Tina Cockram, SEND Family Support

11/06/2026

Strong sense of Justice or is it Self Preservation?

I see this so often come up in neurodivergent individuals, and it’s a topic I find deeply important to explore and understand and to be honest it’s fascinating to hear how deep the explanation goes into why a person may feel the way they do

Many develop a strong sense of self-protection and honestly that makes sense. When you’ve felt misunderstood, left out, or hurt, your brain learns to protect you.

But sometimes that protection can come at a cost.

I often see friendship circles become smaller over time. Some individuals later describe preferring their own company not always because they want to, but because it feels safer than the risk of disappointment.

Sometimes it’s not about rejection… but about how a situation is interpreted.

With children and young people, I’ve found gentle script work/social story really helpful, perhaps ask how the character might be feeling and explore other scenarios as to why that person may have acted the way they did for example

✨ “Maybe they hadn’t had a chance to reply yet”

✨ “Perhaps it was a last-minute plan” and that was why you wasn’t invited on this occasion?

📌 Key reminders for rejection sensitivity:

• Feelings are real, even when the interpretation may not be accurate.

• Past experiences can shape how safe or unsafe situations feel

• Gentle reassurance and curiosity can help widen perspective

• Building self-worth and emotional safety takes time

• Supportive relationships make a huge difference

05/06/2026

Successes of the Week

At SEND Family Support, every step forward matters, and this week has brought some wonderful news for the families I support….

✨ Two families have received confirmation that their EHCP Needs Assessments have been agreed…..no mediation hearings or appeals needed!! 👊🏻

✨ One of my young people I support has already progressed to receiving a draft EHCP, however this does need some amendments, this however is bringing them one step closer to accessing the support they need to thrive.

✨ I am incredibly proud that, to date, every EHCP Needs Assessment application I have supported has been successful, with no refusals so far……I “shouldn’t speak too soon “ 😬, I do after every application gently prepare the family for the next steps so they feel able to prepare with what might happen next. I will always be there to help them to that next stage.

Alongside these positive outcomes, I have spent time connecting with families through Teams meetings, checking in on progress, discussing next steps, helping parents prepare for meetings, and ensuring they feel informed and supported throughout their journey. I have also had some lovely feedback from them, which is always lovely to hear. 🥰

Navigating the SEND system can often feel overwhelming, but no family should have to do it alone. Seeing these positive outcomes reminds me why I am so passionate about supporting families to find their voice and secure the provision their children deserve.

Thank you to all the families who continue to place their trust in me. It is a privilege to walk alongside you on your journey.

💙 Tina Cockram
SEND Family Support

01/06/2026

✨ Exciting News! ✨

Today marks the start of an exciting new chapter as I have joined Pure Innovations working on a project across Greater Manchester alongside Autism Wise.

I am incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to be part of a project that aims to make a real difference in the lives of autistic young adults in supporting individuals to build confidence,reduce social isolation, increase community engagement and access meaningful opportunities within their local communities.

As many of you know, creating positive outcomes for neurodivergent individuals and their families has always been at the heart of what I do.

For those who currently access support through this page, please be reassured that I will continue to support families and young people. The only change is that I have adjusted my availability slightly and tweaked my diary to accommodate my work with Pure Innovations.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me on my journey so far. I’m looking forward to continuing my work with families while also contributing to this fantastic project!

If you’d like to learn more about Pure Innovations and the fantastic work they do, I’ve attached their website. Across Greater Manchester, they support people through employment, education, wellbeing services, community projects, and their inclusive Pure Coffee cafés and their own college in Stockport amongst other great projects. Their focus is on creating opportunities, encouraging independence, and helping people feel connected, valued, and included within their communities!

https://www.pureinnovations.co.uk/pure-college/

01/06/2026

Are you a carer? Take a look at the free events happening across Manchester for Carers Week!

19/05/2026

19/05/2026

One thing I see time and time again in my work is how many incredible young people and adults are overlooked because society still places such a heavy focus on academic achievement alone.

Not everyone is designed to thrive in traditional education settings, that does not mean they lack intelligence, capability or potential. In fact, many individuals with SEND develop strengths that cannot always be measured on paper, determination, resilience, creativity, problem solving, empathy and the ability to think completely outside the box.

These are often the people who learn to adapt daily and have been through a lot of life challenges who persevere through those challenges others may never see or have experienced and who bring unique perspectives that workplaces desperately need.

Yet too often employers focus only on grades, exam results or academic pathways “degree preferred” and in doing so they are missing out on a huge group of talented individuals with enormous value to offer. I have worked with many neurodivergent individuals and they have been incredibly hard workers who have literally loved their job and the value of self worth it provides for them…employers you are missing out with your highly stringent “degree necessary or preferred” you need to be looking at what the individual has to offer.

Success should never be defined by one this narrow measure. Some of the most innovative thinkers, loyal employees and capable problem solvers are those who had to find their own way through systems that were never built with them in mind.

We need to start recognising strengths beyond academics and creating opportunities where different minds are seen as an asset, not a limitation.

This story below about Cameron is a perfect example….there are loads, as Cameron has quoted and I have myself in the past Richard Branson is also a prime example of this. You need to start and look outside those “little tick boxes”

This is Cameron. He is dyslexic and failed his A-levels, has gone on to study at LSE and become CEO of his own tech company 🙌

Cameron attended a specialist school in Wales, where he managed to gain his GCSEs despite an unconventional approach to learning there.

However, this meant he struggled when he returned to more mainstream education to attempt his A-Levels at Eccles College 😔

After his failure at his A-levels on first attempt, he "managed to squeeze" onto a foundation year at Manchester Metropolitan University and admits his first essay there was just a single paragraph long.

But Cameron put in the hard graft and improved ‘step by step’ and managed to turn it around, he went on to study at Glasgow University and LSE. His ambitions didn’t stop there, going on to work as a financial manager and later a start up tech company 👏

He said: "I'd always looked up to dyslexic founders like Richard Branson, and I knew at some point I'd have to follow that path myself.”

Cameron and Ufuk have now co-founded a tech-enabled trade compliance business and have been extremely successful! And now he is encouraging people that they too can do the same ❤️

He says: "I think that for most people university is overhyped and apprenticeships are great. I've seen lots of pals who were smart but not academic do well by doing an apprenticeship, so just because you're not academic, it doesn't mean you're not smart!”

Such an inspiring story, congratulations on your success Cameron 🙌

17/05/2026

This is such a common occurrence. A child being given repeated detentions, yet nothing improves because the focus is on the behaviour itself rather than understanding the child behind it. Schools are often not looking deep enough at what is really going on for that young person.

One thing I hear time and time again is that they actually like isolation because it gives them a quiet space away from everything else, this is a huge indicator! In their minds, they enjoy the time there, they get 1:1 interaction, in their “minds bring it on”

For some children, getting a detention early in the day can feel like permission to give up on the rest of it. They feel misunderstood, unheard and written off. If more time was taken to understand what is driving the behaviour, schools would often find far more effective ways to support the child rather than simply punish them.

08/05/2026

Wow, what a day! 💙

Today was my very first SEND Clinic at Middleton Library, I am so grateful for how well it was received. The clinic was busy throughout the morning, it was lovely to meet so many parent carers and offer some clarity, guidance, and reassurance.

Although a few people could not make their appointments, I truly feel today showed just how needed these sessions are within our community.

Thank you so much for all of the lovely messages, encouragement, and support from local councillors and the Middleton community as a whole, it has been proven it is needed and hopefully I can create something meaningful for our community

Watch this space for details of my next clinic, which will be held next month.

01/05/2026

It’s been such a busy week. I have now had time to pause and reflect… and there have been some really meaningful wins for my families this week.

From supporting in a Child in Need meeting where my input helped secure a strong package of support, to submitting comprehensive EHCP applications, preparing for mediation, and working through a DLA application in a quiet library space.

I’ve also had a really positive and exciting meeting with a local SEND organisation, and we’re hoping to collaborate on something that will support our community… more to come on that!!

I feel very grateful to be trusted to walk alongside my families, I love especially our little celebratory chats after a meeting when we have secured what we set out to achieve!