Alison is the founder/manager of a voluntary organisation (on a voluntary basis), supporting more than 250 SEND Families, that she runs successfully with several co-founders, to deliver peer support services to SEND Parents across 7 local authority areas in the West Midlands. She has gained significant experience over the past 5 years in producing complaints to achieve goals of SEND families and strive for change in processes and local policies. 

Alison is an expert by experience in SEND issues, particularly regarding Education and Health care for Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Her personal journey, seeing her children being subject to system failures, loss of education/support and false accusations have resulted in successful local level complaint outcomes with Schools, Council and Health Services. She has achieved the successful navigation and completion of the complaints processes, regarding service delivery, SEND Law/Statutory Guidance Breaches and GDPR Data rectification. Having personally secured, 2 upheld LGO complaints, with 4 figure pay-outs for her child with SEND who was substantially disadvantaged. 

Currently she is working with her local NHS Trust, under GDPR Data Rectification processes, to ensure that a large number of Data inaccuracies are corrected with approval of the Caldecott Guardian following a Successful Information Commissioner's Office Complaint. My qualifications include information studies and a Level 4 adult education teaching qualification. and administration. 

Previously Alison was the spearhead, along with colleagues at PDA action, to achieve national change to the guidance issued to Clinical Commissioning Groups by the Department of Health regarding the identification of Pathological Demand Avoidance alongside an Autism Diagnosis. She successfully, along with her colleagues, arranged a protest and liaised with the department of health, which resulted in a meeting with the Director of DoFH, Director of NHS England and Director of NICE Clinical Guidelines and resulted in the revised position statement of the recognition of Pathological Demand Avoidance along with the diagnosis of Autism, 

Her work experience brings key skills to this role, she has successfully run 2 International Programmes (again being commended for excellent record keeping and project management), supporting international climate change professionals to undertake placements over in the uk, marketing the programme and co-ordination and management of the programme from securing placements to selecting and training the pioneers.

She has also worked for 2 Local Authorities, in children’s social services and as a Compliance and Monitoring Project Manager in project funded through European funding supporting the community including SEND.  She has a keen eye for detail, meticulous, excellent analytical and communication skills. In these roles she had responsibility and was also responsible for department level monitoring and management of Best Value Key Performance Indicators, Equality Impact Assessments and Freedom of information Requests. 

Alison is a qualified Adult Education Teacher, who successfully achieved Grade 1 status during her teaching years, through the Adult Learning Inspectorate and was commended for her monitoring, planning and inclusive practices to teaching and progressing her student's achievements. 

Alison is here to provide an excellent service and is committed to making the navigation process easier for Parents, by providing a website that makes the system easy to navigate and find information easier.