Joined-Up Support: Helping Families Navigate Education with a Multi-Disciplinary Team

In recent years, we have seen how it has become increasingly common for young people to work with multiple specialists at once. Some have formal diagnoses, such as ADHD, autism, or anxiety. Others may be navigating school refusal, trauma, or long-term health conditions. This kind of support is not limited to home-schooled students. It is also common among children in mainstream schools with LSAs, those who are flexi-schooled, or students receiving after-school tuition alongside a full-time school place.

Families may be receiving help through an EHCP, the local authority, a private SEN consultant, or therapeutic services. Each professional plays an important role, but very few multi-disciplinary groups are pulled together to work as a team. This can leave families with several different plans, but no clear path.

We have heard many parents say they feel like project managers for their child’s life, often without the tools or time to do the job. It can be emotionally exhausting. And without coordination, the young person may not get the consistent input they need to feel secure and succeed.

The Risks of Disjointed Support

When professionals don’t communicate, it’s the child who feels the cracks. A therapist might suggest one strategy, while a tutor unknowingly uses another. School may be left out of the loop entirely. Plans are made in parallel, not in partnership – and the child ends up juggling it all.

They may feel pulled in different directions, overstimulated, or simply exhausted from having to explain themselves over and over. The result? Progress slows, frustration builds, and trust in the support system starts to wear thin.

What’s often missing is a steady point of connection – someone who sees the whole picture and can join the dots before things unravel.

What Joined-Up Support Looks Like

Joined-up support means professionals are not just working with the child – they are working with each other too.

This might look like:

• Shared educational goals across tutoring and therapy
• Regular progress reviews and open communication between team members
• Clear plans that support both academic and emotional development
• The pace of learning adjusted in real time, based on how the student is coping
• Professionals being properly briefed before meeting your child, so no one goes in cold
• One trusted person to oversee and coordinate everything

At Enjoy Education, this joined-up approach is led by two key roles: the Programme Manager and the Lead Tutor Coordinator. Together, they act as the central point for the family. They keep the child’s needs at the heart of the plan, make sure no one is working in isolation, and ensure that every professional involved is aligned, informed and working towards the same goals.

The Role of the In-House Programme Manager

We’ve been coordinating multi-disciplinary teams to support families for over 10 years. Our Programme Managers build strong relationships with families, tutors, schools, and therapists. 

Their role might include:

• Matching the right tutor to the child’s academic and emotional needs
• Liaising with therapists, schools and other specialists to maintain consistency
• Preparing professionals with key context before they meet the child
• Coordinating a personalised education plan that integrates academic and wellbeing goals
•  Attending or supporting families through EHCP reviews, CAMHS meetings or reintegration plans
• Monitoring progress and adapting the tuition approach in response to feedback, working with tutors who see our students every single day. 
• Acting as a sounding board for parents when new challenges arise
• Anticipating pressure points in the academic year and planning around them proactively

When everything is aligned, tuition becomes more effective. We’ve seen how our students feel more seen and supported, routines begin to stabilise, and the whole family experiences a sense of relief and reassurance.