Gary Crisp

Director of SEND and children’s services and 0-25 Expert

Based in: Bournemouth and London

Covers the areas of: England and Wales

Practice and expertise: Adult and children's social care reports for EHCP appeals and First-Tier Tribunals (SEND), care needs assessments for adults and children, Deprivation of Liberty, mental capacity and best interests decisions.

Gary qualified as a Social Worker in 2009, completing a MSc in Social Work at Royal Holloway,  University of London. Gary specialised in Children and Families Social Work at University and worked for a local authority upon completion of his degree. Until 2012, Gary honed his skills in adult services specialising in the areas of SEND, mental capacity, continuing healthcare and adult care needs assessments.

Since 2012, Gary has worked as an Independent Social Worker, providing independent Social Work services for adults and children. Building on experience as an Independent Social Worker, Gary established Simply Social Work with an ex-colleague, Neil Courtney in 2021. Simply Social Work now provides an all age Social Work Service across England and Wales, making them one of the few Social Work companies that do so.

Gary has been awarded the University of Cardiff Bond Solon Family Expert Certificate and is our 0-25 year old expert.  He has a particular interest in mental capacity, care assessments and Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND). Gary has written hundreds of care needs reports in relation to EHCP appeals and regularly attends First-Tier Tribunal (SEND) hearings as a social care expert.

When he is not working, Gary enjoys spending time with his family in Bournemouth and South Devon. Gary is a beekeeper and can often be spotted at the bottom of the garden amongst a swarm of honey bees. If he’s not wearing his beekeeping suit, he has got his head under the bonnet of his classic mini or can be found scuba diving.