Becky McClean champions early years support for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. She has dedicated herself to creating a safe, supportive and accepting environment for underserved pupils, giving them a voice and helping them reach their full potential.
Her passion for special needs was cemented early in her career when she quickly recognised a chronic shortage of early years support, both locally and nationwide. Working at a local Special Needs school, she wanted to help more children and provide better early intervention, so she decided to take affirmative action and came up with the idea of creating her own provision.
Bold moves
Understanding the challenge, she created Special Steps Ltd; a rare SEND exclusive nursery for children aged 1-5, including those with palliative care, physical disabilities, autism and anxiety. There was no guidance for a SEND nursery, so Becky had to start from scratch.
With her children also being neurodiverse, Special Steps started as a home-based setting but quickly grew, with more families desperate to access her unique offer.
A family affair
After relocating once more to a disused building in her father’s church, Becky used crowd-funding and community support to renovate the space and set up the nursery as it operates today.
She said: “My friends and family were shocked when I told them my new plans meant moving into bigger premises but, once again, they rallied around and helped me prepare for opening. I feel lucky to have so many people supporting me on my journey!”
From painting the walls in neutral colours to prevent over-stimulation to a fully equipped sensory room and a specially adapted garden space, the renovations were carefully considered to help every child thrive. With no other specialist SEND nursery provisions in Worcestershire, Becky’s transformative facility has a long waitlist and the families who attend travel across the county to access it. She is well-recognised in the wider community, running inclusive groups on evenings and weekends to ensure more families can access her unrivalled support.
An inspirational leader
Becky does not just advocate for change; she is leading by example. She is driven by a belief that “the younger you get them, the more you can do to help”. She wants all children to have the best possible start in life, whatever their additional needs are.
Her passion carries through to her staff. While they lovingly refer to her as ‘the boss’, they also say she is a core member of the team: “Becky puts her heart and soul into every child that walks through her door, the love and care shown, not only to the children but to us, their families too, is above and beyond.”
Her early professional passion became her vocation, and she has dedicated her life to helping children with SEND to succeed.
