Why isn’t advocacy free?

A question asked by many? People often assume SEND advocacy should be free and emotionally, that makes sense. You’re fighting for your CYP and other families are fighting for basic legal entitlements, not luxuries. But the reality is more complex, and it has nothing to do with greed or gatekeeping certainly from SEN Parent Support Group’s perspective and values!

1. Advocacy exists because the system fails

Local authorities are legally responsible for delivering lawful SEND processes. When they don’t, families turn to advocates who end up doing the work the state should have done in the first place.

That work is:

• legally technical
• time‑intensive
• emotionally heavy
• and often urgent

It’s not “helping with forms”; it’s specialist legal navigation. I often feel like a Solicitor!!

2. SEND advocacy requires advanced legal and procedural expertise

Effective advocacy means understanding:

• SEND law
• Tribunal procedure
• Statutory duties
• Evidence structuring
• Complaint escalation
• Deadline management
• Drafting lawful, tribunal‑ready correspondence

This is professional‑level expertise. In any other field, this would be recognised as paid legal work and unless you have a para legal as a best friend or a solicitor within the SEND sector then this will be expensive.

3. The workload is huge and most of it is invisible

Advocates – well I can only speak for myself really – spend hours reviewing unlawful EHCPs, clinical reports and rewriting Sections B and F, preparing Section K evidence lists, drafting letters, and supporting families in crisis. If all of this were free, the demand would overwhelm the supply instantly!

4. SEN Parent Support Group already provides a huge amount for FREE

And this is the part people often don’t see.

Ten administrators and moderators

SEN Parent Support Group is run by 10 SEND parents, all of whom give their time completely free, every single day, 24/7. They are juggling their own children’s needs, their own battles, and still show up to support thousands of others.

That is advocacy. That is unpaid labour. And it is extraordinary. Without them I would not be able to offer 1:1 support at the heavily subsidised costs that I do!

Ask Andrea sessions are free too

Families also get free clarity, direction, and next‑step guidance through your Ask Andrea sessions something many organisations would charge for. This alone saves families hundreds of pounds in unnecessary consultations. You need to be in group and check your notifications – so an active member within our closed fb group to ensure you do not miss out!

5.The SEN Journal: free next steps, checklists, and real‑time support

Your SEN Journal blogs are another major piece of free advocacy that people often underestimate.

They provide:

• step‑by‑step next actions for parents
• checklists for every stage of the SEND process
• real‑time guidance based on current law and practice
• accessible explanations of complex statutory duties
• templates, examples, and practical tools families can use immediately

These blogs are essentially free advocacy in written form available 24/7, updated in real time, and designed to empower parents to take confident, lawful action without needing paid support.

For many families, the SEN Journal is their first lifeline.

6. Paid 1:1 support is subsidised and it works

When families need deeper, hands‑on support, I offer 1:1 Mentor Support that is:

• heavily subsidised
• far below market rates
• outcomes‑focused
• consistently effective

and is supported by draft emails, complaints, needs identifiers plus much more, and the proof is public our Google reviews speak for themselves. People aren’t paying for “help”; they’re paying for expertise that gets results.

7. The government has never funded independent SEND advocacy

Unlike social care advocacy (which is funded), SEND advocacy has:

• no statutory funding
• no national framework
• no protected role

So the entire sector is held up by individuals & volunteers. Be wise when choosing support always check out reviews and do your research, this is not a regulated arena!

8. The Resource Hub Membership: everything a SEND parent will ever need

Alongside all the free support we already provide, we created something that genuinely changes the game for families: the Resource Hub Membership.

For £9.99, parents get access to a complete, centralised library of tools that would cost hundreds elsewhere. It’s designed so families never have to hunt, guess, or panic about what to do next. Some organisations charge £24.00 per letter download, our resource hub gives you in excess of 400 tangible resources and 8 CPD SEND Parent Training modules for far less!

The Resource Hub includes:

• step‑by‑step guides for every stage of the SEND journey
• legally aligned templates and letters (not AI generated – they have soul)
• checklists for assessments, EHCPs, annual reviews, mediations and appeals
• deep‑dive explainers written in plain English
• video walkthroughs and practical demonstrations
• real‑time updates as law and practice evolve
• downloadable tools parents can use immediately

It’s essentially a SEND survival kit, built by people who understand the system inside out and know exactly what parents need at each stage.

For many families, the membership becomes their:

• roadmap
• reference library
• confidence booster
• and safety net

And at £9.99, it’s intentionally priced so that every parent regardless of income can access high‑quality, lawful guidance without financial strain.

It’s not just a resource hub. It’s empowerment, packaged.

9. The SEN Support Tracker App: a FREE parental advocacy tool

Another major piece of support SEN Parent Support Group provide – at no cost – is the SEN Support Tracker App at www.sensupporttrackerapp.org. This tool gives parents something the SEND system has never offered them: a simple, structured way to track their child’s needs, provision, evidence, and progress in one place.

The app helps families:

• record unmet needs and provision gaps
• log incidents, patterns, and concerns
• store evidence safely and clearly
• track communications with school and the local authority
• prepare for assessments, annual reviews, and appeals
• build a timeline that strengthens their advocacy position

It’s essentially a digital case file, designed to empower parents with the organisation and clarity that local authorities often rely on them not having. This was designed by SEN Parent Support Group and we repeat it is FREE TO USE! It is linked to our resource hub but you are free to upload your own letters and information to attach and submit.

For many families, this app becomes:

• their memory
• their evidence bank
• their timeline
• their preparation tool
• their confidence

And it’s 100% free, because we believe every parent deserves access to the tools that make advocacy possible not just those who can afford them.

The TRUTH

Advocacy isn’t free because the system benefits from it not being free. If every family had access to skilled, independent advocacy, local authorities would be held to account at scale — and that would be expensive. Sadly, it is the way the world works!

Until that changes, groups like SEN Parent Support Group and our Website are filling a national gap with a mix of:

• free community support
• free expert guidance
• subsidised 1:1 advocacy
• and an army of SEND parents giving their time for nothing

It’s not just fair it’s generous considering the alternatives.

Should you require 1:1 Support then please click here: Request for subsidised Mentor Support

If you would like to join our SEN Parent Support closed FB group click here: Peer Support and Mentorship

Below is a sample of our latest SEN Journal Blogs for easy access – remember they’re free and there are 25+ to choose from

• Why isn’t advocacy free?
• NEWS LETTER 20025/26
• How to Write Parent Views That Actually Influence an EHCP
• Provision vs Placement: Why Parents Must Get This Right (and How to Evidence It)
• Annual Reviews

Below is what our Membership arena covers in categories: