SEND and Beyond was born from lived experience, professional expertise, and a deep passion for helping families thrive.

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We are two mothers, advocates, and professionals who have spent years navigating the complex world of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) — not only for others, but for our own children, our elderly parents and others.​​

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Sharron is an adoptive parent and former Marketing Operations Director who became a full-time SEND advocate out of necessity — and sheer determination. Her son’s complex needs, including ADHD, dyspraxia, dyslexia, hyper mobility, and low muscle tone, were missed and dismissed for years. Despite clear signs, she faced endless barriers: delayed assessments, rejected EHCP applications, and support systems that failed to act.

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As many adoptive parents know, the right school placement can make or break a child’s stability — and in Sharron’s case, multiple placements broke down. Each transition brought renewed trauma, disrupted relationships, and the exhausting task of starting over — again and again.

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There were also times when Sharron and Stephen knew something was seriously wrong — but wasn’t believed. On two separate occasions, they raised urgent concerns about their son’s health, only to be dismissed. Both times, he nearly died. The emotional toll of having your instincts ignored, even when the stakes are that high, is something no parent forgets — and something no family should ever have to endure.

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All of this played out alongside profound personal loss. Sharron supported her father through terminal illness, while she and her partner, Stephen, also navigated multiple bereavements within their close family. These losses deeply affected their child, triggering grief and trauma that collided with attachment and identity needs.

Throughout this time, both Sharron and Stephen continued working — juggling full-time jobs while managing their son’s emotional needs, complex logistics, and broken systems. The emotional toll was immense. Like many parent-carers, Sharron experienced what it means to be stretched beyond capacity — to function professionally while parenting through trauma, grief, and relentless advocacy.

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Even during the final days of her father’s life, she experienced the kind of professional response that many carers know all too well — a lack of compassion, flexibility, or understanding. It was a moment that made clear how invisible parent-carers can become in the workplace, and how urgently that needs to change.

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Following her father's death, Sharron made the decision not to return to corporate life. Instead, she launched SEND and Beyond — not because it was easy, but because she understood just how hard the journey is for families like hers. Her story reflects the reality so many SEND parents face: forced to change careers, not out of choice, but out of survival — and choosing to use that experience to help others find strength, clarity and support.

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Nuala is an experienced education consultant with over 35 years of experience in teaching and management within he special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) sector, including roles as headteacher and head of an out-of-school provision.

 

Utilising training and experience in psychotherapy and psychosocial crisis response.  Nuala has developed and delivered a range of training and resources to support families and professionals in a range of settings and services.

 

Nuala is well versed in pre and post trauma defences and response, PTSD, reactive attachment, foetal alcohol syndrome, anxiety, neurodiversity, emotion-based demand avoidance and school engagement.

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Nuala has personal experience of parenting complex needs.  As both an adoptive parent and kinship grandparent carer.  Nuala's personal journey adds real-world insight and empathy to her professional expertise.

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This person connection that Sharron and Nuala have, further enriches their understanding and empathy, allowing them to offer compassionate and logistic support to those navigating difficult life situations.

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Together, we created SEND and Beyond to be more than just a consultancy.

We are a source of strength, clarity, and advocacy for families facing some of the most challenging moments of their lives.

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We understand trauma.
We understand the system.
We understand the fight to be believed.
And most importantly — we understand what it means to feel like no one is listening.

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We’re here to change that.

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Our Mission

We are dedicated to enhancing the lives of those navigating SEND by offering valuable insights, support and resources.

We want to offer a lifeline of hope......