SEND Spotlight: Navigating NonSENse and the Fight for Fair Support

Summary

We spoke with Katie Verity, founder of Navigating NonSENse, who shares her experiences with a system that is supposed to help, but too often becomes another barrier to overcome.

For many families, the SEND journey doesn’t begin with support.

It begins with resistance.

It begins with being told no. Sometimes gently, sometimes bluntly, sometimes repeatedly, until parents start to question their instincts, their rights, and even their child’s needs.

The Early Signs: When a Child Doesn’t Fit the System

Katie’s story begins long before she became a parent.

“School was never easy for me. I didn’t fit the system, and over time, that knocked my confidence. Like many children, I grew up believing that struggling at school meant I wasn’t capable or intelligent.”

It wasn’t until she left school and began learning through hands‑on experience that she realised something powerful:

“When I left school and began working in my father’s business, I finally learned in a way that made sense to me, by doing, observing, problem-solving, and learning through experience. That’s when I realised intelligence isn’t one-size-fits-all, even if the education system often treats it that way.”

Years later, she found herself back in the same system, this time as a parent of three children with very different needs.

“Only one of my children has managed to stay in mainstream education, and even that journey has been hard-won. My other two children are not in traditional education. One attends an inspirational school that breaks the mould. The other learns online, where flexibility and creativity aren’t extras, they’re essential.”

So Why Navigating NonSENse?

“Because for over a decade, I’ve been fighting. Fighting for my children’s rights. Fighting for support. Fighting to be listened to. I was told what I couldn’t do. What wouldn’t happen. What I should accept. I was told:

• You won’t get an Education, Health and Care Plan.

• You won’t get a school that meets your child’s needs.

• You’ll have to wait years for help, even when you’re in crisis right now.

The list was endless.The final straw came when a well-known mental health service responded to our GP’s referral, stating: ‘Having reviewed the information provided, there is no indication that XXXXX is aware of or has provided consent. We are therefore unable to process the referral further.’ My child is just 12 years old, with an EHCP in place and attending a specialist school because of their complex needs. Yet despite these clear and formally recognised vulnerabilities, the referral was shut down, not because help wasn’t needed, but because my child had not ‘referred themselves’. This, after an emergency appointment where our GP made the referral on their behalf. This response felt less like safeguarding and more like passing responsibility. A box ticked. A door closed. Another delay placed in the path of a family already in crisis.

It is a stark example of the barriers parents and carers are forced to wade through just to access basic support systems designed to help, yet too often pushing families further away from it. That was the moment it became clear: the system isn’t just struggling; it is in crisis and families like ours are being lost within it.

Navigating NonSENse was born out of that frustration, to cut through the confusion, challenge the nonsense and make sure parents don’t have to fight alone.”

What Navigating NonSENse Does

“Navigating NonSENse is a community of experienced professionals working together to support families through the complexities of the education and SEND system. We bring together specialists from education, mental health, advocacy, and family support, all with a shared aim: to help parents understand their options, know their rights, and feel confident in the decisions they are making for their children.

At Navigating NonSENse, we offer clear, practical guidance, cutting through jargon, long processes, and conflicting information. We support families to navigate assessments, school placements, SEND processes, and the many challenges that arise along the way, always keeping the child at the centre. Most importantly, we work with families, not over them. Whether parents need clarity, reassurance, or a plan for next steps, our community exists to ensure no family has to navigate the system alone.”

The Emotional Cost of Being Told “No”

Katie’s story reflects what countless families experience:

• Being dismissed
• Being told “no” before anyone listens
• Being made to feel unreasonable for advocating
• Being pushed from service to service with no resolution

This constant resistance chips away at confidence.

Parents begin to doubt themselves, even when their instincts are right.

When the System Says No, Families Deserve Someone Who Says “We’re With You.”

Katie’s story resonates deeply with us at SEND Tutoring because our own origins come from the same place: lived experience of a system that didn’t work.

Our Director, Ione Inness, shares:

“I had a tough time. I was diagnosed with dyslexia at age 11, but the gaps in my knowledge were huge, and a lot of the reason I set up SEND Tutoring is because of what I experienced. I don’t want other children to fall through the gaps as I did.”

Both Navigating NonSENse and SEND Tutoring began with the same realisation that the system wasn’t built for children who learn differently. Their founders experienced those gaps personally, and that’s exactly why they set out to build something better. They turned frustration into action, lived experience into expertise, and personal struggle into professional purpose.

The SEND system can feel overwhelming, inconsistent, and at times impossible to navigate. But families shouldn’t have to do it alone.

Navigating NonSENse and SEND Tutoring stand together in a shared mission:

to make sure no child falls through the gaps, and no parent is left fighting a system without support.

Because when the system says no, families deserve someone who stands beside them and says:

“We hear you. We understand. And we’re here to help you fight for the yes.”

Support for Every Learner
Discover how SEND Tutoring supports students with a wide range of needs, including autism, dyslexia, PDA, SEMH, epilepsy, and more. 

Resources and Insights 

Looking for more practical tools and expert guidance? Visit our resources page for additional blogs, strategies, and helpful links.

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Ella Jones

If you’re looking for support for a child or young person with special educational needs or a disability, book a free call with us today and find out how we can help.