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Unveiling Perspectives (Project UP)

We’re providing free assessments of needs for Black children with unidentified or unmet needs. 

Unveiling Perspectives  (Project UP): The lived experience of Black families and the use of dynamic assessments to identify needs in children who have or may have special educational needs and disabilities.

Learn more below.

What is 'Project UP'?

Do I Meet The Criteria?

Meet The Team

FAQs

What is 'Project UP'?

We’ve been fortunate to have received funding from the Baobab Foundation for free assessments for Black families up to 2028. 

Through our advocacy work, we recognised a significant gap between our children not having their needs identified or met, and often being routinely excluded from school.

The assessments aim to identify any special educational needs and provide recommendations. These detailed assessment reports can then be used by parents to apply for an Education, Health and Care plan or share with the school to demonstrate their child’s special educational needs and disabilities. To register your expression of interest please complete our form here and we’ll be in touch!

express interest

Background

We’re providing free assessments of needs for Black children with unidentified or unmet needs. 

Throughout this project we want:

  • Families to be confident in recognising and understanding their child or young person’s difficulties. 
  • To ensure they have the knowledge required to advocate fully for their child or young person.
  • To ensure that every SEND Black child or young person has a positive, aspirational, and thriving education. 

Please note these are not diagnostic assessments. To register your interest please visit our website. 

express interest

Criteria

  • Must be of Black African/Caribbean heritage and/or racialised as Black. 
  • Must live outside of London & Greater London.
  • The young person or child must be between the ages of 5 and 25.
  • Attending meetings.
  • Supporting with the Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment Applications.
  • Education, Health and Care plan draft reviews.
  • Supporting applications for appeal and case management.
  • School disability discrimination applications.
  • Funding applications e.g. Blue Badge, PIP, Transport applications, Disability Student Allowance etc.
  • Disability Rights
express interest

Advisory Team

Meet Zakiya

Zakiya Noona Nosakhere is an experienced practitioner with a passion for providing a high standard of care and advocating for those in need within both her roles as an Assistant Professor of Midwifery and a midwife.

Zakiya teaches and facilitates the learning and clinical development of student midwives. She have a keen interest and expertise in mental health, particularly perinatal mental health and has gained valuable experience whilst working in CAMHS.

Within her role as Assistant Professor of Midwifery at the University of Nottingham she is the Midwifery lead for inter-professional education for which she co-leads MidMed which provides Medicine and Midwifery students with the opportunity to experience obstetric emergencies simulations and complex social case studies facilitated by obstetric and Midwifery academics and clinicians. She has presented the ongoing success with MidMed at the INHWE 2024 conference in Spain.

Additionally, Zakiya is the clinical skills lead for Midwifery and works to improve the diversity and quality of clinical skills equipment for Midwifery and other students to aid in educating them on how health issues can impact the diverse service users we care for.

Meet Natasha

Natasha Boyce is an educational consultant with twenty years of secondary school teaching experience.

In recent years, much of Natasha’s work has been driving discussions around race equity and social justice in education. This has led to Natasha introducing a number of projects in Leicestershire schools. Natasha also delivers racial literacy training in primary and secondary schools across Leicester and Leicestershire.

Much of her work has been in collaboration with Citizens UK and she has been a regional campaigner for racial literacy training in all UK schools. In addition, she facilitated strong relationships between the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre and local Leicester and Leicestershire schools. This partnership formed the basis for a pilot of the anti-racist educators,‘Teaching to Transform’ programme. As a result of this relationship she founded one of the first Stephen Lawrence student ambassador groups in Leicester, thereby developing students as leaders in creating racially just communities.

Meet Warda

Warda Farah is an neurodivergent Social Entrepreneur, Speech and Language Therapist, Writer and Lecturer at the University of Greenwich. Her work sits at the intersection of Race, Language and Disability.

Warda set up her Social Enterprise Language Waves to address the barriers that Black and minoritised families face when accessing Speech and Language Therapy services that are culturally and linguistically affirming. Her approach is guided by her own experiences as neurodivergent Black woman.

Whilst wearing many hats ultimately my work aims to centre Black Joy.

Meet Fraser

Dr Fraser Lauchlan is an educational psychologist with more than 25 years of experience working in a range of settings. His expertise in dynamic assessment dates back to 1995 when he was first trained in the approach as a doctoral research student. From that time in the mid-1990s until the present-day, Fraser has been involved in extensive training, research and practice in dynamic assessment. This includes the publication of over 50 research papers and conference presentations, culminating in the publication of two resource textbooks on the approach entitled “Improving Learning Through Dynamic Assessment” (with Donna Carrigan – 2013) and “Applying Dynamic Assessment in Schools” (with Clare Daly – 2023).

Fraser is the Director of Dynamic Assessment UK Ltd, which promotes and supports the development of practitioner skills in Dynamic Assessment in educational psychologists, teachers, speech and language therapists and all related professionals.

FAQs

A dynamic assessment focuses on identifying the requirements or challenges faced by a child or young person. It aims to determine what interventions or support are necessary to address specific issues or enhance well-being. This type of assessment often examines a broad range of factors, including social, emotional, physical, and environmental aspects that may impact a child or young person. 

The outcome of this assessment informs the development of plans, programs, or interventions tailored to meet the identified needs. 

A diagnostic assessment aims to identify specific conditions or problems that an individual may be experiencing. It focuses on making a formal diagnosis or classification based on established criteria or guidelines. 

The reports can be used in a variety of ways. Firstly, they belong to you, the parent. You can use them to share with whoever you want, such as your GP, school or placements, teachers, other professionals. The report can be used to support any stage in the Education, Health and Care (EHCP) process, for Appeals or whomever you think necessary to help understand the needs of your child. 

Most definitely. If you or your child have the diagnosis but are not clear on the recommendations, this report can be used. The report might be used in support or alongside other professional reports to build a better understanding of your children’s needs. 

The child’s details, views, strengths and needs, the purpose of the report, sources of information, background information, views of the school, the assessments included, conclusions, outcomes and recommendations. 

Yes, they are credible. They are completed by a qualified and trained professional. However, with all reports they can be subjective to the opinion of those reading them. 

We are doing this research to: 

• Advance knowledge – Push the boundaries of what we know, uncovering new facts, theories, and principles. 

• Problem solve – Identify and solve problems, whether they’re practical issues or complex challenges. Studying problems systematically can develop effective solutions. 

• Innovate – Provide the foundation for developing new products, services, and processes that can improve people’s lives and contribute to growth. 

• Improve practice – Providing evidence-based insights helps to make informed decisions and improve the quality of work. 

• Addressing societal change – By studying these insights and developing evidence-based solutions, we can contribute to positive social change. 

We really hope you’re able to get involved and shape the way our Black children receive the support they need in education. 

The history of racism and education in the UK, clearly demonstrates that all meaningful advances in race and education equality have come about as a result of community action (Gillborn 2008; Ramdin 1987; Tomlinson 2008). 

Participants may recall traumatic or stressful experiences related to their SEND journey, which could potentially lead to emotional distress during or after the 

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Haye Independent Services Ltd T: (+44) 07737 324 039 E: hello@whatsthebige.com W: whatsthebige.com Registered company number in England and Wales: 9093476 

discussion. At the Big E, we seek to foster a welcoming and supportive environment where participants feel safe and respected. Participants have the right to withdraw from interviews or discussions if they feel the need. We will signpost services where participants can seek help with whatever their issue may be. 

With the assessments we won’t share any of the outcomes or with no one you do not give us permission to. 

With the research, unless explicitly stated, you will not be identified, pseudonym names will be used. 

Our privacy policy is available on our website and our how we store and protect your data is also included in our terms and conditions. 

The assessment and reports are funded so they are completely free. 

The only anticipated costs are those contributed for mileage which is outlined in your client letter. 

The first set of assessments are due to get started in September 2024. Before the assessment starts, we have to gather some information first through our contact form. If we have any further questions, we will contact you directly to make sure we can best support you and/or your child. You are not officially signed up until you have signed your client letter and agreed to our terms and conditions. 

In the first instance please contact us via email at hello@whatsthebige.com or give us a call or text on 07426 395 213 

The assessment is separate to the research. It will involve reading any supporting documentation which you may have related to you or your child from any other professionals and services or yours or your child’s school. After this, the assessor will then meet with you or your child at school, at home or a safe and quiet location and go through a series of activities. After the assessment, the assessor will then speak with you as the parents to gather your views and then write the report. 

This may vary from person to person, but we typically allow up to 3 hours. 

If the assessment takes place during school then no, we will contact the school directly to make the necessary arrangements. If you or your child is under 16 and not in school then yes a parent or carer will need to be present, but this will be discussed with you. 

That’s completely fine! Share what you can and what you have. We can also request the documents from the school on your behalf. If you have nothing, that’s also fine, tell us. You’ll have opportunities to share your views with us. 

We doubt this! However, if you really think you have nothing, that’s also fine, tell us. You’ll have opportunities to share your views with us. 

You will be given access to your own private folder where you can upload the documents. Please upload your files as PDF’s so that we can access them. Not pictures (e.g. JPEG) 

After the assessment, we will meet with you and the school and go through the report and recommendations. After a complete term, we will then meet with you to see if there’s been any progress or any further challenges. 

If it’s for another child or young person than yes. If it’s for the same child or young person, unfortunately not. 

About Our Funders

The Baobab Foundation has provided the funding to make Project UP happen! Here’s a little bit about them…

The Baobab Foundation is a member-led funding organisation. Their aim is to significantly scale resourcing to Black and Global Majority communities, contributing to wealth redistribution, equitable access, solidarity and sustainability.

Their intention is to grow, support and strengthen individuals, organisations and groups led by and for Black African heritage people. Baobab is reshaping the funding ecosystem by centring and prioritising Black people in resourcing, staffing and funding to dismantle structural, systemic racism and intersectional injustice.

While Baobab centres and safeguards Black African heritage people, they also support Global Majority individuals, groups and organisations.

The Baobab Foundation has provided the funding to make Project UP happen!

Click here to learn more about them. 

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