professional time
Book securely — £1,200 →Professional time included: Up to 27 hours of professional time
Book securely — £1,350 →Professional time included: Up to 32 hours of professional time
Book securely — £1,600 →Tribunal & ongoing support
Professional time included: Up to 60 hours of professional time
Book securely — £3,000 →Professional time included: Up to 80 hours of professional time
Book securely — £4,000 →Professional time included: No maximum professional hours within the agreed case scope
Book securely — £6,000 →Professional time included: Up to 7 hours of professional time per calendar month
Subscribe securely — £350/month →Not sure which service you need?
Use the free 30-minute consultation to explain the main issue. We can discuss whether a focused consultation, document review or wider package fits your circumstances. You can choose not to proceed.
A clear starting point
First, tell me what is happening
Use the free call to explain the main issue and any approaching decision, meeting or deadline. The short written summary reflects our discussion, not a document review.
Then, decide whether further help would be useful
I will explain whether a focused consultation, review or wider package could help. You do not have to choose a package on the call.
Know the scope before paying
We agree the work, professional-time allowance and fee before paid support starts. Documents for that work are shared through the agreed transfer route.
Looking for staff training rather than parent support?
The schools journey is separate from one-to-one parent consultancy.
Optional books
My books are optional self-help resources and another way to get to know how I explain SEND issues. They provide general guidance, not an assessment of your child’s individual circumstances.
The Parent’s Shield
A guide to the SEN and EHCP process, including applications, annual reviews, appeals and tribunal.
Not Refusing. Unable.
A book about school distress and emotionally based school avoidance, often called EBSA, for parents trying to understand attendance barriers and support.
Consultancy gives us time to look at your child’s circumstances and agree the help you need. You do not need to buy or read a book before speaking to me.
Prefer a general question or a free resource?
Ask an Expert is an alternative for a focused general SEND or education question, without booking a call or buying a book. It does not include a full case audit or a fixed reply-time promise. The free EHCP checklist is another starting point.
Take the next step with someone who will listen
You can explain what has happened in your own words. We will discuss whether I can help and what an agreed engagement would involve.
Book your free 30-minute consultation →Free 30-minute consultation + written next-step summary. See what is included. No obligation; paid scope and fee agreed first.
For families in England. Independent SEND consultancy, not a regulated legal service or clinical treatment. No guarantee of a particular outcome. Booking does not pause deadlines or appoint me as your consultant.
Prefer a written general question? Ask an Expert. For a paid enquiry, contact Stephen directly; you do not need a free call first.
Prefer email? Contact Stephen with a brief description, not sensitive documents.