Zoe has worked within community and inpatient mental health settings since 2017. In the community, this has involved project managing an out of hours crisis service, a community based one to one support service and peer support services. In inpatient mental health services, this has included managing involvement and co-production projects across CAMHS Tier 4, perinatal, adult eating disorder, adult secure care and learning and disability and autism services across multiple Provider Collaboratives.

Elaine graduated in 1992 with a Sociology Degree and worked in Special Educational Needs in community settings until she completed her PGCE in Post Compulsory Education and Training in 2000.

She worked in both mainstream and Special Education Schools as a teacher until completing an Acupuncture degree in 2015.  She continued to work in Special Educational Needs as a Teaching Assistant and began to develop her own Acupuncture Practice.

At that point her eldest child of 3 started to struggle in school and developed an eating disorder. She required many medical interventions until she was admitted to Tier 4 services.

Seven years later Elaine joins the Family Ambassador team with a wealth of knowledge about Special Educational Needs and the experience of having a child in Tier 4 services.  With extensive experience of the variety of processes involved due to her child having several long-term admissions, Elaine will be able to offer insight, practical advice and knowledge to any parent who needs it.

Tamara has a BSc Hon’s degree in Applied Computing from the University of Surrey (1996) and worked in Client Services for Governance, Risk & Compliance software companies in Europe, the Middle East and USA for 15 years.

In 2014 after a family relocation to the USA, Tamara took some time out to focus on her family’s needs.  She volunteered in the classroom at her Children’s School, and served on the School Board and Executive Committee.  She took a career change as an Education Consultant helping expat families find suitable schools in the local area.

She supported her son through an inpatient admission when he was 10 years old, and has 10 years’ experience working with CAMHS with both her sons. She has experience of neurodiversity, autism, pathological demand avoidance and PTSD. She’s parented her son who needed specialist residential schooling from the age of 11 years.  She has vast experience with securing quality Education, Health and Care Plans and specialist schooling for both her children.  She has worked with families of children with additional needs for 5 years, helping them to find appropriate schools when mainstream has not been working.

Sian has worked in administration, as a PA and Private Secretary for board of directors since leaving school at 16.  In 2013 she left full-time employment to focus more on her two children who are both autistic, her eldest spending time in a mental health unit 100 miles away, and her youngest being diagnosed with Down Syndrome at birth.

Sian has knowledge of navigating the education system to ensure her children have the best education possible, with her youngest receiving an EHCP and being accepted to a Special Educational Needs School and her eldest successfully passing her GCSE’s, after leaving an impatient admission and not returning to her mainstream setting, passing a college course and now maintaining a full time supervisory role at a Gastro Pub as a Mixologist.

Over the past few years Sian has worked at a mainstream school as a lunchtime supervisor supporting children with SEN alongside assisting TA’s and giving advice to help them in their roles or with their families.

Renate ran her own businesses before taking some time out to focus on her family’s needs when her eldest daughter was diagnosed with epilepsy.  In 2018 she returned to education and retrained as a therapeutic counsellor.

Her youngest daughter started struggling in school during lockdown and was diagnosed with an eating disorder in 2022, requiring medical interventions and admission to a Tier 4 Unit as an inpatient.
Following her inpatient stay she was supported by CAMHS Tier 4 Hospital at Home for Eating Disorder services.  Alongside this she accessed hospital education through her Local Authority and gained her GCSE’s, enabling her to return to full-time education in college.

Renate has lived experience of autism, ADHD, Neurodiversity, substance misuse & addictions and mental health illnesses.

Hilary worked in customer services and then as a Teaching Assistant in mainstream schools supporting children with SEN whilst also caring for her family. In 2021 she gave up work to concentrate on supporting her daughter full time due to her high level of needs. Her daughter had been struggling with her mental health since 2019, and this culminated with an admission to a tier 4 unit in 2021, and another one in 2022. Her daughter received a diagnosis of Autism and ADHD during this time, and with the right support is now studying at college.  This enabled Hilary to start volunteering at Citizens Advice, where she has been helping a wide range of people and has built on her understanding of the benefits system.

Hilary has lived experience of Neurodiversity and mental health illness and knowledge of navigating CAMHS, Education, Health and the Benefits system.

Nicky worked in customer service, sales and logistics, but left full time employment to support her youngest daughter.  Her daughter was diagnosed with Autism during her primary school years and later with an Anxiety Disorder, and demand avoidance (PDA).  They had been involved with CAMHS for many years however, due to her daughter’s diagnoses and complex behaviour this culminated in an admission to a Tier 4 unit 240 miles from home.  She was discharged after four months to a specialist residential school placement.

Nicky has navigated her way through interventions with Social Services, CAMHS, education and health professionals for the Tier 4 placement, which along with the residential placement, was out of county.

When Nicky returned to work, she wanted to use her experience to support others so started in the NHS as an administrator in primary mental health, then as a Medical Secretary for a Consultant Psychiatrist in adult mental health, before moving to the same post within CAMHS.  Nicky has now joined the team of Family Ambassadors, to support families through their journeys.

Katrina has worked in Bristol for the NHS for over 20 years as a Physiotherapist.  She has worked as a highly specialist Physiotherapist in Rheumatology and Advanced Practice Physiotherapist in Emergency Medicine.  She is taking a break from that role to support her family and other parents experiencing the practical and emotional challenges when their child needs inpatient CAMHS services.

At the end of 2022 her eldest daughter was diagnosed with an eating disorder, which resulted in a two month admission to an Acute hospital for refeeding followed by a four month admission to a Tier 4 Unit out of area near London.  Her daughter is now back at home being supported by her family and CAMHS to re-enter her school in her GCSE year.

Katrina has a wealth of experience negotiating the medical world. She has two other younger children including an 8 year old boy who has an ASD diagnosis.  Katrina has personal experience of working with Autism, Neurodiversity and Eating Disorders and has worked successfully with both the primary and secondary schools for reasonable adaptations to facilitate her children remaining successfully in mainstream education.

Tilly has worked in SEND for 15 years, starting out as a 1:1 support in nurseries, whilst studying towards a degree in Childhood & Youth studies with the Open University. She then supported children & young people with high care needs and disabilities, and their families. Tilly joined the National Portage Association as a Portage consultant in 2016, offering a home visiting service for children aged 0-5 with additional needs, which included identifying areas of developmental delay, encouraging skills through play, and working collaboratively with parents and professionals to enable best outcomes for children and families. Following this, Tilly took some time out of work to care for her daughter who has complex medical needs and PDA. Tilly joined the Family Ambassador team in September 2023 and is based at Pebble Lodge in Dorset. She has lived experience within the field of eating disorders, psychosis, Neurodiversity & PDA.