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Many families do not get the help they need because they do not know where to look or how to cut their way through the increasingly complicated system. We aim to highlight resources and inspire and empower families to do this successfully by providing resources, tips, facts and examples. We also campaign to defend the existing legal rights of children and young people with SEND and their families.

Who we are

Special Needs Jungle was started in 2008 by Tania Tirraoro, as a way of preserving the knowledge she had gained successfully navigating the ‘jungle’ of the statementing system for her first younger child, then her older son. Over the years, it has expanded from a personal blog into a site that’s packed with useful information about special educational needs and disability issues faced by children and their parents.

SNJ’s Co-Directors are Tania Tirraoro, Renata Watts, Sharon Smith and Gill Doherty. Everyone who writes for SNJ are parents of, or work with, children with special needs and/or disabilities.

Governance, Independence and Transparency Statement

Special Needs Jungle is a non-profit Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG).

We have directors, not trustees. We do not have shareholders. We are not owned, directed or controlled by any government department, local authority, political party, coalition or umbrella body.

We are independent.

Funding

SNJ is funded by donations, social media commission, Google Adsense commission, and advertising. This is not enough to pay ourselves, but does keep the website online. If you would like to advertise with us, sponsor content, or support the website, please get in touch.

Directors and Remuneration

Our directors work voluntarily for Special Needs Jungle.

• No one is employed by SNJ.
• Directors are not salaried.
• SNJ does not provide regular income to any director.

From time to time:

• Directors may undertake paid external speaking, training or consultancy work on behalf of SNJ.
• A minimum of 10% of income generated from such external work is donated back to SNJ.
• Directors periodically receive a very modest consultancy payment for specific external advocacy carried out representing SNJ. To date, any such payments have amounted to under £1,000 per year per director. These payments are symbolic and reflect the principle that SNJ directors should not be the only unpaid participants in professional policy environments. Payments are made as consultancy fees, not employment.

SNJ does not distribute profit.

Other Roles Held by Directors

SNJ directors may hold other paid or unpaid roles outside SNJ.

When speaking, writing or appearing publicly:

• If a director is representing Special Needs Jungle, this will be explicitly stated.
• If this is not explicitly stated, the director is speaking in a personal capacity or on behalf of another organisation they represent.

SNJ does not claim authority over views expressed outside a declared SNJ role.

Participation in Policy Spaces

SNJ participates in sector networks, advisory groups and coalitions. Participation does not mean:

• We endorse all positions taken by those bodies.
• We are bound by their policy positions.
• Our editorial stance is determined by them.

Our primary accountability is to families and disabled children and young people.

Editorial decisions and public positions are determined independently by SNJ’s directors.

We reserve the right to publicly support, question or oppose policies — including those supported by organisations with which we collaborate.

Meetings with Ministers and Officials

We sometimes meet with ministers, civil servants and officials to present:

• Families’ lived experience
• Evidence from our readership and advisory networks
• Our own informed analysis based on many years of SEND advocacy

Where confidentiality is required as a condition of participation, we respect that requirement.

However:

• We log when such meetings take place.
• We record the general area of discussion.
• We remain accountable to our supporters for our role in those spaces.

Participation in meetings does not imply endorsement of government policy.

Access does not equal agreement.

Save Our Children’s Rights

The only external collective in which SNJ plays a founding and leading role is the Save Our Children’s Rights campaign. This is a consensus-led collaborative focused on preserving the rights of children and young people with SEND and their families.

Within this campaign, our voice is strongly reflected. The campaign operates independently and is guided by a shared commitment to statutory rights and accountability.

Tell your story

If you have a story to tell or know of a great resource you think others should know about, get in touch – we’d love to hear from you

Welcome to the Jungle...