Brizan, William;
(2025)
SENDCO Wellbeing: An Investigation of Role Pressures and Coping Strategies in England.
Doctoral thesis (D.Ed.Psy), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
While Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinators (SENDCOs) play a crucial role in inclusive education, their professional experiences involve complex challenges and rewards. Understanding how these professionals maintain their wellbeing while managing diverse responsibilities is essential to supporting their professional sustainability. Research on specific aspects of SENDCO wellbeing—particularly the interplay between role-specific stressors, coping mechanisms, and support systems—remains limited, especially in the post-COVID context, where additional challenges have impacted educators’ mental health and professional resilience. The main objective of this qualitative-driven mixed-methods study was to examine SENDCO experiences in English primary schools, focusing on understanding the relationship between job-related stressors, effective coping strategies, and support systems for managing role demands. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 11 SENDCOs from English primary schools, with supplementary Likert-scale ratings of key variables. Analyses involved thematic analysis and descriptive statistics and identified several key characteristics of SENDCO experiences. Participants reported high workload intensity and role complexity, yet maintained notable job satisfaction. Nearly three-quarters of SENDCOs held senior leadership positions within schools, highlighting role evolution beyond traditional boundaries. SENDCOs reported high levels of parental demand, regardless of how they characterised their school’s socioeconomic context, and increased challenges post-COVID, particularly regarding Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA). The study found that SENDCO coping relied on organisational techniques, professional development, and diverse support networks. The findings suggest that SENDCO wellbeing requires comprehensive support at individual, school, and systemic levels. Analysis of the findings has led to the development of a SENDCO Support Framework (SSF) designed to enhance SENDCO effectiveness and wellbeing through structured professional development, leadership support, and systemic interventions across school settings. Additionally, expanding Educational Psychologists’ (EPs) roles in supervision and developing peer support networks could enhance SENDCO effectiveness. The study offers practical guidelines for improving SENDCO working conditions while maintaining service quality.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | D.Ed.Psy |
| Title: | SENDCO Wellbeing: An Investigation of Role Pressures and Coping Strategies in England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2025. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Psychology and Human Development |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10209133 |
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