Tricia Charles – Founder and Director

Tricia Charles is an experienced education and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) professional with more than 20 years of experience supporting learners, families and educational settings in the UK and internationally, including Asia and the Caribbean.

Her professional background spans mainstream teaching, specialist SEN teaching, English language teaching, inclusion leadership and local authority SEND services. Throughout her career, she has focused on improving educational access, participation and outcomes for children and young people with additional needs. She has worked as a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), led specialist learning support provision and held local authority advisory and SEND casework roles.

Through her work in schools, Tricia supported learners with a range of additional needs through individualised learning programmes, literacy interventions, curriculum adaptation, inclusive teaching approaches and examination access arrangements. Her experience in both British and international education settings has given her an understanding of how schools can identify barriers to learning, adapt provision and work collaboratively with families to support learners’ progress and participation.

Local authority SEND experience

Tricia also brings substantial experience of local authority SEND processes, including Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessments, Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), annual reviews and transition planning. Her responsibilities have included drafting and amending EHCPs, conducting co-production meetings, advising families and schools, contributing to SEND panel discussions and preparing information about the provision and funding required to meet children’s needs.

During her local authority work, Tricia produced more than 200 new EHCPs and contributed professional advice on over 50 cases considered by SEND panels. This experience gave her insight into both the practical challenges faced by families seeking support and the processes through which education services assess needs, make decisions and plan provision.

Her work across schools and local authority services has reinforced the importance of listening to families, understanding children’s changing needs and ensuring that their views are meaningfully considered. She recognises that SEND processes can be difficult to navigate, particularly when families are trying to understand their options, prepare for meetings, communicate concerns or establish what support may be appropriate.

Qualifications and professional background

Tricia holds Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), a Master’s degree in Education and Psychology and further qualifications in psychology and educational assessment. Her postgraduate research explored provision for students with dyslexia in secondary education, reflecting her longstanding interest in learning differences, literacy and inclusive practice.

Her relevant qualifications include:

• Level 7 Certificate in Psychometric Testing, Assessment and Access Arrangements (CPT3A)

• Certificate of Competence in Educational Testing (CCET)

• Associate of the Dyslexia Guild (ADG)

• Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA)

Together, her academic background and professional experience span teaching, SEND coordination, inclusion leadership, educational assessment, local authority casework and family engagement.

Why VASEN Advisory CIC?

Tricia founded V.A.S.E.N in 2021 to help families navigate the SEND system and access relevant information, guidance and support. Through her independent work with families, she recognised that people who needed practical help were not always able to access private services. This helped shape the development of VASEN Advisory CIC in 2026, with a community-focused approach intended to make support more accessible.

VASEN Advisory CIC builds on Tricia’s experience and commitment to accessibility, family empowerment, inclusion and meaningful participation. Its work focuses on helping families and disabled people better understand their options, prepare for important meetings, communicate their views and navigate the systems and services that affect their lives.

This includes SEND and EHCP guidance, annual review preparation, support to participate in decision-making, accessible information, disability inclusion and community-based activities. The aim is to help people feel better informed and more confident in expressing their needs, understanding possible next steps and seeking appropriate support.

Tricia’s approach is practical, collaborative and centred on the individual. She believes that families should be treated as partners, children and young people should have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting them, and support should recognise each person’s circumstances rather than rely on a one-size-fits-all approach.

VASEN Advisory CIC provides guidance and practical support within its competence, capacity and available resources. It complements rather than replaces statutory services and works to help people identify appropriate next steps and relevant sources of specialist support. Educational guidance or screening, where appropriate, is distinct from formal diagnostic assessment, which must be undertaken by an appropriately qualified professional.

Our commitment: To help families and disabled people feel better informed, more confident and better equipped to participate in decisions that affect their lives.