Why work with the Council for Disabled Children?

When you work with us, you gain access to specialist knowledge at every stage of your improvement journey - supporting you to create better outcomes for more children, young people and families.

Expert support throughout your SEND improvement journey

We can support you with navigating complex change processes and building a confident, skilled workforce. Our teams combine deep practical experience with up‑to‑date policy insight to help you deliver evidence‑informed improvements.

Deep SEND expertise, policy knowledge and learned experience

Our team includes nationally recognised leaders and experts in specialist areas of SEND. Many also bring lived and learned experience of working with children, young people and families. Our policy team also has a rigorous understanding of the legal and policy frameworks with practical understanding of how this works at a local level. Our breadth and depth of knowledge gives us a clear understanding of the challenges families face and the pressures on local and wider SEND systems. 

Access to national networks and sector insights

As the umbrella body for the disabled children’s sector, CDC has a network of over 300 voluntary and community organisations and works with practitioners across education, health and social care.

Working with us means you benefit from:

• a collective voice that champions the rights of children, young people and their families
• expertise that challenges barriers to inclusion and shapes national thinking
• insight drawn from cross‑sector partnerships and national programmes, offering a unique view of what’s working and where support is most needed.

National reach, local impact

We lead and contribute to national programmes and translate that learning directly into practical, local improvements.

Our work spans across local authorities and integrated care systems in England, as well as partnerships across Northern Ireland. These established relationships - and our ability to bridge policy and practice - enable us to support local and regional improvement work so that local systems can:

• respond effectively to the needs of children and families
• strengthen inclusion
• provide help at the earliest opportunity.

What we offer

Part of the National Children’s Bureau family

As part of the National Children’s Bureau (NCB), we are a not-for-profit organisaton that is united in a mission to build better childhoods and brighter futures. For over 60 years, NCB has driven change to improve the systems children and families rely on. 

CDC's expertise is further strengthened by our position within NCB, enabling us to:

• shape SEND practice and policy
• draw on evidence‑informed research and national insights
• offer well‑rounded, system‑wide support that reflects the complexity of children’s lives.

Working with us means you benefit from:

• robust research and evidence
• cross‑government policy insight
• strong national partnerships
• a holistic understanding of the support systems around children and young people.

Together, we bring a rounded approach to every commission - informed by evidence, grounded in professional and lived experience, and focused on meaningful improvement.