What Sunshine Support does

Sunshine Support is a UK-based private limited company (trading as SEN SUPPORT LTD, Company No: 14212237) operating in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) sector across England and Wales. Founded by Chrissa Wadlow based on personal lived experience of the SEND system and headquartered in Derby, the company provides consultancy, advocacy, and educational services to families navigating Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), the Welsh Additional Learning Needs (ALN) framework, tribunal representation, and disability benefits applications including PIP/DLA and Pre-Action Protocol Letters. The client base is primarily individual parents and carers, with secondary demand from education professionals.

The service portfolio spans bespoke consultancy engagements, a subscription learning platform (Sunshine Academy) hosted on LearnWorlds, paid live webinars and in-person workshops ticketed via Eventbrite, community peer-support sessions (Cuppa & Chat), a physical Sunshine Hub in Derby, and an e-commerce shop numbering 132 products that includes the £14 Box of Sunshine. The underlying technology stack is entirely third-party SaaS — WordPress for the website, LearnWorlds for the LMS, Eventbrite for event management, and Microsoft Forms for intake/survey workflows — with no proprietary AI components disclosed. Distribution is amplified by referral partnerships with Small Talk Speech & Language Therapy, PEGS, and Tourette Action.

The business is bootstrapped and founder-led with a small named team of approximately six staff (Chrissa Wadlow, Kelly Jarvis, Jessica Ward, Emily Fairbrother, Rea Banks, Vicky Saunders) and is actively recruiting additional SEND Consultant/Legal Adviser capacity. Strategic priorities evident from the activity set include geographic expansion into Wales, the physical Sunshine Hub launched in 2024, partnerships with advocacy organisations, and community ecosystem buildout via repeated Cuppa & Chat sessions across Derby and Wales.

Name

Sunshine Support

Legal name

SEN SUPPORT LTD

Website

https://sunshine-support.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sunshine Support is a UK-based SEND consultancy serving parents and education professionals across England and Wales with EHCP/ALN advocacy, tribunal representation, training, and a subscription learning platform, bootstrapped and founder-led from Derby.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Advocacy and Consultancy

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK), Autism 1:1 Paraprofessional / Aide Support Services (EDAKAKAD)

Keywords

• SEND advocacy services
• Special needs consultancy
• EHCP application support
• Disability tribunal representation
• Special education training

Headquarters

HQ city

Derby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Premium SEND Consultancy Services: Highly experienced specialist educators and legal advisers provide premium-rate services including statutory needs assessments (EHCPs & IDPs), disability benefits applications (PIP and DLA), tribunal representation, Pre-Action Protocol Letters, professional training, and social care support. This is the primary revenue-generating service.
2. Sunshine Academy Subscription: Subscription-based online learning platform offering courses, resources, and exclusive content for parents and professionals. LearnWorlds-powered membership with tiered access.
3. Webinars and Workshops: Low-cost live webinars and in-person workshops covering SEND topics. Revenue covers operational costs to maintain impartiality as they are not externally funded.
4. Product Sales: E-commerce shop selling downloadable resources (£0 free downloads to paid products) and physical products like Box of Sunshine (£14). Shop contains 132 products.
5. Free Services: Free downloads, blog content, Facebook & YouTube Lives, and peer-to-peer support. These build community trust and drive conversion to paid services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Sunshine Support delivers premium SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) consultancy and advocacy services for parents, carers, and education professionals in England and Wales. Core services include statutory needs assessment support (EHCPs in England, IDPs in Wales), tribunal representation, Pre-Action Protocol Letters, disability benefits applications (PIP/DLA), social care/child protection advice, and professional training. The company also operates the Sunshine Academy subscription learning platform, a ticketed webinar and in-person workshop programme, a community shop of digital and physical resources, and free peer-support services.

Product overview

Sunshine Support is a SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) consultancy and advocacy organization offering a comprehensive suite of services. The core offering centers on SEND Consultancy Services including advocacy, EHCP support, tribunal representation, and professional training. The product portfolio includes the Sunshine Academy subscription learning platform, live and in-person webinars/workshops, Cuppa & Chat peer support sessions, and free downloadable resources. The company also operates a community hub in Derby and provides specialized support for Welsh ALN/IDP systems. Services range from free resources and community support to premium-rate professional advocacy and legal advisory services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sunshine Academy: Online learning platform offering courses, webinars, and educational resources on SEND topics including EHCPs, autism, ADHD, and related subjects.

Products and services

• SEND Consultancy Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Parents report overwhelming relief and successful EHCP outcomes with advocacy support
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Small Talk Speech & Language Therapy (Libby Hill)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLibby Hill of Small Talk Speech & Language Therapy is referenced as an expert collaborator who provides diagnostic assessments (e.g., for DLD) and co-hosts webinars on speech and language topics. Not formally announced as a partnership but an ongoing working relationship.
• PEGS (Parent Advisory Group)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPEGS (Parent Expert Group/Similar) is referenced as a partner for providing support and guidance to families impacted by child to parent abuse. Collaborative relationship for content and support delivery.
• Tourette ActionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSunshine Support partnered with Tourette Action to host a live webinar on Tourette Syndrome, demonstrating collaborative approach with advocacy organizations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IPSEA (Independent Provider of Special Education Advice): UK charity providing free and low-cost legal advice, tribunal support, and training on SEND/EHCP processes. Most direct competitor to Sunshine Support's premium advocacy and tribunal representation services, with overlapping parent and professional audiences.
• KIDS: UK charity supporting disabled children and young people through services, training, and family support. Overlaps with Sunshine Support on SEND family support, professional training, and inclusion services.
• Contact (formerly Contact a Family): UK charity supporting families of disabled children with advice, peer support, and resources. Direct peer on the parent/carer support, SEND advice, and community engagement model that Sunshine Support operates.
• Cerebra: UK charity providing support, resources, and legal advice for families of children with brain conditions and neurodevelopmental disabilities. Comparable on EHCP guidance, parent support, and SEND advocacy services.
• Special Needs Jungle: Independent UK parent-led SEND information platform providing articles, resources, and guidance on EHCPs and SEND processes. Directly comparable to Sunshine Support's content-led, parent-focused community and resource model.

Broad incumbents

• Mencap: Large UK charity for people with learning disabilities, providing advice, advocacy, and family support. Broadly overlaps with Sunshine Support's disability advocacy and family support services but at national scale.
• National Autistic Society: Large UK charity providing autism-specific education, advocacy, and training. Overlaps with Sunshine Support's autism advocacy, professional training, and parent education offerings, but at much greater scale and brand recognition.
• Ambitious about Autism: UK charity focused on autism education and advocacy, operating schools and offering parent resources. Comparable to Sunshine Support on autism-focused parent support, EHCP guidance, and educational advocacy.
• Family Fund: UK charity providing grants and support to families raising disabled or seriously ill children. Comparable on the SEND family-support segment but with a grants-based model rather than premium consultancy.
• SENDIAS (SEND Information, Advice and Support services): Statutory, government-funded SEND advice services operating in every local authority. They offer free EHCP and SEND advice, directly competing with Sunshine Support's premium consultancy on the same parent/professional customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SunshineSupportUK
• Facebookfacebook.com/sunshinesupportuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sunshine-support
• Instagraminstagram.com/sunshinesupportuk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sunshine Support