Send

The Send Project is dedicated to improving awareness and understanding of the legal rights of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Many families struggle to navigate the SEND system, particularly around Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), reasonable adjustments, and the responsibilities of schools and local authorities. Legal information in this area can be difficult to access or understand, leaving parents and carers unsure where to seek support.

Our project exists to close this gap. Working alongside schools, community organisations, charities and the University of Leicester Legal Advice Clinic, we aim to produce clear, practical resources, including a plain-English EHCP rights guide, and to deliver sessions that translate complex legal processes into accessible, actionable knowledge for families and students alike.

Over the academic year, our core activities include producing and distributing a SEND rights guide to schools and community centres, trialing a workshop on EHCP applications, appeals and disability discrimination in schools, with a view to extending this to parents and carers, hosting a guest speaker panel with legal professionals from our network, including contacts working in mental health and family law and visiting a local school to raise awareness among young people. A movie night and a SEND-themed bingo night run alongside this work to help resource it and build a wider, engaged student team.

Beyond direct family support, the project gives Law students genuine pro bono experience ,developing legal research, communication and community engagement skills while building a real understanding of access-to-justice issues facing SEND families.

Our longer-term vision is for the SEND Project to become a trusted, recognised source of SEND legal information in Leicester, sustained through lasting partnerships with schools and charities and handed on through a clear continuity plan for future project teams.

Any questions or inquires can be directed to the Director: Hamza Alakozai.