Experience

Outspoken Sex Ed

• United Kingdom
• Education Administration Programs
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Outspoken Sex Ed Advisory Board Member

  • Jun 2021 - Present

  Outspoken Sex Ed is a social enterprise – a community interest company (CIC) – that’s out to get parents talking openly and confidently with their kids about sex and relationships topics. We’re working towards a culture that prizes respect, inclusivity and openness Outspoken Sex Ed is a social enterprise – a community interest company (CIC) – that’s out to get parents talking openly and confidently with their kids about sex and relationships topics. We’re working towards a culture that prizes respect, inclusivity and openness



Norfolk County Council

• United Kingdom
• Government Administration
• 700 & Above Employee

• Senior Adviser - Early Intervention and Prevention

  • May 2021 - Present

  Establish and manage a new Early Intervention and Prevention team within the Inclusion and Opportunities Service for Norfolk County Council. Our aim is to promote and champion the inclusion of vulnerable children and young people in education to achieve their aspirations and positive outcomes, reducing suspensions and permanent exclusions. We do this by developing authentic partnerships and relationships with schools, settings and agencies who support children and young people, and through understanding their context and challenges, help them overcome barriers to inclusion, securing a welcome, safe and inclusive space for the whole school community.Our current programmes of support include Norfolk Steps, which is undergoing a digital development to ensure greater accessibility, Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) supporting social, emotional learning in the primary phase, Relationships, Sex and Health Education and the DfE Wellbeing in Education Recovery programme.



PSHE Solutions

• Education Administration Programs

• National RSHE Adviser

  • Jun 2015 - Aug 2021

  Working for national charities, including National Childrens Bureau, Sex Education Forum and Anti-Bullying Alliance, Public Health Boards, Local Authorities and Multi-Academy Trusts to ensure high quality, effective relationships and sex education: Designed, delivered and evaluated research programmes for national charities and government organisations. These include the Learn Equality, Live Equal programme, Positive Choices, Outside the Box and All Together.  Worked with faith and cultural communities to identify opportunities and effective pathways to engagement with contentious topics. Supported national campaign work and research to make a case for new statutory guidance, including working with education ministers, key advisers and public health leads to understand practical implications of policy development. Reviewed and advised on RSHE resources for quality assurance, focusing on inclusion, relevance and accessibility. Authored complete spiral, developmental RSE resources and schemes of work accompanied by policy and guidance. Sought after, highly-rated speaker at national conferences and on podcasts. Developed a highly-rated programme of training, supporting the delivery of effective, evidence based RSHE teaching skills and strategies that promote health, wellbeing and academic outcomes. Worked with SLT and Governance to deliver impactful RSHE that promotes whole-school improvement. Designed policy and toolkits to ensure compliance with statutory guidance and promotion of best practice. Designed, delivered and evaluated training courses accompanied by packages of whole-school support on a national basis. Supported development of research and impact evaluations. Delivered programmes of targeted intervention around CSE for vulnerable groups, in secure units and children’s homes. Built a well-regarded reputation and extended customer base for trading locally, nationally and internationally.



NHS

• Hospitals and Health Care
• 700 & Above Employee

• Healthy Schools Adviser

  • Nov 2011 - Jan 2017

  Advising schools, public health, local authorities and key stakeholders on merging PSHE trends to be addressed in schools, through training and resourcing. Creating audit tools to demonstrate evidence of impact on health and wellbeing improvements and pupil behavioural changes.  Delivered training on RSHE themes, focusing on mental health, alcohol and drugs and sex education. Authored NCC approved policies, compliant with local and national legislation, advice and guidance. Developed channels of communication with schools and the wider workforce, fostering trusted relationships and effective collaborations to improve outcomes for children/young people. Worked with schools to embed a whole-school approach to health and wellbeing, improving health and wellbeing outcomes, which enabled whole-school improvement as evidenced by Ofsted. Coordinated multi-agency approaches, ensure clear, consistent messaging and equity of service to schools. Worked with the national PSHE Association on producing guidance for schools around body image and self-esteem. Worked with national charities, such as Freedom Charity and statutory bodies, including Police to design training, resources and approaches around challenging issues such as forced marriage, female genital mutilation and extremism. Provided detailed impact focused quantitative and qualitative reports to commissioners. Advised a number of multi-agency steering groups and initiatives including Teenage Pregnancy Action Group, Sexual Health Working Party, Challenging Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia Group, Tackling Hate Crime Group.



Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS)

• United Kingdom
• Government Administration
• 700 & Above Employee

• Personal Education, Life Skills and Rehabilitation Adviser

  • Mar 2009 - Dec 2011

  Design, deliver and evaluate accredited programmes of personal development education and rehabilitation strategies. Focus areas of substance misuse, family relationships and sex education: Designed and piloted, behaviour-centred rehabilitation resources, schemes of work and training programmes linked to cultural environments to a wide variety of male young and adult offenders around substance misuse, healthy sexual practices and positive relationships. Successfully motivated a hard to reach cohort of prisoners to attend and complete accredited courses of learning and programmes of rehabilitation through creative approaches, meeting a wide variety of learning abilities, recognising the personal challenges and pastoral support required to enable safe engagement.

• Pastoral Support and Inclusions Manager

  • Jan 2007 - Nov 2009

  Working with vulnerable pupils to ensure engagement in full time education. Designing and delivering intervention programmes to reduce barriers to learning and reduce risk of permanent exclusion: Established an inclusion centre for learning within the school environment, targeting pupils most at risk of exclusion. Addressing social, emotional and behavioural barriers to learning, whilst continuing to deliver the national curriculum through a creative, cross-curricular and vertical approach suited to a variety of learning abilities and styles, with the aim of reintegration into mainstream education. Liaised closely with parents/carers and the wider school community to ensure successful transitions Established and assess pastoral support provisions and access to specialist, multi-agency external support to establish holistic approaches and respond to identified needs, including safeguarding.



European Social Fund Agency

• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Youth Adviser and Trainer

  • Feb 2004 - Dec 2007

  Design, deliver and evaluate short and long term accredited programmes of support including social and emotional development, aimed at personal progression of vulnerable groups including NEET, Young offenders, teenage parents, victims of abuse etc: Wrote successful bids for funding from The Learning and Skills Council, and The European Social Fund to design and deliver accredited informal education courses, including programmes aimed at vulnerable young adults excluded from school to address their social, emotional and behavioural barriers to learning in order to progress into further education or employment. Coordinated consultation activities with children and young people within school environments to promote pupil voice and deliver targeted needs-led schemes of work to vulnerable groups: LAC; NEET; EAL; GRT; YC etc Established networks with local colleges and businesses to enable successful transitions. Managed a team of paid and voluntary youth workers and youth trainers to deliver in-house and outreach Information, advice and guidance services, including sexual health, substance misuse and counselling. Facilitated individual and group counselling sessions. Coordinated and take responsibility for an out of hours crisis phone line for vulnerable children and young people.