Our Mission

Welcome to Unique Foundation an organisation with a mission to improve the lives of all children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). We are passionate about making a difference and changing the narrative for SEND children and young adults. Currently, 12.8% of all pupils receive SEND support and a further 4% have Education, Health, and Care (EHC) plans (Office of National Statistics, 2022). This number is currently 1,129,843 pupils in the UK, which has risen 4.3% since 2021. This is a big percentage of students that will, unfortunately, finish secondary education without paid work and will have to live off benefits for the rest of their adult lives.  

Currently, only 4.8% of adults with SEND are in paid employment and unfortunately, statistics show that SEND children are significantly less likely to be in paid work and, on average, have much lower earnings 15 years after leaving school (Department for Education 2023). Our goal is to close the pay gap and increase the number of SEND adults in work, giving them financial independence through our specially designed sports qualifications. Unique Foundation will give SEND school leavers a nationally recognised qualification as professional sports coaches. Through our specially developed courses, we allow students to achieve assistant coach (Level 1), group coach (Level 2), and Individual Coach (Level 3) qualifications. Allowing students to leave school or college with a significantly increased chance of getting fair-paid employment. Our qualifications don’t put up barriers for SEND children that traditional education unfortunately does. We enable SEND children and young adults to achieve competencies that will allow them to demonstrate the necessary skill sets needed to be successful coaches, teachers and role models. 

We fully acknowledge the potential concerns that employers may have regarding hiring SEND employees. However, at Unique Foundation, we are dedicated to showcasing the numerous benefits that a SEND coach can bring to sports clubs, teams, governing bodies, and schools, ultimately enriching society and opening up new avenues for generating revenue and inclusion.

Through our extensive personal experience, we have witnessed the remarkable ability of SEND children and adults to effectively lead sessions for other SEND children as well as primary-aged mainstream school children. Looking ahead, as we continue to develop our specialized SEND coaching qualifications, we envision a future where sports clubs and schools can confidently employ SEND assistant coaches, group coaches, individual coaches and teachers.

By harnessing the unique skill set of SEND coaches, these organizations will not only provide valuable coaching services to both SEND and mainstream children but also unlock an additional revenue stream for their club, school, or business. This innovative approach creates a win-win situation, benefiting all parties involved and fostering inclusivity and diversity within the community.

We have no doubt that this incitive is going to change the world we live in and give SEND people a valuable place in society. Our vision is to not stop at getting SEND children paid work as professional sports coaches. We believe that the future for SEND children is to not only become inspirational coaches to other SEND and mainstream children, but it is also to become fully qualified sports teachers in both SEND and mainstream schools. These SEND coaches and teachers will become inspirational role models for other children with SEND in the future to show them that the world is their oyster, and nothing can stand in their way. 

If you would like to be a part of growing Unique Foundation’s mission, donate and join us on this incredible journey. Thank you for your support.