SEND Specialist, Coach and Founder of SEND at Heart

EXPERTISE IN SEND, EDUCATION & INCLUSION, ALONGSIDE ONE-ONE-COACHING FOR ADULTS

MEET THE FOUNDER

I’m Genevieve Joseph, a SEND specialist with almost forty years of experience across teaching, inclusion, school leadership and local-authority support.

I have worked with children, parents, teachers, SENCOs and senior leaders, often when needs were not fully understood, support was not working or those involved were struggling to agree on what should happen next.

My career has allowed me to see SEND from several sides. I understand the responsibilities schools carry, the pressures professionals are working under and why parents can still be left feeling that nobody has fully understood their child.

That is the experience behind SEND at Heart.

Alongside my SEND work, I have spent years mentoring adults, leading teams and helping people think through difficult situations and decisions.

The issue someone first brings is not always the whole issue. They may have lost confidence in their own judgement, become caught in the same patterns or spent so long responding to everyone else that they no longer know what they want.

REST grew from that part of my work. It brings structure to the conversations I have been having throughout my career: helping people understand what is holding them back, make decisions they can stand behind and build greater trust in themselves.

My Career at a Glance

I began teaching in South Africa, where I spent ten years in the classroom before continuing my career in the UK.

Since then, I have worked as a class teacher, SENCO, Inclusion Manager and Assistant Headteacher for Inclusion. I spent eleven years in senior leadership, became a Specialist Leader of Education for SEND and later worked as part of a local-authority Inclusion and Monitoring Team.

My work has included supporting children, families and schools with complex questions about need, provision and inclusion. I have reviewed practice, worked alongside senior leaders, supported SENCOs and helped parents understand what should be happening when something was not working.

That breadth of experience matters. I understand the pressures schools are working under, but I do not lose sight of the child, what they need or their right to receive the appropriate support.

Professional Highlights

  • Almost 40 years in education and inclusion
  • 10 years teaching in South Africa
  • 11 years as an Assistant Headteacher for Inclusion
  • Experience as a class teacher, SENCO and Inclusion Manager
  • Specialist Leader of Education for SEND
  • Local-authority Inclusion and Monitoring experience
  • UK Qualified Teacher Status

What Experience Has Taught Me

Job titles tell you where I have worked. They do not tell you what almost forty years of working with people has taught me.

I have seen good intentions struggle to become meaningful support. I have seen people work hard and still misunderstand one another. I have also seen what can happen when someone asks the right questions and is prepared to look honestly at what is not working.

That experience has made me practical. A supportive conversation matters, but it should lead somewhere. I want the people I work with to leave with a clearer understanding of what they need and what they can do next.