Sunshine Support

29/12/2025

We love hearing about your news year's plans - and how validating they can be for others!

So, c'mon, what are you up to this New Year?

Pizza? Movie? Party? Bed by 10pm? Jules Holland?

28/12/2025

The return to school might be a week away, but for some of us it may as well be tomorrow - our kids are so anxious! And so are we!

Chrissa has shared some great advice about why the January return to school is so difficult…

28/12/2025

✨ Recruitment ✨

Fancy a new challenge for 2026
One that actually means something?

We’re growing — and we’re looking for SEND Consultants to join our legal team at Sunshine Support 🌈

This isn’t just a job.
It’s advocacy. Justice. Impact.

Every single day, our team stands alongside families navigating a system that’s too often overwhelming, inaccessible, and unfair. We challenge poor practice. We change outcomes. We make noise where it matters most.

If you’re values-led, legally curious, fiercely compassionate, and ready to be part of an award-winning team that genuinely changes lives — we want to hear from you.

🎥 Watch our video to get a real feel for who we are, what we stand for, and why our work matters.
You’ll also find the link to our current vacancies there:
👉 https://youtu.be/W2wUCoBQy7A?si=15mM9cwPwdwW-O7A

🗓 Interviews begin in January — so if this is tugging at you, trust that instinct and get your application in.

Come and help us shine a light where it’s needed most.
Come and be part of something bigger.

Step inside Sunshine Support our award-winning Derby-based organisation creating real change for families navigating special educational needs and disabiliti...

28/12/2025

“I was put on child protection because my daughter presented differently at school to how she did at home”

“I have to cleanse myself of that trauma”

Chrissa made herself really vulnerable here, and hundreds of you contacted us to say how validating you found it.

So we’re sharing this short clip, as we all need that validation at this time of year 💛

28/12/2025

Brand new IMMERSIVE SEND tribunal experience...

EARLYBIRD TICKETS ARE SELLING FAST: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1914184279709

We are so excited to finally announce something we’ve been working on behind the scenes…

Our brand new IN-PERSON Mock SEND Tribunal Workshop - right here at the Sunshine Hub in Derby! ✨

If you’ve ever wished you could sit inside a tribunal room, see exactly how it works, understand who says what, and feel what the process is really like… this is your chance.

This immersive workshop gives you the opportunity to:

🔸 Watch a full mock SEND tribunal unfold in real time

🔸 See how evidence is used and questioned

🔸 Understand what judges look for

🔸 Learn the dos and don’ts straight from our expert team

🔸 Ask your burning questions throughout

🔸 Build confidence before the real thing

Whether you’re facing a tribunal soon or simply want to feel more prepared and informed, this is a game-changing experience you won’t find anywhere else.

And if you're travelling in, we’ve made it even easier!

🏨 There’s a hotel right onsite, so you can make a smooth, stress-free trip of it.

Spaces are extremely limited for this workshop because it’s fully interactive, so if you’re thinking of coming… now’s the time to book.

We can’t wait to welcome you into the Hub for this one-of-a-kind experience! SPACES ARE LIMITED!

Book here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1914184279709

28/12/2025

✨ Check-In Time ✨

We’ve made it to that funny bit between Christmas and New Year…
What day is it? What are we meant to be doing? Why are there still so many leftovers? 😂

For some, this is the best part of the holidays - slower mornings, no school runs, comfy clothes and time together.

For others, the lack of routine, family dynamics, and sensory overload can make things feel… heavy.

Both are real. Both are valid.

And if you’re somewhere in the messy middle - that’s completely OK too 💛

So, tell us… how’s everyone holding up?
✨ Loving the break
😅 Struggling a bit
🤷‍♀️ Just surviving
💥 Festive chaos central
🧘‍♂️ Hiding with snacks

Share as much or as little as you like - this is a safe space to be honest, supported and seen 💛

You’re doing brilliantly. Truly.

27/12/2025

You are not “just mum”.

Chrissa makes a very valid, and validating, point in this video 💛

Something we all need to hear from time to time 💛 You’re not alone 💛

27/12/2025

It’s Christmas season… so naturally we need to know your Elf Name.

Use your first pet’s name + the last thing you bought.

Let the festive chaos begin! 🎄✨

27/12/2025

✨ 𝗝𝗔𝗡𝗨𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗔𝗧 𝗦𝗨𝗡𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗘 ✨

A brand new year of information, support and empowerment is coming your way and we cannot wait to start 2026 with you!

Here is what we have lined up:

🎯 8th January
New Year New Plan: Thriving as a Neurodivergent Parent
Start the year with a strategy that works for you and your family
🎟️ https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1827910181559

📚 13th January
Employment Rights for SEND Families
Know your rights at work and protect your young person as they enter employment
🎟️ https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1828104803679

💛 20th January
Parental Mental Health and Wellbeing
Take care of you this year because you matter too
🎟️ https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1896648830709

☕ Cuppa and Chat
The connection and support we all need
Online: 14th and 28th Jan (England)
Online: 21st Jan (Wales)
In person Derby: 9th and 23rd Jan
🎟️ https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/cuppachat-sessions-3847953

⚖️ 22nd January
Online Advice Clinic: Legal Special
Exclusive for Sunshine Academy members
Join the community: www.sunshine-support.org/academy
Register for the clinic here: https://forms.office.com/e/EPgg41LpaK

A powerful start to 2026.
Support. Knowledge. Community.

You are not doing this alone this year. 💛
We are right here with you.

25/12/2025

From our home to yours, Happy Christmas... Love from everyone at Sunshine Support

The holidays don’t look the same for everyone and we love that.For some, it’s celebration and sparkle.For others, it’s quiet moments, cosy corners, or simply...

24/12/2025

The big guy is arriving tonight... Tensions are often running high by this point - in a good or bad way!

How are you holding up? You OK?

Our team are taking a well earned break, but you can still use our page to support one another and ask advice - we're a lovely community aren't we?

So use this as your support thread of validation... You're doing great.

23/12/2025

We heard this in a meeting last week - we want to clone this SENCo! How amazing?

We have been banging this drum for many, many years so when we hear our own words coming back to us it makes us feel all warm inside...

We thought we'd end our 2025 'professional quote of the week' on a high for you before Christmas...

What's the best thing you've heard this week? Share some positivity and hope below...