What's the difference between an EOTAS coordinator and a SENCO?

A SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) is based in a school and supports children within that setting. An EOTAS coordinator supports children who are being educated outside of school, making sure all the different pieces of their package work together. There’s no equivalent of a SENCO in an EOTAS package, which is exactly why a coordinator matters so much.

Does my child's EHCP fund a coordinator?

It can. EOTAS coordination can be included as part of the provision in Section F of an EHCP. We can advise you on how to make the case for this with your local authority, and provide the costings they’ll need

We already have tutors and therapists in place. Do we still need a coordinator?

Having great individual professionals is a brilliant start. But without someone coordinating them, each person works in their own lane and families often end up doing all the joining-up themselves. A coordinator means everyone is functioning as part of a team.

What happens if provision goes back to panel?

This is one of the most anxiety-inducing parts of the process, and it’s one of the places where Lizzie’s background makes a real difference. She’ll find out when the panel date is, which itself gives families something concrete to hold onto. She’ll then gather supporting evidence from every professional in the package and make sure the case worker goes to the decision makers with a well-evidenced case. That evidence can include young person voice, parent preference statements, supporting statements from professionals, and progress data.

Can a coordinator help with annual reviews and transitions?

Yes. Annual reviews, key stage transfers and changes to provision are the things families worry about most. Lizzie attends and chairs annual review meetings, prepares the reports local authorities need, and supports both parents and young people through the process. She’s also the point of continuity when professionals change, which is one of the most common sources of anxiety for families.

What if an EOTAS package isn't working?

Things don’t always go smoothly, and part of a coordinator’s job is to notice what isn’t working and make changes before problems escalate. When you have an EOTAS coordinator, you know that someone is always watching, responding, and documenting clearly so you don’t have to.

How involved do I still need to be once I have a coordinator?

You’ll still be involved, as you absolutely should be. But you’ll be involved as a parent. The administration, the professional coordination, the meeting preparation, the chasing – all that becomes the coordinator’s job. You’re kept informed, and all decisions are made with you. But you don’t have to carry the whole thing alone any more.

EOTAS Coordinator

An experienced EOTAS Coordinator can help you manage your child’s EOTAS package, providing advice and support while taking admin off your hands.

You Have An EOTAS Package - Now What

You’ve fought hard to get your child’s EOTAS package in place. Now it’s time to get the ball rolling.

An EOTAS (sometimes called EOTIS) coordinator is the professional you didn’t know you needed. They know the system inside out, take the admin off your plate, and make sure every individual working with your child is pulling in the right direction. Let us introduce you to your EOTAS Coordinator.

Who We Support

The children we work with have needs that most mainstream settings can’t meet.

We specialise in supporting young people with:

Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)
Emotionally based school-avoidance (EBSA)
Autism
Complex and co-occurring needs
Anxiety and SEMH
Educational burnout
Pre-verbal/non-speaking or limited communication
Physical difficulties including PMLD (profound and multiple learning disabilities)

These are young people who have often been let down by schools, systems or professionals that prioritised attendance over wellbeing, or didn’t have the understanding or capacity to meet their needs.

Our EOTAS coordinator understands the complexity of these needs. She doesn’t need everything explained from scratch. She’s worked with these children and these families, and she understands exactly what they need from their EOTAS packages.

Managing EOTAS

Getting an EOTAS package approved might have been a battle. Managing it doesn’t have to be.

By the time most families reach us, they’re exhausted. They’ve spent months, sometimes years, fighting for their child’s right to an education that works for them.

They’ve navigated EHCPs, local authority panels, annual reviews, and the constant anxiety that comes with not knowing what’s next.

Now there’s a package in place. Which is wonderful, but a package isn’t necessarily a plan. It’s a set of professionals who each have their own remit, their own schedules and their own ways of working. Without someone holding the thread that ties them all together, it’s easy for things to fall through the cracks.

That’s where an EOTAS coordinator comes in.

What is an EOTAS Coordinator?

An EOTAS coordinator is the central point of contact for your child’s EOTAS package.

Sitting at the heart of your child’s education other than at school (EOTAS) package, an EOTAS coordinator makes sure everyone is moving in the same direction.

They know your child’s EHCP inside out. They understand what provision should be in place, who’s responsible for delivering it and what good progress looks like. When things are going well, they make sure everybody knows; and when something isn’t working, they don’t panic or paper over it. They find out why, gather evidence and make necessary changes.

Your EOTAS coordinator is the person who takes calls from the speech and language therapist and the occupational therapist and the tutor, so that you don’t have to. They’re also a bridge between you and your local authority. A calm, knowledgeable voice who can explain the processes the LA is going through, so that procedures that feel scary turn out not to be. They know how to gather the evidence that gets provision approved and kept in place, and act as an advocate for your child.

Ultimately, they take the workload off your hands, so you get to focus on being a parent again.

Do You Need An EOTAS Coordinator?

You probably need a coordinator if…

Your child has an EOTAS package but there's no one making sure it all fits together
You're the one fielding emails from multiple professionals, chasing updates and trying to keep on top of what's been agreed
An annual review or key stage transfer is coming up and you're dreading it
Provision has gone back to panel and you're in an anxious wait, not sure what the outcome will be or when you'll hear back
One of your child's key professionals is leaving, and you're worried about how your child will manage the transition
You feel like you're spending so much time advocating that you've forgotten how to just be a parent

If any of this sounds familiar, a coordinator can change the picture entirely. They’re not going to magically make things easy, but they’ll make sure you’re not doing everything alone.

Book a FREE call to discuss EOTAS

If you’d like to talk to our team about getting a dedicated EOTAS Coordinator, book your free call today.

Book your FREE call

Meet Our EOTAS Coordinator

Our dedicated Coordinator, Lizzie, has a wealth of experience in managing EOTAS packages for families.

Lizzie

Lincoln/Retford

(2 reviews)

Online

In-person

With 20 years' experience as a tutor and SENCO, I am an experienced EOTAS Coordinator who supports families and local authorities to coordinate all aspects of provision.

QTS, plus specialist CPD.

Over 18 years of experience as a SENCO, focused on personalised progress and confidence.

£110.00

per hour

Book a FREE call to discuss EOTAS Coordinators

If you’d like to talk to our team about getting a dedicated EOTAS Coordinator, book your free call today.

Book your FREE call

Roles of an EOTAS Coordinator

Our EOTAS coordinators bring something unusual to this role with many being a SENCO in a schools, decision makers at local authorities assessing EHCPs, and our own EOTAS and commissioning managers here at SENsational Tutors.

They know the system from every angle. In practice, that means they can do things that most coordinators can’t. They know what a local authority is thinking because many used to be one. They know what evidence sways a panel. They understand the procedures that cause parents so much anxiety, and can explain clearly enough to help them feel calmer and back in control.

Your EOTAS Coordinator will:

Review your child's EHCP in detail, assessing what provision should be in place and identifying any gaps
Coordinates all the professionals in the package, including tutors, therapists and specialist workers, making sure everyone is working towards the same goals
Chairs and minutes multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meetings, and follows up on every action
Liaises with your local authority on your behalf, attending meetings, gathering evidence, and preparing supporting statements when provision goes to panel
Supports your child to have a voice in their own education through their preferred means, whether that's drawing, art, music, dance, a trusted tutor speaking on their behalf, or joining meetings on their own terms
Tracks progress across all areas of provision and provides the reporting that local authorities need
Is honest with you about what’s working and what needs to change.

Lizzie starts every meeting with the positives. Often, parents often haven’t heard enough of those, and children tend to flourish when they’re told how well they’re doing.

How It Works

Getting your EOTAS coordinator in place is straightforward.

Step 1

Book a free 20 minute call

We'll ask questions about your child and their package, and be honest with you about how we can help. There's no pressure and no sales pitch.

Step 2

We review your EHCP

Lizzie will go through your child's Education, Health and Care Plan in detail to understand the provision that's in place and where the gaps might be.

Step 3

We meet your team

Lizzie will introduce herself to your local authority and to every professional in your child's package. From day one, she becomes the central point of contact.

Step 4

We get to work

Whether that's chairing the first MDT meeting, gathering evidence for a panel or making sure the timetable is running as it should, Lizzie hits the ground running.

What Families Are Saying

A coordinator isn’t a magic fix. But they might be the closest thing to one.

Having a coordinator in place doesn’t mean that everything will run smoothly all the time. EOTAS packages are complex, local authorities have processes that take time, and children’s needs change. There will be moments that are difficult, and things that don’t go to plan.

What a coordinator gives you is someone who is paying attention. Someone who notices when something isn’t working before it becomes a crisis, who gathers the evidence and makes the case, and who keeps the whole team informed about what’s really happening for the child at the centre of it all.

Parents tell us that within minutes of their first call the panic lifts, because there’s someone on their side who knows the territory. Someone who can explain what the local authority is doing and why, who won’t be fobbed off with vague answers, and who won’t let their child’s needs get lost in the system.

Book your FREE call

Whether you’re just starting to explore EOTAS coordination or you need someone in place quickly, we’re here. Book a free 20-minute call with us to talk through your situation and find out whether coordination support is right for your family.

Book your FREE call

FAQs

Here are the most commonly asked questions about getting an EOTAS Coordinator with SENsational Tutors.

Book a FREE call to discuss EOTAS

If you’d like to talk to our team about getting a dedicated EOTAS Coordinator, book your free call today.

Book your FREE call