Balancing Act: Grabbing Opportunities to Talk About Why Peer Support Matters for Parent Carers

| 19 October 2026 |

Guest blog written by Balancing Act partner and CEO of Amaze, Sally Polanski.

Parent carers of disabled children in Brighton and East Sussex in the UK necessarily become experts in navigating complex systems. They coordinate appointments, advocate for support, manage paperwork, and provide care, all while trying to maintain family life. Yet one of the most valuable forms of support they consistently identify as important to them is something simple: connection with other parents who truly understand their experience.

We have been using the publication of the Amaze case study manuscript from the SSHRC Partnership Grant Balancing Act to talk with parent carers of disabled children in Brighton, alongside statutory partners who commission and provide formal support services, about what really helps families thrive. The UK government’s recent Schools White Paper and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) consultation proposes reforms to improve educational pathways and early intervention to strengthen inclusion, but the agenda is often dominated by education, while social care, community participation and family wellbeing can struggle to get the same level of attention.

To help bring these issues into public view, we have linked conversations about Balancing Act with Brighton's current Story Trail project, a city-wide public art trail created by Amaze, in partnership with Wild in Art. While leading tours of the city's Book Benches, we have taken the opportunity to talk about the experiences of parent carers and disabled children with a captive audience. These discussions have explored themes that emerged strongly from the research, including inclusion, social isolation, belonging and the barriers that can prevent families from fully participating in community life. The Story Trail has provided a valuable platform for highlighting challenges that are often overlooked in wider discussions about SEND.

Our Balancing Act findings show that peer support provides something that formal services often cannot: empathy, shared understanding, practical advice and a sense of belonging. Parent carers told us that navigating SEND systems can be exhausting, isolating and emotionally demanding. Connecting with another parent who has lived through similar experiences can provide reassurance, reduce loneliness and build confidence. However, making the case for funding such peer support activity in the UK is not always straightforward. Commissioners face increasing pressure to meet demand for assessments, specialist education provision, therapies and social care services. When budgets are stretched, peer support can sometimes be viewed as an optional extra. Yet the Balancing Act findings suggest it is a vital part of the support ecosystem. If we want a more compassionate and sustainable SEND system in the UK, we need to recognise that strong communities and trusted peer relationships are an essential part of helping families flourish.

The Story Trail theme is #sitwithus and as such highlights how community organisations such as Amaze bridge gaps in formal services, by building connections and nurturing supportive relationships. The SEND Reforms in the UK signify policy change which should provide a timely opportunity to consider and respond to the human, emotional, and relational support that families of children and young people with SEND consistently identify as something they need. At Amaze, we are trying our best to ensure the Balancing Act messages are heard by those decision-makers nationally and locally who are driving system change.

School of Rehabilitation Therapy