Background

Creating a more inclusive education system remains one of the most important and challenging priorities in public policy. Despite decades of reform, too many disabled children and young people continue to encounter barriers to participation, belonging and opportunity. At the same time, families, professionals and policymakers are navigating increasing complexity, rising demand and growing pressure on systems intended to support children to thrive.

Addressing these challenges requires more than policy change alone. It requires trust, meaningful engagement and a shared understanding of how reform is experienced in practice.

My work sits at the intersection of inclusion, SEND reform, policy, research and stakeholder engagement. Over the last fifteen years, I have contributed to SEND reform from multiple perspectives: through national policy development, parliamentary engagement, parent participation, strategic communications, academic research and lived experience.

This journey began during the development of the reforms that followed the 2011 SEND Green Paper and has continued through the implementation of the 2014 reforms and today’s debates about the future of SEND policy. Along the way, I have worked with families, local authorities, schools, charities, researchers, parliamentarians, civil servants and sector leaders, helping to bridge the gap between policy ambition and lived reality.

Currently serving as Policy & Parliamentary Lead at the Down’s Syndrome Association, Co-Director of Special Needs Jungle and Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham, my work focuses on understanding how policy is experienced on the ground and how evidence, stakeholder expertise and lived experience can contribute to better decision-making.

Particular areas of interest include:

  • SEND reform and implementation
  • Inclusion and belonging
  • Parent and family experience
  • Disability policy and rights
  • Stakeholder engagement and co-production
  • Trust, accountability and system change
  • Translating complex policy and research into accessible insight
  • Building relationships across policy, practice and lived experience

A strong commitment to accessibility underpins all of this work. Effective engagement is only possible when people can access, understand and influence the information that affects them.

Research

My work is grounded in inclusive philosophies, maternal subjectivity, and a commitment to co‑produced knowledge.

I can provide evidence‑informed commentary on:

  • SEND policy, accountability and tribunals
  • Parental advocacy and system pressures
  • Inclusion, belonging and education
  • Transitions to adulthood
  • The lived experience behind policy decisions
  • Accessibility

Policy Expertise

  • Lead author on national consultation responses
  • Parliamentary briefings on SEND reform and inclusion
  • Analysis of accountability, tribunals and system pressures
  • Evidence translation for MPs, Peers and civil servants
  • Policy commentary widely used by parent groups and sector organisations

For media enquiries, policy briefings, collaboration or speaking engagements, please contact me.

You can also find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonls