We offer a range of general advocacy support for families who need help with school-based issues, meetings, correspondence and other practical SEND-related matters that do not fall within one of our specialist DLA, EHCAN, EHCP, mediation or Tribunal packages. 

Support can include preparing for and attending school meetings, drafting letters and complaints, reviewing documents, supporting with forms and applications, researching options and providing ongoing advice where needed. Our aim is to give parents and carers clear, practical support so they feel informed, prepared and able to advocate effectively for their child or young person. 

Where Compass Advocacy SEND is already, or has previously been, involved with your family, relevant information gained through previous advocacy work, meetings or professional discussions may also be incorporated where appropriate. 

General Advice Messages & Calls

This service is suitable for parents and carers who would like advice, case discussion or professional input outside the scope of a specific package or agreed piece of work.

Routine administrative communication is included and is not charged separately. This includes arranging or confirming appointments, sending documents, confirming receipt of information and other general case administration.

General advice and case-support time may include:

• Catch-up calls to discuss developments in you case.
• Adcice about a new letter, report, timetalble, proposal or professional recommendation.
• Reviewing new information and providing our view.
• Discussing what support you may wish to request, challenge or explore next. 
• Advice on strategy or next steps.
• Considering whether a school, Local Authority or professional proposal is appropriate. 
• Research into services, supportm funding or alternative options.
• Advice provided by email or WhatsApp where professional consideration of your case is required.
• Brief case discussions that do not require a separate advocacy package.

You are not charged simply for sending us a message, email or docement. Charges apply only when you are asking us to review, consider, reasearch, advice or provide substantive professional input. 

Rate: £45 per hour, charged in 30-minute increments. 

Where you expect to need regular advice or case support, our Ongoing Advice & Case Support Add-On may be a more cost-effective option.

Ongoing Advice & Case Support Add-On

This add-on is designed for families who would beneit from regular advice and professional case support between scheduled pieces of advocacy work. 

Routine administrative communication is included and is not charged separately. This includes arranging or confirming appointments, sending documents, confirming receipt of information and other general case administration.

General advice and case-support time may include:

• Catch-up calls to discuss developments in you case.
• Reviewing a new letter, report, timetable, proposal, professional recommendation, or other new information and providing our view.
• Advice about what support you may wish to request, challenge or explore next.
• Discussing strategy or possible next steps.
• Considering whether a school, Local Authority or professional proposal appears appropriate. 
• Research into services, supportm funding or alternative options.
• Brief advice by messag ror email where professional consideration of your case is required.
• Ongoing problem-solving or case discussions that do not require a separate advocacy package

You are not charged simply for sending us a message, email or docement. Charges apply only when you are asking us to review, consider, reasearch, advice or provide substantive professional input. 

Where the work develops into a separate piece of advocacy, such as preparing a formal letter, statement or document, attending a meetingm or completing substantial additional work, this will be discussed and quoted separately. 

Monthly allowance: Up to 2 hours

Monthly price: £60

Additional support: £45.00 per hour, charged in 30-minute increments. 

Meeting Preparation and Attendance

This service is suitable for parents and carers who would like support preparing for and attending meetings with their child or young person's school or education setting. 

Support is available for meetings including:

• IEP/ILP/SEN Support Plan meetings
• Behaviour meetings
• Attendance meetings
• Return-to-School / reintegration meetings
• General support meetings

This service can include:

• Review of relevant documents before the meeting
• Preparation of key points, questions and concerns to raise.
• Identification of missing information, unmet needs or areas requiring clarification. 
• Attendance at the meeting. In-person attendance is available within our local area. Meetings outside our area can be attended via video call. 
• Advocacy during the meeting to help ensure your concerns are clearly communicated and properly considered.
•  Support challenging unclear or unsupported decisions. 
• Clarification of agreed actions, responsibilities and next steps.
•  Brief follow-up after the meeting where required. 

Meeting support is charged according to the time required. This may include preparation, meeting attendance and any agreed follow-up work. 

Rate: £45 per hour

Typical example: 1 hour preparation + 1 hour meeting attendance = £90. 

A clear and final quote will be provided before booking. 

Letter Writing

This service is suitable for parents and carers who would like support preparing clear, structured correspondence relating to their child or young person's education, SEND support or wider services.

Letters and emails will be prepared for you to send in your own name. Where appropriate, formal advocacy correspondence from Compass Advocacy SEND, on headed paper may be available for an additional fee.

This service may include:

• Requests for additional SEN support, reasonable adjustments or review of existing provision.
• Requests for meetings with schools, SENCOs, Headteacher or Local Authority teams.
• Responses to letters, emails or decisions received from schools or Local Authorities.
• Requests for, or challenges relating to, reduced timetables.
• Attendance-related correspondence. 
• Correspondence relating to suspensions, reintegration or return-to-school arrangements.
• Requests for alternative provision or additional educational support.
• Requests for Section 19 provision where a child or young person is unable to access suitable education because of illness, exclusion, special educational needs or other circumstances. 
• Request for amendments to IEPs, ILPs or SEN Support Plans.
• Subject Access Requests - Request for copies of records, assessments, plans or other relevant information.
• Formal complaints to schools, governing bodies or academy trusts.
• Complaints and escalation correspondence to Local Authorities.
• Complaints to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and other relevant bodies. 
• Requests for social care assessments or support.
• Correspondence with health, education or social care professionals where relevant to the child or young person's needs. 
• Other SEND-related advocacy correspondence where appropriate. 

Before drafting, we will discuss what has happened, what you would like the letter to achieve and review the information reasonably required to prepare it. 

Standard advocacy letter or email: £45

Suitable for straightforward requests, responses, support concerns or other single-issue correspondence.

Complex advocacy letters or complaints: £65

Suitable for detailed complains, escalation correspondence, multi-issue concerns or letters requiring a more substantial review of documents and evidence. 

Formal correspondence on Compass Advocacy SEND headed paper: +£10

Where a matter requires substantial document review or falls outside the usual scope of this service, a separate quote will be provided before any work is undertaken.

Forms & Applications Support

This service is suitable for parents and carers who would like support completing disability, SEND or family-support forms that do not fall within one of our specialist DLA, EHCNA, EHCP, mediation or tribunal packages. 

Support may include:

• Short breaks or respite applications.
• Family Fund applications.
• Motability grant applications.
• Charity grant and funding applications.
• Applications for disability-related activities, equipment or family support.
• Local Authority support-fund applications. 
• Blue badge applications and renewals.
• Nimbus Disability Access Card applications and renewals.
• Accessibility, concession and companion-card applications.
• Other SEND, disability or family-support applications where appropriate. 

This service can include:

• Review of the application form and guidance.
• Discussion of your family's circumstances and the support being requested.
• Review of relevant supporting evidence where required.
• Help identifying the information most relevant to the application.
• Completion or drafting of application answers. 
• Support explaining your child or young person's needs clearly and accurately.
• Identification of any supporting evidence that may strengthen the application.
• Final review before the application is returned to you for submission.

The total time required will depend on the complexity of the application and how much background information or evidence needs to be reviewed. Where we are already working with your family and the relevant information is already known or has recently been reviewed, a straightforward application may only require a short amount of additional time.

Where the application is being completed as a standalone piece of work, additional time may be needed to review relevant evidence, understand your child or young person's circumstances and gather the information required before completing the form.

A clear estimate will be provided before work begins. 

Rate: £45.00 per hour, charged in 30 minute increments.