SENDinfo Archive 

Welcome to the digital archive of sendinfo.org (Archived at https://SENDinfo.WithMetta.uk). While this project has formally concluded, this space has been preserved as a legacy archive

Here is the story of how a simple search for answers grew into a vital community lifeline.

The SENDinfo project began in the early days, when we realised our son needed additional support. Like so many parents entering the world of SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities), my family found itself frantically gathering information, piecing together guidance, and navigating a complex system. Our sole focus was delivering the best possible early intervention for our son, but we quickly hit a major wall...the information simply wasn't there!

The sheer frustration of facing fragmented, hidden, or confusing information was overwhelming. I realised that if I was struggling to find these resources, many other parents were in the exact same position.

As I started gathering information for my own family, I began uploading everything I found to the web so that all carers could benefit.

What started as a personal repository quickly evolved into a robust, multi-platform toolkit designed to meet carers wherever they were. At its peak, the project consisted of:

Two specific areas of the website grew to become essential, high-performing resources for the community:

1. The NYCC Key Contacts Page

Finding the right person to speak to within a local authority can be notoriously difficult. To solve this, I submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, navigating the process with the formal support of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

The result was a comprehensive contacts page listing key personnel within North Yorkshire County Council. For the first time, carers could instantly find direct contact details for crucial roles, such as the SEND Transport Manager. This page became so definitive that it wasn't just used by parents; a myriad of health, education, and social care professionals relied on it to navigate the local authority. At its peak, this page alone attracted around 5,000+ unique hits per month.

2. The Comprehensive Grants List

Securing financial support for specialised care is a daunting task. We built and maintained an extremely popular, exhaustive directory of available grants dedicated to carers of children with special educational needs, helping families unlock vital funding they might otherwise never have found. At its peak, between the app and website, this resource consistently attracted 10,000+ unique hits per month.

Today, the SENDinfo project is officially closed. The active website has been stepped down, the Android app has been removed from the store, and the printable directory is no longer updated.

However, keeping this space alive as a static archive is incredibly important to me. Beyond the data and the metrics, this project holds sentimental value. The artwork and graphics featured across this project represent a deeply personal era. Most notably, the boy painted on the brick wall beneath the lamp is actually my son, Finley, although he is much older now!

Every time I look at that image of Finley painted on the brick wall, I am instantly taken back to those early days. It brings back the sleepless nights, the shared anxieties, and the incredible strength of the carers who walked alongside us. While the app is gone and the data is frozen in time, the love and dedication that built them remain fully intact. This archive is preserved for Finley, for the dads who found solidarity in our support group, and for every family who proved that even when the system feels overwhelming, we are never truly navigating it alone.