I have been a qualified social worker for 21 years, I have previous experience of working with both adults and children with a variety of challenges and need including substance misuse, sexual health projects, education roles with disaffected young people and with the travelling community, local authority roles in referral/assessment and court/protection, and the NSPCC completing specialist assessments for LA’s where there has been chronic neglect, and direct work using Video Interactive Guidance (VIG) to support early attachment. This has developed my experience of working with complex safeguarding issues and I am able to draw upon this varied experience in my understanding of the many reasons why children come through the care system, the journeys of their birth families and the many likely interventions that would have been in place to prevent this step, alongside the local authority challenges and responsibilities.

I have worked for the National Fostering Agency for the past 11 years, previously within supervising social worker and advanced practitioner roles. I have chosen to remain within the agency for over half of my social work career and this is because I know how well placed we are alongside you, our amazing carers to support the best outcomes possible for the children placed with us.