Biography

I am the trainer for PROACT-SCIP(uk) and CSE. I am extensively trained in children’s sexual exploitation and sexual health and possess a strong knowledge of helping and protecting vulnerable children, especially within the residential care field. In addition, I am the DSL lead for Above and Beyond.

A quote I live by

“Don’t compare your chapter 1 to someone else’s chapter 15. Follow your own path, write your own life story and never ever give up on yourself”

My defining story

I was a young carer for my mother, who lived with health complications and a terminal illness. I didn’t attend school much, as I was needed to run the household and look after my younger brother, who was an infant.

My mother was unable to care for herself and required additional care and medication, along with frequent hospital visits for treatment.

This pressure of having to look after my mother, run the house, and care for my younger brother helped shape me as an adult. It empowered me to grow up earlier than others, as I adapted to situations and made decisions most young people wouldn’t have to.

I recall the one person who ‘looked out for me’ was my French and Drama teacher from Year 6, Ms Swindell. She visited me once a month with schoolwork and spent time with me from a welfare point of view. I credit her with providing me with a safe space to smile and just be a child in those moments. If it weren’t for her visits and her motivating me to have dreams and aspirations, I don’t know what path I may have taken.