Meet the Team
Liz Stanley - Director, Training Manager and Independent SEND Adviser
Liz has been working in the SEND arena and supporting parents of SEND Children for over 10 years. Prior to that she was an IT Trainer. She worked as an Independent Support Practitioner in Hertfordshire for three years before setting up reSEND.
Liz has excellent communication skills developed over years of being a trainer and having to explain very complicated processes and ideas to the general public. Her personality shines through in all her interactions as does her patience. She is particularly skilled at explaining the legal processes and advising what information is needed in applications and reports. Liz has extensive knowledge of the legal process and requirements surrounding SEND in schools and the community and has completed IPSEA Foundation Legal training (with a 94% pass rate!). She also holds Level 2 Awards in Autism, Adverse Childhood Experiences and Independent Advocacy. She is currently enrolled on a MSc in Neuroscience and the Psychology of Mental Health course. Liz also heads up our Training offer and develops, writes and delivers most of our training.
She also has personal experience with special needs as she has a son with Autism, Global Developmental Delay, Sensory Processing Disorder, Hypermobility, Dyspraxia, PICA and Polydipsia. He is non-verbal and uses Makaton, PECS and an AAC to communicate so Liz is very familiar with these forms of Communication. Liz is also Autistic herself and does talks and courses about being a late diagnosed Autistic.
Joanne Barrow - Manager
Jo has been with reSEND since it launched in September 2019. Liz initially approached Jo a year before the launch to help her ‘organise’ her life. Liz and Jo met when Jo had to complete an EHCP for her daughter when she was diagnosed with Autism and was lucky enough to have help and support from the Kids Hub. They decided to put their areas of expertise together and use this to their advantage in setting up the business.
Jo has had a variety of job titles over the last few years. Most recently she was a Quality Checker overseeing that all customer complaints were responded to in the correct legal time frame in a professional manner. Before that she worked as a litigator covering all areas from collections, pre hearing, court orders and then evictions.
As well as being punctual and approachable Jo is extremely organised and has a natural ability to recognise when people need support. Jo is a good judge of character and is instrumental in ensuring appropriate tailored support is in place for each individual client. Jo is often the first contact that many have with reSEND and her ability to listen and empathise while informing and supporting is vital to our client relationships.
With a full understanding of how difficult raising a SEN child can be and how difficult it can be to know where to go for help, Jo wants to be able to do more to help those in similar situations. Therefore, her role at reSEND is a perfect marriage of her skills and her approachable personality and warmth.
Alan Marsden - Lead Independent SEND Adviser
Alan has been working with reSEND for well over 2 years and has supported many families through the process of securing an assessment, reviewing drafts and annual reviews. His compassion and attention to detail meant that he was promoted to Lead Independent SEND Adviser earlier in the year and he now oversees the ISA team as well as contributing to the policies and procedures that are required for reSEND. Prior to joining reSEND he spent 13 years in local government working within Housing Services and is familiar with the difficulties experienced by families with SEND children, not just in an education setting but the challenges caused by poor housing and wider issues in the community.
He has been a Governor at a local primary school and worked part-term at MIND. Alan has a passion for coaching and mentoring and has attended ILM accredited courses, which have given him valuable skills he can bring to his role as a Independent SEND Advisor. Growing up with a neurodiverse condition has given Alan personal insight into some of the challenges faced by those with epilepsy and other Neurodiverse conditions.
Anna - Lead Independent Tribunal Support Adviser
Anna became interested in the SEN field when she gained first-hand experience 15 years ago. She became a “parent expert” in ASC, ADHD, ADD and various other conditions.
She was interested how the education system has responded to the needs of SEN children and she chose to make that her career. She has worked for Mencap as an Independent SEND Advisor.
She managed her own tribunals independently and then went to work for SENDIASS for 5 years where she was the Tribunal lead for 4 years. She has also been a SEND Case Officer in a Local Authority for a year.
Working in all these differing fields whilst supporting SEN children has allowed her to gain a unique perspective for this role. She now support parents and young people to exercise their rights and appeal for changes within their EHCP via the 1st Tier Tribunal service. Finding a resolution before any Tribunal hearing is the most preferable route and what she strives for in all cases.
She understands how hard it can be for parents when managing so may different areas of life including their child’s SEN. She knows how to navigate this complex system and how daunting it can be. The system itself can be a barrier to some parents preventing them from being able to follow the route they would like. She strives to empower parents to pursue end goals they would otherwise be unable to.
Before she worked in the SEN field, she was in the Coast Guard and Merchant Navy. She is widely travelled and enjoys lots of physical activities such as trampolining and has bungee jumped and parachuted in New Zealand!
Caroline Stranders - Independent SEND Adviser
Caroline is a mum to two teenage girls with Autism, ADHD, Generalised Anxiety, and various other conditions. She has many years of first-hand experience trying to navigate the complicated SEND system and has had two years where she had no choice but to home educate them herself due to no school being able to meet needs. For this reason, she has a special interest in all things EOTAS.
She wrote both her girls’ applications for an EHCP and then received support to manage her content appeals. It was during the last appeal she decided to undertake the IPSEA law training to increase her understanding of the process. She has completed the Foundation Level with 93%, the Intermediate Level with 94%, and is about to start the Advanced Level. Throughout her neurodivergent parenting experience, she has firmly held the belief that knowledge is power.
Whilst doing the course she realised that her once toyed with dream of studying law was actually something she really enjoyed and once she had got the right education in place for her own children, she was determined to help other families achieve the same result, hopefully with far less pain.
Previously, Caroline worked in the wine industry for 20 years, including a spell running her own small business and being the General Manager for a start up wine sampling company.
Karen Jenkinson - Independent Tribunal Support Adviser
Karen (LLB (Hons) Law, PGDip Law) has over 30 years of experience working in local government law including anti social behaviour, homelessness, housing and Local Government Ombudsman complaints. Her local government role included preparing cases and appearing in court for injunctions and various prosecutions.
As a parent of a SEN child she decided to resign from local government and to use her privately acquired knowledge of SEN law to help others struggling with a system which puts so much pressure on children and their families/carers. She is currently undertaking IPSEA training.
September Tonkin - Independent SEND Adviser
Having seen the struggles and stresses her parents experienced when navigating the SEND world for her brother, September felt drawn to working in any capacity that involved supporting and advocating for SEND children and families.
With a master’s degree from University of Oxford where she focused on the ways in which public services struggle to meet the needs of SEND individuals, September went on to work for the Police and Crime Commissioner; working on policy changes to support public need. September also has experience working with high-risk and SEND Children and Young people in the care sector, advocating for educational placements and EOTAS.
As well as supporting our families at reSEND, September also teaches art to SEND children and their families; this, coupled with her experience caring for and being completely blown away by her brother’s achievements have inspired September to work tirelessly in support of SEND families.