For schools and settings
Clarity Call: a sense-check before you commit to anything
A short conversation with a former SENDCo and deputy head about whatever has come up. It is the sensible first step before commissioning an audit, CPD, mentoring or case support, and it is just as useful for deciding that none of those is what you need.
What brings schools to one
Usually something new, something urgent, or something nobody has time to unpick
- A concern has come up that is new, urgent or more complex than usual.
- A SENDCo is new in post and wants a steer from somebody who has done the job.
- An inspection is coming and you want an outside read on where SEND provision stands.
- An EHCP consultation has landed and needs a response.
- You know you want support and are not sure which of the services fits.
Claire spent over 25 years in schools, most recently as a SENDCo and deputy head, so the conversation starts from how the job actually works rather than from how it is written up.
Clarity Call
Up to 30 minutes, by Teams or telephone, at no charge.
- Talk through the issue with someone who has held the role
- By Teams or telephone, whichever suits the timetable
- No obligation to commit to anything afterwards
What it is
A scoping conversation, not a sales call
The point of the free call is to work out what the issue actually is and whether it needs external support at all. Claire will say so if it does not. Where something further would help, you get a straight view on which of it is worth the budget line and which is not.
- Up to 30 minutes with a former SENDCo and deputy head
- A straight answer on whether this needs external support at all
- Initial signposting where that is the useful thing
- A view on which service fits, if one does
It is a conversation rather than a piece of written work, so there is no report afterwards. Where a written output is the thing you need, that is a different service and Claire will tell you which one.
The process
Three steps, no paperwork
01
Send a request
Fill in the short form on this page. Say what has come up and whether Teams or the telephone works better. Claire replies within two working days.
02
Have the conversation
Up to 30 minutes on Teams or by telephone. Claire listens, asks the questions that matter, and gives you her read on it.
03
Decide what happens next
Sometimes the call is enough on its own. Where it is not, Claire will tell you which service would actually help and what it would involve.
Request a clarity call
Tell Claire what has come up
Fill in the short form below and say whether Teams or the telephone works better. Claire replies within two working days and will email to agree a time, so it can go into a calendar and be shared with whoever else should be on the call.
Where the issue is already clear and what you need is advice rather than scoping, there is a longer 60 minute call. It goes into the situation properly and gives you practical next steps you can act on. Like the free call it is verbal, so there is no written follow up.
Common questions
What schools usually ask first
Who is the clarity call for?
Headteachers, SENDCos, deputies, business managers and anyone else in a school or setting weighing up whether external SEND support is worth commissioning. It is equally useful for a specific case and for a general sense-check before spending a budget line.
What is the difference between the free call and the paid one?
The free call is up to 30 minutes and is a scoping conversation: what the issue is, what the options are, and whether anything further is needed. The paid call is 60 minutes and goes into the issue properly, with practical next-step guidance you can act on straight away. Both are verbal, and neither includes a written report or a follow up document. Both are on the schools price list.
How is the call delivered?
By Microsoft Teams or by telephone. Claire will email to agree a time and send an invitation, so it can go straight into a calendar and be shared with anyone else who should be on it.
Can more than one person join?
Yes, and it often works better that way. A SENDCo and a deputy on the same call means the decision does not have to be relayed second hand. Say so in the request and Claire will invite whoever needs to be there.
How quickly can it happen?
Usually within one to two weeks of the request. If there is a deadline in the next 7 days, an inspection window or a consultation response due, tick the box on the form and Claire will do what she can to prioritise.
Do you need documents in advance?
Not for the call itself. If there is a plan, a policy or a report you want an opinion on, say so in the request and Claire will tell you whether reading it beforehand would make the conversation more useful, or whether it is really a piece of review work.
Where to go next
The rest of the school support
Not sure which service fits?
That is what the call is for. Say what has come up in the form above and Claire will give you a straight view on whether external support is worth it and which kind.
Request a Clarity Call