MINIFLORA FOR UNIVERSITIES & COLLEGES
Supporting students who are raising children with SEND.
Students who are parents or carers of children with SEND can be managing school communication, appointments, referrals, meetings, waiting lists, childcare and family emergencies alongside lectures, placements, deadlines and assessments.
Miniflora provides practical SEND-family navigation so students do not have to manage all of that alone.
THE GAP
Student support does not always cover the child’s SEND system.
Miniflora is designed to sit alongside existing university support and help with that practical SEND-family workload.
Many universities already provide support through student wellbeing, academic adjustments, carer support, hardship funding and student-support advisers.
But a student who is raising a child with SEND may still be left managing school meetings, referrals, appointments, professionals, waiting lists, childcare and follow-ups on their own.
WHEN STUDY AND SEND FAMILY LIFE COLLIDE
Students may be managing far more than their course.
For a student who is also raising a child with SEND, academic life can sit alongside a constant stream of school communication, appointments, referrals, meetings, childcare changes and follow-ups.
- School calls during lectures or placements
- Paediatric or therapy appointments
- SENCO and EHCP meetings
- Referrals and waiting lists
- Childcare breakdowns
Miniflora helps students organise the family side of that picture.
- Unexpected school collection
- Multiple professionals and services
- Coursework and assessment deadlines
- Placements and attendance requirements
- Caring for siblings and managing home life
PRACTICAL SEND-FAMILY SUPPORT
What Miniflora can provide for students
Miniflora gives students practical, ongoing support with the SEND-related workload they are managing alongside their studies.
The aim is to reduce the practical load students are carrying, not to replace the professionals already supporting their child or their university.
FAMILY NAVIGATOR
A named point of support to help the student understand what is happening, what needs doing next and what can wait.
FAMILY MAP
Bring school, health, professionals, referrals, appointments and outstanding actions into one clearer picture.
TASK DESK
Practical help working through SEND-related admin, routine communication, organisation and next steps.
MEETING & APPOINTMENT PREPARATION
Help students prepare questions, concerns, evidence and follow-up actions before school or health meetings.
WAITING & FOLLOW-UP TRACKING
Keep track of referrals, appointments, promised actions and things that still need chasing.
STUDY & SEND COORDINATION
Help students plan around appointments, childcare, placement demands, deadlines and other important academic commitments.
WORKING ALONGSIDE EXISTING SUPPORT
Designed to complement, not duplicate, what universities already provide.
Many universities already provide valuable support through student wellbeing, academic adjustments, carer support, hardship funding and student-support teams.
Miniflora adds a specialist practical layer for students who are also managing a child’s SEND system.
Miniflora does not replace university support. It fills the practical gap between student support and the SEND-related workload happening at home.
STUDENT WELLBEING
Emotional and wellbeing support.
ACADEMIC SUPPORT
Extensions, attendance support, study planning and academic guidance.
STUDENT CARER SUPPORT
General carer recognition, flexibility and signposting.
MINIFLORA
Practical SEND-family navigation around school, referrals, appointments, childcare, meetings and follow-ups.
How a university pilot could work
Universities can begin with a small, clearly defined Miniflora service pilot for students who are parents or carers of children with SEND. A suggested starting model is a 12-week pilot offering up to 20 student places, although the duration, number of places and support included can be agreed with each institution.
What participating students could receive
- An initial Family Navigation conversation
- A Family Map bringing school, health, referrals, appointments and outstanding actions into one clearer picture
- A practical action plan showing what needs doing, who is responsible and what needs following up
- Help organising SEND-related paperwork and information
- Support preparing routine emails and communications for the student’s approval
- Preparation for school meetings, EHCP reviews and health appointments
- Tracking of referrals, waiting lists and promised actions
- Help coordinating SEND responsibilities with study, placements, deadlines and childcare
- Follow-up check-ins during the pilot
- Signposting when legal, medical, therapeutic or statutory support is required
Confidentiality and reporting
Miniflora treats each student’s family information confidentially. Universities would receive agreed high-level, aggregated reporting about service uptake, broad themes and impact. Reports would not identify individual students or children. Information would only be shared outside the agreed service arrangements where the participant has specifically authorised it, where there is a serious safeguarding concern, or where disclosure is required by law. Where participant numbers are small, reporting will be limited to avoid making individuals identifiable.
This is an employee or student-support
1. Agree the pilot
Miniflora and the university agree the pilot period, number of student places, referral or access route and the support included.
2. Invite eligible students
The university shares the service with students who are raising children with SEND. Participation is voluntary and students can contact Miniflora through the agreed access route.
3. Miniflora supports participating families
Students receive confidential, practical SEND-family navigation. They do not need to organise everything or complete lengthy paperwork before asking for help. Miniflora works through the information with them and helps turn it into a clearer, manageable plan.
4. Review the pilot
At the end of the pilot, Miniflora provides a high-level impact summary covering service use, general themes and participant feedback without including unnecessary identifiable family information.