Supportive Stories

26/05/2026

Lisa* told us she felt like she was going mad.

She could see her son struggling and she could feel that things weren't right. But she didn't know who to turn to, whether her concerns were even valid, or how to begin navigating a system that felt completely overwhelming from the outside.

She came to us through a word of mouth referral, carrying a lot.

Delayed EHCP processes, an upcoming transition she felt unprepared for, and feeling exhausted from worrying about her child while simultaneously trying to make sense of endless paperwork and processes.

The first thing we did was slow down and talk. Not jump to solutions. Because you can't take action from a place of overwhelm and Lisa needed space to feel heard before anything else.

The support she needed was specialist SEND expertise, so we connected her with Catherine, one of our specialist SEND associates and a SENCO with 25 years of experience. Catherine met with both parents and gave them the objective guidance they were looking for.

Afterwards, Lisa got in touch to say she felt prepared for her son's review meeting for the first time. She no longer felt alone in it. 🌿

If this resonates, head over to our website to read the full case study (link in bio). *Name changed for confidentiality.

19/05/2026

When things start to feel hard with your child, who do you turn to first?

For a lot of families, it's their child's tutor. Or their school. Someone who already knows their child, someone they trust. And that makes complete sense - those relationships are real, and leaning on them is a completely natural first instinct.

But sometimes what's needed goes beyond what a tutor or a teacher can offer.

Like understanding the SEND diagnosis pathway, knowing your rights in an education setting, knowing which questions to ask, which meetings to prepare for, and how to advocate for your child without feeling like you're constantly shouting at a brick wall.

That's where Supportive Stories comes in.

Our founder, Lucy, and our SEND specialist, Catherine, both work 1:1 with parents to help them make sense of all of it. Not by telling you what to do, but by sitting alongside you, helping you understand your options, and making sure you feel informed and supported every step of the way.

If you've found yourself wondering whether there's someone who can help you navigate this properly - there is. 👋

Drop us a message if you’d like to talk it through.

12/05/2026

If your child has an EHCP, here's something worth knowing when you read their annual review report.

Look at the challenges section - the part that's supposed to reflect what your child is finding difficult. Then ask yourself: whose perspective is this actually written from?

Is it describing what your child is struggling with? Or is it describing how their behaviour affects others - the disruption to the class, the demand on staff time, the impact on other pupils?

Because those are very different things. And the difference matters.

When the challenges are framed around your child's impact on the school, the conversation that follows tends to focus on managing their behaviour.

When they're framed around your child's experience, the conversation is focused on understanding their needs.

You're allowed to notice that distinction. You're allowed to ask for it to be reframed. And if you're not sure where to start, asking "what might be causing this for my child?" is a really good first question to bring into any school meeting.

Because remember, you know your child better than anyone in that room. 🌿

05/05/2026

Mental Health Awareness Week is coming up, and it always raises something important for the parents we work with.

Because when we talk about mental health in a family navigating SEND, we usually talk about the child. Which makes complete sense - their needs are significant, and they deserve to be the focus.

But the parents are often completely exhausted. Managing appointments, chasing schools, trying to hold things together at home while not really knowing if what they're doing is right.

It takes a huge toll on mental health.

Supportive Stories works with parents 1:1, and a big part of what we do is create space for that to be acknowledged. Meeting parents where they’re at with empathy and understanding. Because, more often than not, we've been in that same place too.

If you're deep in it at the moment, with diagnosis pathways, EHCP battles, or just generally feeling like you’re only ever in survival mode - please know that getting some support for yourself is part of how you keep going for your child. It’s not a luxury.

Have you felt the weight of the invisible load lately?

30/04/2026

“I just felt like they weren’t really listening.”

At Supportive Stories, not only do we hear this a lot from parents navigating SEND at school, we’ve also lived it with our own children.

Parents often go into school meetings prepared - with detailed notes, key questions, and full of hope - and yet they come out feeling like they haven't quite managed to say what they needed to say. Like the conversation had already been decided before they walked in.

That feeling is real. And it doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong.

Advocating for your child in an education setting is hard.

It asks you to:

🌿 be calm and measured despite being emotionally invested

🌿 know and use the right language

🌿 push for support without being labelled as “difficult.”

We help parents to go into those conversations feeling prepared - knowing what they can ask for, what their rights are, and how to make sure their child’s voice is in the room.

If you’ve got a meeting coming up and you’re already dreading it, let’s talk beforehand.

Our SEND specialist Catherine offers two 1:1 sessions each month. Send us a message to book yours.

21/04/2026

I learned about something called Appreciative Inquiry when I was studying for my Masters Degree, and it's stuck with me ever since - especially in parenting.

It's a positive psychology approach to change management, but it can apply to families in a really helpful way.

Instead of focusing on what's going wrong and trying to fix all the problems, you look at what's already working well - and do more of that.

For example:

Your child had a meltdown-free morning yesterday. Instead of thinking "great, but they'll probably struggle tomorrow," you ask: what was different? What worked?

Maybe they woke up naturally instead of being rushed. Maybe you gave them 10 extra minutes to transition. Maybe breakfast was their safe food. Maybe you stayed calm.

Thinking in this way gives you data that you can build on.

You’re not pretending the hard stuff doesn’t exist. You’re deliberately noticing what's going well so you can replicate it.

So instead of feeling like you have to fix everything, you’re more focused on building on the positives.

"How do I stop the meltdowns?" becomes "What helps them feel regulated?"

"Why won't they listen?" becomes "When do they respond well?"

It’s a small tweak that helps hugely.

When you're constantly firefighting, it's easy to miss the things that are actually working. And those are often the foundations you need to build on.

What's one thing that's been working well in your family lately - even if it's small?

16/04/2026

Safeguarding isn't just for schools. If you work with young people, it’s for your organisation too. And it’s important to get your voice heard on things that matter.

KCSIE (Keeping Children Safe in Education) is the statutory guidance that sets the standard for anyone working with children, and the DfE is currently consulting on some significant proposed changes for 2026. Changes that, if confirmed, will take effect in September.

The consultation is still open but only just - it closes on 22 April.

I'll put the link to share your views in the comments.

And if you're not sure what any of this means for your setting, feel free to drop me a message.

Find and participate in consultations run by the Department for Education

14/04/2026

Ever feel like every piece of traditional parenting advice you've tried feels like it's making things worse, not better?

The sticker chart isn't working, consequences seem to just escalate things, and time-outs end in meltdowns.

If this sounds familiar, I want to tell you about Ross Greene.

He's a clinical psychologist whose work has been transformational for so many families - especially those parenting neurodivergent or highly sensitive children.

His approach is called Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS), and it's based on one simple idea: kids do well if they can.

When a child is struggling with behaviour, it's often not because they're being defiant or manipulative. It could be that they're lacking the skills they need to handle that situation.

Greene’s book - The Explosive Child - is brilliant, I recommend it to any parent wanting to understand their child’s tricky behaviour better. He also has loads of free resources on his website - including articles, videos and practical guides.

These resources help you understand what's actually happening for your child when they're struggling, not just what it looks like from the outside.

It gives you a framework for problem-solving *with* your child, and it takes the pressure off you to be perfect. It's about understanding and collaboration, not control.

If traditional parenting advice hasn't been working for your family, Ross Greene's approach might be exactly what you need. And this comes from someone who has used it and seen the impact it can have.

You can find the link to his website in the comments.

Have you come across his work before? What's been most helpful for you? 🌿

07/04/2026

When you’re nearing the end of a school holiday, do you find yourself bracing for impact?

The Easter break is lovely, but then it ends and you're facing the transition back to school. It can be difficult for everyone, especially if you have a neurodivergent child.

For two weeks, the routine has been different.

They’ve been having:

🌿 Later nights
🌿Later mornings
🌿Less structure
🌿And a lot more downtime.

When you think about it, it’s no wonder they find it hard. They suddenly have to get back into early mornings, sensory overload, and social demands.

So how can we help?

Well, frantically trying to "prepare" them the night before rarely works. If you can, start gently reintroducing bits of routine a few days early - talk about what’s coming, have them help you shop for packed lunches, start winding down earlier in the evening again - that sort of thing.

Above all, expect the wobble. The first week back might be hard. That doesn't mean the holidays undid all your progress. It just means transitions are difficult for your child’s nervous system.

Often we can’t (and shouldn’t) try to fix that. What we can do is accommodate it. Give them some grace.

It might mean letting certain things slide. Not to the extent that they’re running riot, but just in whatever way helps them to regulate - things like easy dinners or a little extra screen time.

Taking time to settle back in is normal. And if the first day is a disaster, that’s okay too. You’ll find a way through it. You always do.

How do you handle the back-to-school transition in your family?

31/03/2026

We're here.

Whether you need direct support to understand your child’s behaviour, help creating routines that actually work for your family, or connection to specialists in areas like SEND advocacy, early years support, or therapeutic services, we ensure you have the right support at the right time.

Send us a message to get started 🌿

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We support families when everything feels overwhelming and you don’t know where to start.