Founder and Support Lead – Leanne Jaques
Leanne lives in Yorkshire with her family. She has over 15 Years’ teaching experience and has most recently worked in a specialist provision. Having thought that following her youngest daughter’s diagnosis it would unlock doors to support, understanding and an educational setting she could thrive in, it quickly became clear that that wasn’t to be the case.
Her eyes have certainly been opened to the battles that families have to endure in an attempt to be listened to and believed. The hurdles needed to be jumped to secure an IEP or furthermore, an EHC assessment, plan and appropriate school.
Leanne had thought many times over to document their journey and ‘Lockdown’ March 2020 gave her the opportunity to begin. Her youngest daughter was diagnosed in April 2019 as Autistic with a profile of PDA – Pathological Demand Avoidance. Having navigated the treacherous pathways of SEND support herself, she now wants to empower other families using her knowledge, skills, passion and lived experience because every child and young person is entitled to an Education that meets their needs.
Lisa Oldfield – Advocate
Lisa lives in Leeds near Tadcaster on the West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire border.
She lives on a farm with her family and animals
Lisa has been involved with childcare and children most of her working life in some form or other, from being a swimming instructor and owned and ran her own children’s day nursery. She has worked in the community helping families and feels her varied work, life experiences and qualifications help her to help others especially around provision for SEND children; after jumping the hurdles when her daughter was diagnosed in 2020 as autistic with a profile of PDA.
Once you have a diagnosis, the learning continues and comes with another set of challenges, but it helped them recognise their own challenges in life and an acceptance of individual needs. Her son was diagnosed as dyslexic in 2021 and her daughter later that year. Getting the small changes put in place and consistent in mainstream school was a challenge.
Lisa wants more for children who find mainstream school difficult by:
*Helping parents and teachers recognise the difference between WON’T and CAN’T and when specific measures need to be put in place to help each individual with or without a diagnosis for their mental health.
*Supporting/challenging schools to make reasonable adjustments.
*Supporting and helping families through a very challenging time of their lives and survive. She has lived experience of the process, grief, frustration and helplessness families feel when going through these types of challenges.