The Family Navigator: understanding the system
Clear information for parents and carers dealing with school, SEND, health services and other support. Plain meanings for the jargon, and a simple way to keep your own record.
The short version
Every part of the navigator has a long version, in this chapter and the two that follow, and this short one here. It works whether you have an hour or a minute.
- Every term has a plain meaning. The glossary gives it in three lines.
- Write everything down. The journey tracker is your paper trail, and your paper trail is your protection.
- You are allowed to ask "who is responsible, and when will I hear back?" in every meeting.
- If nothing happens, there is a next step. The escalation guide names it.
- Free, independent and legally grounded advice exists: SENDIASS, IPSEA, SOS!SEN. You are rarely told this.
- Speaking up for your child is not being difficult. It is parenting.
What parents told us it feels like
This map comes from our co-working session with a serving teacher. It is the test every page in this section is written against. Does it reduce the hidden rules? Does it translate the terminology? Does it lower the pressure to perform? Would it survive a staff change?
What parents say
My child is struggling. I think my child might need a SEND assessment. Can you help with their behaviour? Can we look into an EHCP or extra support?
What parents think
Am I being taken seriously? Do I need to prove more? I do not fully understand the system. How is what I say affecting how their behaviour is read?
What parents feel
Anxiety, frustration, exhaustion, isolation, protectiveness, guilt, distrust, and the drip of microaggressions.
The barriers
Rules nobody tells you. Confusing letters. Staff who change. Long waits. Technical language. Occasional warmth, but not system-wide.
The anti-jargon glossary
Each term in three lines: what it means, why it matters, what happens next. Tap any term.
Every term used anywhere in this toolkit is explained simply in the Glossary (Chapter 27).
What they mean. MHST: Mental Health Support Teams, NHS staff working inside some schools on milder difficulties. CAMHS: children and young people's mental health services, the NHS specialist route, usually via the GP.
Why it matters. They are different doors. MHSTs are quicker but lighter-touch; CAMHS goes deeper but waits are long, and Black children are less likely to be referred early.
What happens next. Ask the school if it has an MHST. For CAMHS, book the GP, bring your journey tracker and ask for the referral in writing.
Your child's support journey tracker
A simple record of every contact: who you spoke to, what was promised, what happened. It keeps your own head clear when letters pile up, and it is your protection. Parents in our research who kept their paperwork were treated differently from parents who could not point to dates. Print it, or copy the columns into a notebook or your phone.
| Week | Date | Who I spoke to | What was promised | What happened | Next step and deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | |||||
| Week 2 | |||||
| Week 3 | |||||
| Week 4 |