Free parent advocacy • Kent & Medway Enquiries welcome • acceptance depends on scope, conflict & capacity

Get help

Tell us what's happening. We'll first work out whether we're the right service.

You do not need to know the correct policy, complaint route or professional terminology before contacting us.

In short: In Your Corner supports parents and carers across Kent & Medway with a child or young person's SEND, education access, neurodevelopmental pathway or selected NHS/public-service issue. No diagnosis or EHCP is required just to ask for help.

Can we help?

Usually within scope

  • SEND / EHCP issues
  • School access, reduced timetables and reasonable adjustments
  • Autism / ADHD referral or assessment pathway problems
  • NHS Right to Choose issues
  • NHS complaints, Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) concerns and integrated care board (ICB) escalation
  • Evidence organisation, chronology and meeting preparation
  • Early Help and multi-agency meeting support where appropriate

Usually outside scope

  • Legal representation or conducting litigation
  • Family court, criminal or immigration cases
  • Clinical diagnosis or medical treatment advice
  • Emergency safeguarding or crisis response
  • Guaranteed results
  • Cases we cannot safely take because of conflict or capacity

Age boundaries differ between SEND and NHS pathways, so we currently assess the relevant pathway as part of the scope check rather than using one blanket published age cut-off.

Support at meetings

We may be able to support before, during and after the meeting.

Where appropriate, this can include Early Help review meetings, Child in Need (CIN) reviews, Child Protection (CP) Conferences and core groups. We can help prepare key points and questions, support the parent to participate, track decisions and actions, and review the written outcome afterwards.

Attendance must be agreed with the chair or lead professional in advance and cannot be guaranteed. We support the parent; we do not replace a solicitor, social worker, statutory decision-maker or an independent advocate for the child.

Read about Early Help & multi-agency meeting support →

Your first message only needs five things

1

What happened?

A short description in your own words.

2

What outcome are you trying to achieve?

For example: a review, an assessment, clearer provision, an explanation or a complaint response that actually answers the issue.

3

Which organisation is involved?

School, local authority, NHS provider, GP, integrated care board (ICB) or another relevant service.

4

Is there a deadline?

Tell us the date and what you understand the deadline relates to.

5

Are you in Kent or Medway?

Your town or area is enough at this stage — you do not need to send your full address.

Please do not send your child's full records with the first enquiry.

Do not attach medical files, social-care records, EHCP bundles or safeguarding documents until we have checked whether we can take the case and agreed an appropriate route for sensitive evidence.

What happens after you contact us?

1. EnquiryYou tell us the problem.
2. ScopeWe check fit and geography.
3. ConflictWe check independence.
4. CapacityAccept, decline or signpost.
5. AgreementScope and authority are confirmed.
6. ActionEvidence and advocacy begin.

An email enquiry does not automatically open a case. If we cannot take it, we will tell you and, where reasonably possible, identify another route.

Important: deadlines remain yours unless we expressly accept one

Do not wait for us if a deadline is approaching.

You remain responsible for statutory, complaint, appeal and court deadlines unless In Your Corner has expressly confirmed in writing that we have agreed to take responsibility for a specific action. Use the Case Deadline & Decision Tracker to keep dates, sources, owners and next actions visible.

Communication adjustments

If written information, telephone contact, long forms or another aspect of communication creates a barrier, tell us. We will try to agree a reasonable way of communicating that works for the case and the service.

If email itself is inaccessible:

With your permission, a trusted person or professional can send a brief message asking us to discuss an alternative contact method. They should not send your case records just to make that request.

Need help? Start here