I practice youth work, social pedagogy, and therapeutic support work through the lenses of intersectionality, minority stress, psychological safety, trauma-awareness, anti-racism, and social justice. At present, I am an LGBTQ+ practitioner working with children and young people with additional responsibility for safeguarding and child protection. My background comprises relationally-informed support and direct work with looked-after children and young people. I am sensitive and nurturing in my practice, as well as insightful and passionate in delivering reflective, child-focused care and advocacy. I am also dedicated to providing thoughtful & challenging supervision for colleagues. Experience: - Managing Child Protection and Safeguarding concerns; providing direct guidance and operational strategy for frontline staff; - Contributing to service development through auditing and business development initiatives based on the Theory of Change Model; evidence-base development; chairing task and finish groups; and completing root and branch analysis projects; - Facilitating therapeutic interventions for LGBTQ+ young people - cultivating a safe space in which clients can navigate their thoughts, feelings, questions, expressions and identities without judgement or pre-determined outcomes; - Facilitating therapeutic interventions for parents/carers of LGBTQ+ young people, as well as allied professionals such as teachers, social care practitioners, etc.; - Delivering therapeutic, attachment-based and trauma-informed practice for children & young people in residential & foster care; - Delivering reflective, evidence-based, trauma-informed and child-led 1:1 supervision for colleagues;- Delivering reflective, evidence-based, trauma-informed LGBTQ+ awareness training workshops to fellow practitioners and allied professionals; - Specialist working knowledge of the ‘Minority Stress Model’ (Meyer et al 2003) and further lived experience of issues that disproportionately affect marginalised groups, especially eating disorders and addiction; - Specialist working knowledge of the Children’s Home Regulations and Quality Standards (2015) and SCCIF; further working knowledge of cogent legislation, policies and guidelines relating to looked-after children and safeguarding; - Specialist working knowledge of developmental, relational, and complex trauma; ‘Life Story Work’, therapeutic parenting, and working with ACEs, CCE, and CSE; - Experience in writing ‘Statements of Purpose’ as well as managing/implementing policies & procedures for children’s homes.