EBSA Support Plan by Simplified SupportIs your child anxious about school, or unable to get through the door?
Crying or panicking before school, feeling sick every morning, falling apart the moment they get home, or an attendance figure that keeps dropping. When school becomes this hard, knowing what to do next can feel impossible.
What is often called school refusal is usually not a choice. When getting to school becomes overwhelming, distress rather than defiance is often what is driving it. This is sometimes described as Emotionally Based School Avoidance, or EBSA.
You do not need to know whether this is EBSA to start. Tell us what you are seeing and we help you organise the patterns.
- Answer a few guided questions at your own pace, no jargon and no pressure
- See what may be making school feel difficult for your child
- Bring together what you are noticing, your child’s voice and what is happening around school
- Get practical next steps for home and for school
- Track what changes over time and build a clear record you can share
This does not diagnose anything. It organises the patterns within what you and school report, so you can decide what may help next.
It then creates a personalised EBSA Support Plan showing:
The patterns and pressures affecting your child
What your child may need from the adults around them
Practical actions for home and school
What to focus on next
Start the free EBSA Snapshot
Free, no account needed. Around ten questions and a first picture of what is standing out.
Ready for the full picture and personalised next steps? Start where you are.
Not sure where to begin? Read my child will not go to school, school anxiety or what EBSA means.
Guides for parents: EBSA support for parents, EBSA Support Plans and all our parent guides.
EBSA questions parents ask
What is emotionally based school avoidance?
EBSA describes a pattern where a child finds attending school so difficult, emotionally or practically, that they cannot manage it, even when they want to go. It is a descriptive term, not a medical diagnosis. What is EBSA.
What is EBSA support?
Understanding what is happening, recording it day by day, noticing patterns, building evidence, communicating it clearly to school and reviewing what actually helps. That is exactly what this platform is built to do. EBSA support for parents.
What is an EBSA Support Plan?
A written record of what is making school hard, what has been tried, what helps and what is being asked for next. A parent, carer, school, professional or support service may prepare one. EBSA Support Plans explained.
Who can help parents with EBSA?
Parents and carers, school staff and the SENCO, educational psychology, health professionals, the local authority and specialist support services may all have a role, and it varies by area. What an EBSA assessment can and cannot establish.
What can parents do when a child cannot attend school?
Lower the pressure in the moment, then record what happened the same day: attendance, the gate, symptoms, distress, your child's words, recovery, what you tried and what helped. My child cannot attend school and EBSA and school fines.
EBSA Simplified Support is the practical tool: understand, record, notice patterns, build evidence, communicate and review what helps. It does not diagnose and is not a clinical assessment.
How this helps
Clicking Create My EBSA Support Plan starts a simple, step-by-step path. No jargon, no pressure.
Understand what is standing out
EBSA Snapshot - answer a few questions and get an initial picture, free.
Understand what may be happening
EBSA Support Plan - your child’s themes, pressure points and protective factors in one place.
Know what to do next
Personalised Next Steps - practical things you can start with at home and with school.
See what changes over time
EBSA Track - record what you try and see whether support is helping.
What families say
Real feedback from families and professionals supported by Simplified Support.
ETEvelyn Taylor
Today we won my son's tribunal and secured the specialist school placement he needed. I am incredibly grateful to Jessica Buckle of Simplified Support for her support throughout this process. Navigating an EHCP appeal and SEND tribunal can be overwhelming,...
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CFCatherine Flynn
Jess's support has been absolutely invaluable throughout the journey of my son's EHCP process. I couldn't have done it without her! Her email support is transparent, clear and easy to understand. Her communication style works incredibly well for my autistic...
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VFVicky Ferris
I feel incredibly fortunate to have been working with Jess and Nic to put the right plan in place for my daughter. Initially, I was terrified, overwhelmed, and felt completely lost in the process. The support I've received from them has been truly...
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LCLaura Clarke
I took part in a course last night - EBSA It is not bad parenting, it is a stress response. It came at a really good time after my daughter has been out of school since September but had expressed she wanted to go back to school. Her school don't seem to...
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ZPZoe Parker
Jessica at Simplified Support has an immense knowledge of the SEND system. I’ve used many advocate services and in comparison, Simplified Support provided me with an in depth and detailed response to my questions involving a complex lengthy issue. Using this...
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KMKatie Mchale
Simplified support has been a huge help to me while navigating the EHCP & tribunal service. Jessica was nothing short of amazing in terms of supporting me, drafting emails, amending and helping with documents and overall preparation. I would recommend...
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AAAmal Agliow
Thanks for the angel who spoke to me, for the first time I felt that someone is really wanting to help listen and understand.
Google review
CRClaudia Rd
It was very interesting to listen to the talk on EBSA and Applying for an EHCP. I would highly recommend joining in with these courses. Jessica and Nic provide some really helpful suggestions and guidance.
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AMAlison Mansfield
Thank you so much for all your help I was so upset by this process by being given wrong info from the education department but thanks to you for your help I feel so much better and see a way forward x
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HHHolly Hancock
Can not fault Jess and Nicola. They supported us through the SEND tribunal. They were dedicated every step of the way. It was the first time during the process that we had been shown empathy and understanding. They listened too our daughter needs and made...
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CKChloe Kulinski
Such fantastic support and all the scientific side of EBSA is explained so clearly. They're always happy to answer any questions and offer advice which has been very refreshing. I highly recommend the EBSA workshop for anyone wanting to learn more about how...
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RSRuth Seymour
Simplified Support have helped give clarity in what is a really complicated process and given us the confidence and knowledge to try to access the support my child needs. Jessica is very knowledgeable and passionate and ridiculously efficient. Thank you!
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RLRhiannon Lawton
Simplified Support so far have been my mouthpiece, summarising quickly and efficiently what would take days of my time and emotional turbulence to put together for the LA during communications. Their clever methods of analysis have pulled together evidence at...
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DBDonna Bryant
Jessica was amazing with the advice and support she gave me. Extremley. She has gave me some good suggestions and advice on what i should be expecting what support be put in place in the ehcp and fpr it to be more detailed. Gave me some really helpful...
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CWChloe W
I was genuinely scared about what lay ahead. However, the support I received was truly exceptional and went far beyond my initial expectations. Not only did Jess and Nicola provide clear and effective guidance through the main aspects, but they also...
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IBIan Bond
Jess has been so kind and supportive to us and our son. Jess listened to how we were feeling about things that were worrying us with an existing EHCP. With her skills and knowledge she confirmed our worries were justified. This helped to give us the...
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EHErica Howell
I cannot recommend this company enough, their computer support for writing ehcp's has helped immensely to make sure my daughter gets the right support comma and when I needed extra help from my daughter and advice on what to do next I was able to message them...
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BLBecky Lench
Jess has been absolutely brilliant. She really listened to what I needed and expertly translated that into writing for...
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NWNatalie Warren
Having worked closely with Jess, I knew she would be the first point of call for support and help. What she offers is so...
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From the authors of Unmasking EBSA
Jessica Buckle MABP and Nicola Middlehurst FMBPsS bring together lived experience, SEND law, psychology and practical work with families to help make sense of what sits underneath school distress.
Jessica Buckle MABP
Consultant in SEND, EHCP Law & Social Care Practice
- IPSEA trained in SEND Law, Levels 1 to 3
- Certified CBT Practitioner
- Member of the Association for Business Psychology
- Parent carer and co author of Unmasking EBSA
Nicola Middlehurst FMBPsS
Neurodiversity affirming Psychologist
- Full Member of the British Psychological Society
- Specialist in Autism, Trauma and SEND
- Certified Family Trauma Professional
- Parent carer and co author of Unmasking EBSA
Together, Jess and Nicola created EBSA Support Plan by Simplified Support to turn the understanding behind Unmasking EBSA into something families can actually use day by day.
Does this sound familiar?
These are the things families tell us most often. If you recognise your own situation here, you are not alone and nothing here is your fault.
“They’re fine when they’re at school.”
But they fall apart when they get home.
“We just can’t get them through the school door.”
Every morning feels harder at the school door.
“School says there isn’t any evidence.”
No evidence yet, but you know something is wrong.
“They managed yesterday, so why can’t they today?”
Because EBSA does not always look the same every day.
“They say they feel sick every morning.”
Headaches, stomach aches, panic or exhaustion can all be part of the picture when they feel sick.
“We’ve tried rewards, consequences, routines and reassurance.”
And nothing seems to be changing.
“They want to go to school, but they just can’t.”
Wanting to attend and being able to attend are not always the same thing. They can’t yet.
“I don’t know whether to push them or protect them.”
Push them or protect them - and every decision feels impossible.
“Everyone seems to have a different opinion.”
But nobody is helping you see the whole picture.
“We’ve tried everything.”
You’ve tried everything and still do not know what next.
If any of this sounds like your family, this is a good place to begin.
You do not need another generic list of EBSA strategies.
You need to understand what is happening for your child first.
What is making school feel difficult?
What patterns are emerging?
What is your child trying to communicate?
What is helping?
What is making things harder?
And most importantly: what needs to happen next?
EBSA Support Plan by Simplified Support helps you bring those pieces together into one clear picture.
Example only
Example EBSA Support Plan
Everything you notice about your child - what helps, what triggers them, what school sees - turned into one clear picture you can act on.
What’s standing out
Capacity and overloadVery prominent
AnxietyStrongly present
Relationships and safetyWorth exploring
What seems to help
- Predictability
- Quiet spaces
- Trusted adult
Start here this week
You do not have to do everything. Here are three things you could start with this week.
- 1Reduce morning demands by ten minutes
- 2Ask school for a predictable handover plan
- 3Try a short check-in at the same time each day
Start free with the EBSA Snapshot. Build your child’s personalised EBSA Support Plan for £39. Your first 30 days of tracking are included. If you want to keep tracking after that, EBSA Track is £12.99 a month. See pricing
Would you rather talk it through with someone?
This site helps you build the picture yourself. If you want personalised one-to-one help, you can ask Jess directly on our booking site.
Ask Jess on Book Simplified Support