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Supporting a Family Through Exclusion (GIFT)

Oct 25, 2023 | Case Studies, Community Reach, Community Reach Projects, Family Mediation, Family Mediation Case Studies, GIFT, GIFT Projects, Henry Ngawoofah, Projects

Supporting a Family Through Exclusion and SEND (GIFT)

Case Study: Supporting a Family Through Exclusion and SEND – How GIFT helped one family navigate exclusion, secure the right support, and successfully transition back to school.

Note: The referral for this family mediation started November 2023 with the support continuing to November 2025.

The Situation: child exclusion

A mother contacted GIFT after her son, aged 6 and in Key Stage 1, was excluded from school due to persistent behavioural difficulties. She had been struggling to understand the exclusion process and felt unsupported by the school. Her son had been displaying significant challenges that she believed were linked to unmet additional needs, but she had not received any formal assessment or diagnosis. She felt unheard, isolated, and unsure of where to turn.

How GIFT RespondedGrace Incorporation Faith Trust (GIFT) - Social inclusion, Family Mediation against exclusion and more

A dedicated GIFT family support worker was assigned to the family. From the outset, support was tailored around the specific needs of mother and child, delivered flexibly and at a pace that worked for the family.

Key elements of the support included:

Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan Support

GIFT supported the family to request an EHC Needs Assessment from the local authority. The support worker helped the mother to understand the process, gather evidence, and submit a strong, well-documented request. GIFT attended key meetings alongside the mother, ensuring her voice and her son’s needs were clearly communicated and considered throughout.

Specialist SEND Support

GIFT identified appropriate SEND specialist services and made warm referrals on behalf of the family. The support worker worked closely with professionals to ensure the child’s specific needs were properly understood and reflected in any plans or provision.

Home Visits

Regular home visits were arranged to provide consistent support to the family in a comfortable and familiar setting. These visits allowed the support worker to build a trusting relationship with the mother, monitor the child’s well-being, offer practical advice on managing behaviour at home, and prepare for upcoming school meetings.

Advocacy with the School

GIFT worked directly with the school on behalf of the family, advocating for appropriate provision and ensuring that the school’s responsibilities under the SEND Code of Practice were met. This included ensuring a SEN Support plan was put in place, that reasonable adjustments were made, and that the child’s individual needs were reflected in classroom practice.

Support with Reviews and Transition Back to Mainstream Education

GIFT attended all reviews with the family and helped to plan a phased, carefully supported transition back into mainstream education. The support worker coordinated between the school, the local authority, and any external professionals to ensure that all necessary provision was in place before the child returned to school. A clear transition plan was agreed, with regular check-ins to support the family throughout the process.

The Outcome of addressing exclusion and SEND

With GIFT’s support, the family successfully navigated a complex and stressful process. The child’s EHC Plan was secured, putting in place the specialist support he needed. The transition back to mainstream school was carefully managed, and the child returned with appropriate provision in place. The mother reported feeling significantly more confident, informed, and supported throughout.

“Before GIFT got involved, I felt completely lost. I didn’t understand what my son was entitled to, and the school made me feel like I was the problem. My GIFT support worker came to my home, listened to me, and stood by my side at every meeting. She helped me get him the EHC Plan he needed and made sure everything was in place before he went back to school. I genuinely don’t know what we would have done without her. For the first time, I felt like someone was really fighting for my son.”

Parent supported by GIFT, Key Stage 1 family

References and resources