TheSENDHarbour

Supporting SEN parent-carers and families

About The SEND Harbour

A safe harbour to navigate your SEND journey
Natalie Martin of The SEND Harbour.

Natalie Martin

SEND Family Support Lead

The SEND Harbour was created by Natalie, a SEN parent who understands that navigating SEND can sometimes feel overwhelming, isolating and confusing. It can mean waiting for assessments, trying to get the right support, feeling unheard, misunderstood or judged, and wondering where to turn next.

I know how hard it can be when you're simply trying to get the right support for your child and don't know where to start. The SEND Harbour was created to be a place where families feel heard, understood and welcomed, without judgement.

You don't have to navigate SEND alone.

My background

The SEND Harbour has grown from a combination of professional training, practical experience, volunteering and lived experience.

I have experience working within specialist SEND provision and have also volunteered within a mainstream primary school, giving me experience of different educational environments and the different ways children and young people may be supported.

I have also volunteered with Cruse for Bereavement and with PODS, supporting families and gaining valuable experience in listening, understanding and supporting people through difficult times.

Relevant Qualifications & Training

I have completed a range of qualifications and training. The following are some of the main areas most relevant to The SEND Harbour:

  • SEG Awards ABC Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling

  • AIM Awards Level 4 – Approaches to Counselling Children and Young People

  • Level 3 Teaching Assistant

  • IPSEA Level 1 – Elementary SEND Law

  • IPSEA – Obtaining an EHC Plan

  • IPSEA – Exclusion from School

  • Understanding Visual Processing – CPD

  • Level 2 Certificate in Principles of Working with Individuals with Learning Disabilities

  • Level 2 Certificate in Awareness of Mental Health Problems

I have other qualifications and training, but these are the areas I feel are most relevant to the work of The SEND Harbour and the families I support.

I am also continuing to develop my knowledge and understanding, with Level 3 SEND Law commencing in October 2026.

EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE & UNDERSTANDING

My training gives me knowledge.

My experience gives me understanding.

My lived experience gives me empathy.




















My lived experience

Special educational needs and disabilities have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up alongside my sister Gemma, who had cerebral palsy and significant physical disabilities. Much of my childhood was spent in and out of hospitals with her and our family.

I helped care for Gemma, looked after her, helped her shower and was there through the difficult times. Growing up alongside her taught me something I have never forgotten: see the person before the disability or diagnosis.

As an adult, I have my own experience of ADHD, and I am also a parent to children with their own special educational needs.

I have lived the appointments, assessments, paperwork and uncertainty. I have felt overwhelmed, isolated, lonely, confused and worried.

I have questioned myself and carried the guilt that somehow my children’s needs were my fault. I have sat with paperwork I did not understand, been passed from one organisation to another and wondered why finding the right support could feel like going around in circles.

I have experienced what it feels like to keep asking questions and still feel unheard, misunderstood or judged.

I have also learned that asking for help is not failing your child. Sometimes, you are simply trying to find your way through a system that can feel incredibly complicated when you are already exhausted.

I have seen how special educational needs and disabilities can affect the whole family. I have experienced the difficult days, the exhaustion and the need to keep pushing, but I have also experienced the love, determination, progress and small victories that mean so much.

That is why I created The SEND Harbour. I wanted to create a place shaped by real life and real experience, where SEN parent - carers and families can come as they are, without judgement, and know that the person beside them genuinely understands.

The SEND Harbour is something I am passionate about continuing to build. I am not doing this just for myself. I want my children to see that having ADHD or facing challenges does not mean you cannot have ambition, achieve things and make a difference.

My sister Gemma will always be a part of that journey too. 

The SEND Harbour carries a little of her with it, and continuing this work is one of the ways I keep her memory close.

For me, it is about seeing the whole person, not just the disability or diagnosis.













A smiling wheelchair user outdoors.

My philosophy

First, build the harbour. Then, set sail.

I believe good support starts with building a strong, safe and trusted foundation.

Before you can move forward, sometimes you need the right foundations in place - the information, understanding and support to help you feel more confident about what comes next.

SEND doesn't follow one straight route, and there isn't one answer that works for every family. What works for one person may not work for another - and that's okay.

The SEND Harbour is here to listen, understand and offer practical support - from helping with paperwork and preparing for meetings, to finding the right information, resources and connections.

I believe every family deserves to be treated with respect, understanding and without judgement, whatever their circumstances, wherever they are on their journey and whatever their support needs may be.

I'm also committed to continuing to learn, develop and improve The SEND Harbour as the needs of families change.

Because sometimes the first step is not knowing where you're going.

It's simply having somewhere safe to start.

The world of SEN and SEND can feel overwhelming and isolating. Sometimes you just need somewhere safe to stop, breathe, feel understood and find your next steps.

Different needs. Different families. Different journeys. One place to start.