Services

Free 15 min Consultation

A chance for us to discuss the current situation and decide what might be needed. Send me an email and we can book a free 15 min consultation (usually by google meet). You can also leave a message on my voicemail and I will get back to you.

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Assessments

Clarity on next steps

An initial assessment involves gathering background information and following this up with questionnaires where needed and meeting the person on a 1:1 afterwhich feedback is given to discuss findings and make recommendations on next steps. This usually takes 1/2 a day.

Email to enquire/book

Full Assessment & Report

In-depth approach

It might be that a more in-depth assessment and a report is needed because either you want to have a clearer understanding of the 'why' and/or you might require evidence to share with multi-disciplinary teams either to help a young person access education, support applications for additional support/funding, DLA or EHCP applications, or to request referrals for further services like evidence to support diagnostic assessment.

The report is therefore written in a collaborative and respectful manner using a holistic approach that takes into account information from a number of sources (eg: home/school/other professionals) to enable the child/young person and their important others to achieve new understandings and find new ways of dealing with problem situations.

It considers relevant information on background & developmental history, historic/current health issues, strengths/difficulties, information from education on learning and will use assessment/screening/outcome measures. A period of behavioural monitoring may also be required to gather information on functional analysis (why things are happening). A psychological formulation (which differs from diagnosis in that it provides an explanation, rather than a label) is used to communicate an hypothesis and provide a framework for person-centred recommendations.

This process can take up to 6 weeks to gather the right information and uses between 1-3 days worth of time.

Email to request an assessment

Behaviour Support - For those with longer term needs

Behavioural Support Consultation

These sessions are useful to help support schools and charities either for general advice / guideance or for specific case management.

Parental Support Session

These sessions can be used to help support parents either as a one off or as part of ongoing support to a young person. They are really useful when working on specific behavioural strategies to help a young person with specific difficulties eg: returning to school, reducing challenging behaviours, managing anxiety.

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Specialist behaviour support services for looked after children and young people :

Behavioural Specialist and Therapist breakdown of support:

Staff training, debrief, reflective discussions and team meetings
Support network meetings include; daily KIT meetings, MDT/Support Network meetings e.g.: FCAMHS, education / CLA review meetings etc.

Risk Assessment / Care Plans / NVR message campaign
NVR and Clinical Supervision
1:1 visit Therapeutic activities/intervention

Impact/Outcomes:

The continuous training increases professional development of current and new staff team members. Staff gain a greater awareness of attachment/trauma through attending regular training and debriefs. This awareness helps them to understand The young person’s needs more fully and in doing so, has provided her with the understanding and empathy that the young person deserves.
Debriefs improve professional practise as it allows staff the space to reflect on challenging areas of work and the impact this has for them as individuals, the staff team, the organisation, the wider community and ultimately for The young person. Staff are more able to identify issues early on, identify triggers and discuss actions to resolve these. Debriefs allow staff to seek advice and talk through solutions in a non-judgemental, proactive and timely way. Staff emotional wellbeing is improving their work environment and this inclusive culture promotes good practise and helps to retain staff team. Reflective practise discussions give opportunities for learning and development. Staff feel more confident to provide a consistent approach that helps The young person to feel safe and secure which helps build relational security that is so important in breaking past cycles/themes. Communication between staff members continues to be improved through collaboration and team working. This contributes towards increased quality of care to The young person, the network and service outcomes. The young person is benefiting from consistent messages from her core staff team and the support network around them
Attending meetings allows for behaviour advice/support to be given to the network when making joint decisions re: risk management and care.
Risk assessment and support plans incorporate trauma informed care practises and interventions from NVR. This therapeutic approach is based on addressing attachment disorders and violence/self-destructive behaviours thus meeting The young person’s fundamental needs. Staff have a solid framework that utilises co-regulation and low arousal strategies and are becoming more confident in using proactive strategies for preventing/managing challenging behaviours. Plans are reviewed regularly with placement and social care.
NVR message campaign: Information starts with ‘the announcement’ which sets the scene going forward with further information given to The young person in a way that promotes understanding through the ‘mini-announcements. The support network are ‘on the same page’ in terms of how to communicate important information to The young person and this consistency reduces The young person’s anxiety and promotes trust in the network.
The young person takes part in therapeutic activities which provide a safe space for them to reflect and consider coping strategies. 1:1 time with The young person helps build a therapeutic alliance and trust which promotes ‘stabilisation’ in preparation for becoming ‘CAMHS ready’ one day to help get ready to engage with therapy.
Main outcomes are to reduce severity, duration, intensity and frequency of incidents in line with ‘stabilisation’ which is the first step in the trauma recovery model.

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1:1 Support
Counselling, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

To make change possible

If you want to understand/resolve the past, learn coping strategies to deal with the present or attract a different future, then counselling/CBT can really help. The purpose of any therapy is to explore and understand how the past has shaped us, it helps facilitate behavioural change, improves relationships and enhances our effectiveness and ability to cope.

Therapy typically involves 3 stages:

1) Assessment. Your opportunity to talk through problems and get an understanding of why they might be there, explore what might maintain the problem and make a plan for how to change things going forward.

2) Interventions. A range of interventions might include: psychoeducation, setting tasks in between sessions to achieve personal goals, putting new learning into practise and using coping strategies.

3) Ending. The aim of any therapy should be to start with the intention that you will become your own therapist! We do this by reviewing what we have learnt, what you might need to do to maintain progress including relapse prevention strategies. Ending therapy can look different for everyone. Some people like to have a clear cut finish, others want to tapper off the sessions slowly and some continue with monthly check-in sessions. It's your journey so it is up to you.

Email to request a session

Supervision

Support for you

I have many years experience of working with people who have complex needs including physical and mental health difficulties, neuro-diversity and challenging behaviour in the following settings: residential services and children's placements, NHS, prison service, training & development, charitable organisations, schools/collages, clinical team and private practise which means I have a lot of practical knowledge I can share with others. I chose to train in relational supervision because it not only supports your work with clients in order to develop your practise, it's focus is to provide a safe space to be you.

1:1 supervision

Group/Peer supervision

Call to see if you'd like to work with me