I spent the first five years of my career as a lawyer working in central London. In 1992 I married my husband Andrew, and moved to the Midlands, where I joined national law firm Shoosmiths, becoming a litigation partner.
In 1998 I decided to give up work to raise my family. I returned to work part time for law firm Cobbetts from 2004-05, but I had to leave my job again as James – the second of my three children – was severely disabled.
I spent nearly three years writing Standing up for James, to try to raise awareness of the day-to-day difficulties facing the families of disabled children in the UK. In particular, I wanted to highlight the terrible struggle they often have to get support from local authorities.
I am now actively involved in campaigning for the rights of disabled children. I am trying to influence the content and passage of the Children and Families Bill currently going through Parliament.
I welcome hearing from other parents about their experiences of getting support for their disabled children. You can also get in touch with me with your views or concerns about the Children and Families Bill.
