West and Central Lancashire MHSTs

Hi! I’m Alex, a Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner. I have a background working in Primary Schools in North/East London and Manchester, providing one-to-one and group special educational needs and emotional support which led to my passion for working in an emotionally supportive capacity with children and to the Education Mental Health Practitioner course. I grew up in Blackburn, Lancashire and studied Psychology in Manchester before moving to London to enjoy the city and get some varied experience working with children. I have since moved back to Manchester to be closer to my roots and seeing the success in other areas of the country, I’m excited to have this amazing service up and running with Compass in my home County! In my spare time I’m a massive football fan and love going to the gym and swimming (so I can go in the jacuzzi and sauna).

Hi, I’m Chelsea. I’m a Trainee Educational Mental Health Practitioner with Compass and I’m so happy to be a part of the team. When I was in school, I struggled a lot with my anxiety and I didn’t have the help and support that I needed, therefore I fell in love with this job, so I can now support children and young people with the skills to improve emotional wellbeing. I have a master’s degree in Sport Physical Activity and Mental Health, which is where I found my passion for helping and supporting children and young people who are struggling. In my spare time I love walking and cuddling my dog Tobi, socialising with friends and enjoy going to the Lake District for long walks.

Hi, I am Eve Allen, I have a passion for working with children, young people and families through early intervention strategies and preventative work. My working background commenced with working as a neurology nurse and supporting children and families with complex needs. This ongoing passion led me to work with the local authority supporting children and families who were at risk of being looked after by the care system, this role supported the voice of young people who had undergone adverse childhood experiences. Following this role my experiences always led to hearing the voice of the child and supporting participatory research, I have worked as a Primary Mental Health worker, Young Minds mental health charity, Edge Hill University, Salford University as a lecturer and completed my PhD titled ‘Promoting the mental health and well-being of first-generation immigrants, asylum seekers and refugee young people in schools: a participatory action research study’. This highlights how first-generation migrant children and young people may have experienced violence, loss and displacement and the importance of voice. I value being part of an innovative team who welcome the voices of young people and their families.

My name’s Faaiza, a Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner. I have always been attuned to how people feel and how to ease their difficulties. My friends often think of me as the group therapist. I am especially passionate about Mental Health and all things related to wellbeing. I am so pleased to be a part of Compass and excited about the journey ahead. I have a background of working in Secondary Education Pastoral Care, having my own business and teaching at a local college. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, going for walks and getting creative. My current hobbies are Watercolour painting and Modern Calligraphy.

Hi, I’m Gemma, a Supervising Practitioner. Making sure that every young person has their mental health needs identified early and receives the right support from the right person at the right time is something that I feel very passionately about. I love working for Compass as their values align with my own and I know that we put the young people we work with, their schools and their families at the centre of everything we do.
I have a background in education but I was excited to hear about the new Education Mental Health Practitioner roles when they were first created.
Outside of work, I enjoy being outdoors and going on long walks. I also like reading, baking, anything crafty and visiting new places. I’m a mum to two children and I have a tabby cat called Beatrix and a German Shephard called Ruby.

Hello I’m Jen, I qualified as a teacher over 25 years ago. I believe every child and young person is entitled to an appropriate, inclusive education, to feel safe, secure, happy and valued, and as such, I am so excited to be part of the Compass team in Lancashire as a Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner and feel privileged to be a part of this inspiring and skilled team.
My specialist knowledge and experience is with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). I have worked as a SEND teacher with children and young people with specific, moderate, severe, complex, profound and multiple disabilities and supported their families. More recently, in my role as Assistant SENCo, I have been responsible for coordinating multi-agency support for Looked After Children with SEND, working more holistically with the Children, Young People and their families.
At home I am a mum to three children; I enjoy spending time with family and friends, camping and the outdoors, live music and cinema trips.

Hi, I’m Jess and I am a Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner. I have a passion for supporting children and young people, helping them to improve their mental health and thrive in all aspects of life. After I studied Psychology and Business at Aston University in Birmingham, I worked as a teaching assistant in a Special Educational Needs school, specialising in Autism, which taught me that young people can really struggle to access education if they are having difficulties with their mental health. This motivated me to find a profession in the mental health sector, therefore moved jobs to the Child and Adolescents Mental Health Service as an Assistant Practitioner. As an Assistant Practitioner I provided emotional and well-being interventions as well as psychoeducation to educate young people on their mental health and ways to stay healthy! Outside of work I love listening to all kinds of music, watching Gavin and Stacey (for the 100th time) and exploring new areas of the North West with my fiancé.

Hello, I’m Jill Smith. I started work with Compass in April 2022 as part of the Administration team and am loving my new role. I graduated from Leeds University many moons ago with a degree in IT and worked for many years as an IT Business Analyst before getting married starting a family and running my own online giftware company selling baby gifts and personalised poetry. I am married with 3 children now aged 18, 17 and 13 and as they are now older this has allowed me to come back to work!
In my spare time I love gardening, yoga, walking my little dog Rosie and spending time with family & friends.

Hi, I,m John. I have over 10 years’ experience working in mental health and specialist needs settings. I have been a support worker for both children and adults in multiple different settings. I completed my PGCE at Edgehill University and worked as a class teacher in ASD units, pupil referral units and as Head of Science for a specialist needs school. I have recently completed my MA in psychology at UCLAN before beginning the post graduate diploma at Compass to become an Educational Mental Health Practitioner. I am looking forward to this new role and applying my skill set to work as part of a team and develop this new service. I like to keep fit, go have adventures outdoors and love cooking.

Hello, my name is Kirsty and I’m a trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner for Compass.
I feel passionately about supporting children and young people, and I am excited to be a part of this innovative new role, working for this inclusive charity. I am looking forward to working with schools and colleges to help build the support and trust needed to improve our children’s mental wellbeing.
I have worked as a Higher-Level Teaching Assistant for the last 14 years in a primary school. I worked extensively with SEND children, focusing on their academic and emotional needs, and finding creative ways to help them address and overcome challenges.
I have a degree in English and Drama and a passion for Shakespeare, which I studied as a post-graduate. Indeed Hamlet, in exploring the many aspects of the human psyche said, “there’s nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so,” which is the very idea Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is based upon!

I’m Leander, the Team Leader for the South Ribble Mental Health Support Team (MHST). I enjoy walking with my two children and dog, Maggie. I take lots of photos. I watch random programmes on Netflix and listen to music to help my mind switch off. I prefer McDonald’s to KFC. I am a registered mental health nurse. Mental health nurses care for people experiencing mental health difficulties to help their recovery. I am also a cognitive behavioural therapist (CBT). CBT helps us to recognise the links between our thoughts, feelings and behaviour that may lead to anxiety or low mood cycles. I am a big fan of CBT led brief intervention. I am also passionate about listening to children and young people’s wellbeing ideas and helping schools to turn these into reality.

Hi, my name is Lisa and I am a trained Psychotherapist with 23 years’ experience of working within a range of mental health settings including forensic, community, inpatients and Criminal Justice. I have also worked for social care and for the last five years in Education.

I am excited to join compass at this early stage and being part of the team that will provide early help and interventions to children, young people and families. I am currently studying Trauma Informed Practice at Chester university.

Outside of work, I am a proud mum of two boys, and me and my husband love nothing more than gently encouraging our two teenagers to step away from the XBOX and come along on adventures which usually including travelling, paddle boarding and outdoor swimming.

Hello, my name is Lizzie. I am incredibly passionate about mental health in children and young people, and I am excited to work with Compass providing support to those who need it. I studied history at Lancaster University (another passion of mine), before completing a PGCE in Primary Education. Having worked in schools for the last 5 years, I have seen first-hand the need for mental health and wellbeing support within education, so it is a privilege to be able to fill that need. In my spare time I enjoy hiking, reading and binge-watching Netflix!

Hi, I’m Lucy!
I have recently joined Compass as a Trainee Educational Mental Health Practitioner. I am so excited to join the Compass team and help to provide the young people of Lancashire with mental health and wellbeing support.
I believe it is crucial that children and young people get the support they need within their school setting.
I studied Psychotherapy and Counselling at the University of Central Lancashire which gave me excellent knowledge of therapeutic interventions and theories. I have experience working in education settings which allowed me to work closely with children. I also gained experience working with young people and adults suffering from mental health problems and learning difficulty related behavioural problems.
Outside of work I love anything arts and crafts! Painting, colouring, sketching - it’s how I like to express myself. I also like listening to music, going out with my friends and spending time with my family!

Hi, I’m Mia, a Team Leader at Compass MHST Central and West Lancashire. I am a person-centred counsellor and I am experienced in working with children, young people and adults, supporting them with their emotional and mental health. I have worked with young people for many years in different roles for charities including telephone and online counselling, supporting young people with special educational needs and disabilities and children in care. I recently set up a counselling service in high schools offering counselling, group work and parent support.
I am passionate about mental health and I’m excited to have joined Compass and be part of this service! Having this service in schools is so beneficial to children and young people to be able to access the right support, at the right time in a place that feels familiar to them.
Away from work I enjoying spending time with my family, being outdoors walking our dog and I’ve recently started running. I am also learning Spanish and attend a weekly class.

Hi, I’m Polly.
I’ve always been passionate about helping improve other people’s mental health, whether that’s having an open and honest conversation with friends or family or in my line of work.
Young people never cease to amaze me and it’s crucial that their potential is not limited by the difficulties they might face. Being an Education Mental Health Practitioner means I can be part of transforming young people’s mental health so they can have access to the right care, first time – as it should be!
I studied Psychology at the University of Manchester and have had experience supporting the mental health and wellbeing of Looked After Children, children with Special Educational Needs and adults. Every time I work with someone, I know even more, that this is what I want to do!
Outside of work, I go to the gym, listen to music or watch some of my favourite shows on Netflix – like Ru Pauls Drag Race and Impractical Jokers. I also have a puppy called Willow.

Hi, I’m Romy!
My great interest is in mental health and my passion is to help young people which led me to my role as an Education Mental Health Practitioner.
What I love about working for Compass is the inclusive environment in which we work. We are all valued by Compass and are just like a big extended family. I am so proud to work with such a great team.
I completed a Bachelor of Science in Zoology at the University of Leeds and then went on to study a PGCE in Secondary teaching at Manchester Metropolitan University. I then got a job as a teacher in an SEN school. I obtained my master’s degree in psychology during this time.
In my spare time I love being active, taking long walks at the weekends and doing my home workouts. I adore cooking and trying new recipes and you will often find me in the kitchen making a new dish!

Hi, my name is Ruth. I feel extremely privileged to work as an EMHP for Compass, and to be part of such a diverse and supportive team of like-minded people. My background is in education, previously as an early years teacher and most recently providing one-to-one support to children with additional needs in primary school, which I found very rewarding. But I always felt I had more to offer. When I discovered the Education Mental Health Practitioner role I knew immediately that this was what I wanted to do and I was right! I love my job and am always learning and developing my skills and knowledge in order to help and support the young people of Lancashire, and their families. As a mum of four teenagers, I don’t have a lot of spare time but when I do I enjoy going to the gym, swimming, reading a good book or pottering in my garden.

Hello, my name is Samantha
I am very honoured and proud to represent Compass as a Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner.
I am extremely passionate about early intervention/prevention and believe that everyone should have equal access to support they need and deserve.
I completed my degree in Education, Psychology and Counselling and this allowed me to work with a variety of education settings and age groups, which heightened by drive for Mental Health/Wellbeing Support for young people and their families in all educational settings. With the correct support in place anything is possible for our young people, and this really inspires me.
Outside of work I love to go on adventures with my dog Milo, spending time with my family and friends and I have a real passion for music and singing so in my spare time you will usually find me playing Adele on repeat.

Hi, I’m Sarah and I’m happy to be with Compass as a Supervising Practitioner.
I came to this role having previously worked in day nurseries, schools, Family Support and more recently as a Children and Young People’s Wellbeing Practitioner. I enjoyed all roles and have always been interested in the emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people. After training as a Higher Level Teaching Assistant and an Early Years Teacher, my career path took on a different direction and I worked as a Family Support Worker before completing the Children & Young Persons’ Wellbeing Practitioner Increased Access to Psychological Therapies (CYWP IATP) training. Having spent some time working with children and young people in this role delivering low-intensity interventions, I am now keen to further my training and complete the Postgraduate Certificate in Supervision. I enjoy spending time with family and friends, especially my niece and nephew, walking in the Lakes and I love a good boxset!

Hi I’m Sophie! I have recently joined Compass as a Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner. I graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in 2020 after completing a BA Hons in English Literature and Creative Writing. I have always been an avid reader and writer and have used journaling and poetry to express my thoughts and emotions; there’s something quite beautiful, in my opinion, about putting pen to paper and letting your mind do the rest. I love going for walks and spending time in nature, but I do also love cooking a nice meal and snuggling down.
I am so excited to work within Compass and I am overwhelmed by the team, it is an honour to work along each and everyone of them and to learn from each other’s skill set. Thank you!

Hi, I’m Sophie! I am very proud to be part of Compass and support the mental wellbeing of children and young people in the Lancashire area. I studied Psychology at the University of Liverpool and previously worked as a SEND Teaching Assistant in a High School. I enjoyed supporting students with the curriculum, but knew I had a passion for helping young people socially and emotionally. I am eager to work with schools to improve the access of preventative and early intervention mental health support for their young people. When I am not working, I love spending time with my family and friends, travelling to new places and getting creative with my crafts!

Hello, I’m Stuart, I work in the Administration Team at Leyland. I joined Compass in June 2022 with over 10 years’ experience of working in Office and IT Administration roles in the insurance sector and more recently nearly 20 years’ experience of Office and System Administration in the education and voluntary sectors. After studying as a mature student I have a degree in Social Sciences and a master’s degree in Social Policy. I also enjoy walking, running and cycling.

Hi, I’m Sue! I am a Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner with Compass. I feel proud to be part of this team, being able to support children and young people when they need it the most. I completed my undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of Central Lancashire, which is where I found my passion for working with and supporting individuals with mental health needs. After I completed my degree, I went on to work within crisis services and in primary care settings providing interventions for individuals across Lancashire with common mental health needs, such as anxiety or low mood. Through these roles, I found my love of working with children and young people and therefore decided that training to become an Education Mental Health Practitioner was the perfect opportunity for me. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, especially my baby niece! I also enjoy baking and travelling to new places.