What Every Professional Should Know About Supporting People with Complex Needs

Posted on 26/05/2025 by Shirley Appleby

By Shirley Appleby

In classrooms, clinics, boardrooms and assessment centres across the UK, the term “complex needs” is often spoken in hushed tones, as though it’s something overwhelming, unsolvable, or best avoided. But complexity is not the enemy. It’s a call to look deeper, listen longer, and work smarter.

As someone who’s walked beside individuals and families living with layered challenges, I want to offer a shift in mindset.

This is not a checklist. This is a call to care differently.

1. Complex needs are not the sum of multiple labels

We often define complexity by diagnosis: Autism and ADHD, CFS and anxiety, POTS and OCD. But the truth is, the complexity rarely lies in the labels. It lies in the interaction between the person, their environment, and the demands placed on them.

What looks like non-compliance might be pain. What looks like anxiety might be sensory overload. What looks like laziness might be a carefully measured survival strategy.

2. Professionals don’t need to have all the answers but they must stay curious

One of the most damaging things a professional can do is assume. Assume capacity. Assume incapacity. Assume understanding, or worse, that they already get it because they’ve met someone similar before.

The best professionals I’ve worked with are not those with the most qualifications, but those who ask:

“How does this show up for you?”
“What helps you function or feel safe?”
“What would make this easier right now?”

Curiosity creates connection. And connection builds trust.

3. Support isn’t about fixing, it’s about reducing friction

We’re not here to fix the person. We’re here to fix the environment, expectations and tools around them.

That might mean adapting communication styles. Introducing assistive technology. Reframing timeframes. Saying “yes” to a different way of achieving the same goal.

Supporting someone with complex needs means recognising that equity is not about giving everyone the same, it’s about giving everyone what they need to show their full potential.

4. Co-occurring conditions require co-ordinated support

Complex needs often span physical, cognitive, emotional, and sensory realms, and yet services are still compartmentalised.

One of the biggest barriers I see isn’t a lack of support, it’s the lack of joined-up thinking. A student may have support for their mental health, another team managing their dyslexia, and another their pain condition, and no one considering how they impact each other.

Professionals must be willing to work across disciplines, or at the very least, see the bigger picture.

5. Lived experience matters, and so does professional humility

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from being a parent, partner, and practitioner, it’s that people are the experts in their own lives.

Yes, I bring a toolkit. Yes, I bring a wealth of knowledge. But every time I enter a room, I remember that the person in front of me has already lived with their condition longer than I’ve studied it.

When we honour that, really honour it, something changes. Trust is built. Resistance lowers. Support becomes a partnership, not a prescription.

Final Thoughts: We don’t need superheroes, we need humans who care enough to try differently

Supporting people with complex needs isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being present, adaptable, and human.

If you’re a professional working in education, healthcare, or support services, know this:

You don’t need to know everything.
You just need to care enough to learn.
You just need to be someone safe.
You just need to start there.

If this resonates with you and you’re ready to explore how training, coaching, or consultancy can support your team or organisation, let’s connect.

Together, we can build systems that see people first and support them fully.

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