Dr Alexandra H Senior Clinical Psychologist D.clinpsych, Bsc. (hons) Psychol HCPC Registration No. PYL15501 DBS Registration No. 001528175322 PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERTISE Professional Qualification(s) Clinical Psychologist Assessment of Adults and Children Areas of Expertise: Assessment of children and young people: Attachment Complex trauma Mental health problems Deliberate Self Harm/Suicidal ideation Full range of behavioural problems Neglect and abuse- sexual, emotional, physical Cognitive assessments Developmental difficulties Learning Disability Autism Spectrum Disorder Sexualised behaviour including child sexual exploitation Sibling assessments, pairings and separation Advice on placement planning: adoption, fostering and residential Family contact assessments Assessments of adults: Cognitive assessments of adults Mental health Parenting capacity: mental health, attachment styles, life style choices, drug and alcohol, ability to prioritise children s needs and protect, motivation to change, willingness to engage with professionals Parent contact assessments I undertake independent assessments in a variety of areas and write reports for the courts relating to children and parents or other family members. referrals@carterbrownexperts.co.uk
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE I have worked in a range of health services and in both the NHS and the independent sector as the clinical lead. Since 2008 I have specialised in working with children, young people and their families/carers with a wide range of mental health, developmental and health difficulties. Latterly I have specialised in working with children, young people and families on the edge of care and in the Looked After System. As such I have worked extensively with children and young people that have experienced exploitation and chronic abuse, including sexual, physical emotional and neglect. I have also worked with many vulnerable parents in terms of their capacity and mental health; also with Foster Carers, adopters, residential care staff, educational staff and other external agencies such as the Police etc. In working with this population I have worked with numerous young people involved in the youth justice system and with associated services such as Youth Offending Teams. I am experienced in producing comprehensive psychological assessments and therapeutic interventions regarding children s attachment styles, development, their mental health and emotional well-being, sibling placement needs, family dynamics, and parenting capacity. A number of these have been for court, most often in care proceedings. I have conducted assessments and interventions around all levels of safeguarding from the common assessment framework to child protection. Helping children to stay in their family of origin, in foster care, residential care, and adoptive placements. I have conducted assessments for care proceedings. I have also assessed and offered intervention so that children and young people have been able to be rehabilitated back home to their birth families. My assessments and interventions respect the family unit, but remain focused upon the child s needs. I assess parent s capacity to parent, their insight into their difficulties and motivation to change. Recognising that many parents have their own difficulties and signposting them to services where appropriate. For assessments I use various sources of information; from parents, education etc. and a range of methods; observation, interview standardised tools, standard outcome measures. For some years I have conducted psychological assessments for and advised the health, social care commissioners about the most complex cases across the services. I have also represented CAMHS on the Child Sexual Exploitation regional panel. I offer a range of therapeutic interventions for mental health presentations, specialising in delivering trauma based therapies. I also, offer attachment based therapy for children/young people and their parents/carers. As clinical lead, I lead my therapeutic team and also take a lead role in coordinating services for Looked After children and young people across agencies such as physical health, drug and alcohol services, education, police and social care. Using this forum and consultation, teaching and supervision to disseminate psychological understandings about children s development and needs. For full details of work history please refer to the attached Appendix.
REPORTS I have prepared more than 10 reports for the family courts. These reports have covered Public Law assessments of children and adults and Private Law assessments of children and adults QUALIFICATIONS, TRAINING & RESEARCH Qualifications 2008 Doctorate in Clinical Psychology University of Manchester 2004 Certificate in Counselling University of Leeds 2002 Bsc. Hons Psychology Sheffield Hallam University Training Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing Practitioner (EMDR)- levels 1-4 and children part 1 Good Lives Model, GMAP working with young people with sexually harmful behaviour Theraplay- level 1 Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy- level 1 DISCO Autism diagnosis Griffiths Mental Development Scales Motivational Interviewing Narrative Therapy level 1 Psychodynamic Interpersonal Therapy Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) Introductory Course CAT consultancy Child Sexual Exploitation Giving Evidence in Court Information Governance Supervisory Skills Training Attachment Managing Aggression & Violence The Mental Health Act and the Mental Capacity Act Training Applied to Young People, Deprivation of Liberties Middle Ground Management Training Coaching & Leadership Introduction to Management and Consultancy Child Protection Report Writing Safeguarding Children and Adults Understanding and implementing Children & Young People s IAPT Using Routine Outcome Measures in Therapy Research Hillyer, R., H, A, Owens, M and Chen-Wilson, J. (2013) The Support Needs of Foster Carers. Division of Counselling Psychology Annual Conference, Cardiff, 12 th -13 th July (abstract) Noble, R., Dhanjal, R., and H, A. (2010). A service evaluation of the psychology service delivery into the child development teams within the Wakefield district. Paper presented at the Leeds University Thesis Conference, Leeds, September 23 rd (poster) Hardingham, S, Leonard, A., Green, D., Butler, R., Hendy, S and Hare, D. (2009). Investigating identity in people with intellectual disabilities using
personal construct theory. Paper presented at DCP Annual Conference, London 10-11 th December (abstract) Leonard, A., Hare, D., and Hendy, S. (2009). Is there a personality typology for individuals with intellectual disabilities? DCP Annual Conference, London 10 th -11 th December (poster) Leonard, A., Hare, D., and Hendy, S. (2008). Is there a personality typology for individuals with intellectual disabilities? Paper presented at 8 th Seattle Club Conference 1 st -2 nd December, Newcastle (abstract) Leonard, A., Hare, D., and Hendy, S. (2008). Using repertory grids to explore a motivational based personality structure for people with intellectual disabilities. Paper presented at 36 th Annual Conference for the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy 17 th -19 th July, Edinburgh (abstract) MEMBERSHIPS & PUBLICATIONS Professional Memberships Registered Clinical Psychologist with the Health Care Professions Council EMDR Practitioner, EMDR Association UK & Ireland Presentations Selection of the most pertinent: Attachment, brain development and trauma. 1 day. Local Authority Social Workers (Looked After Children, Fostering and Adoption. Residential care workers. Youth Offending Team Attachment, brain development and trauma: attachment focused parenting. 7 days. Local Authority Foster Carers. Autism Spectrum Disorder. ½ day. Residential care workers. Residential education staff team. Working with children and young people that have been sexually abused. 1/2 day). Residential care workers. Suicide and self-harm in young people. 1 day. Clinical Psychology Doctoral Course, the University of Leeds and the University of Sheffield, Clinical Psychology Doctoral Course Safeguarding children and young people. 1/2 day. Clinical Psychology Doctoral Course, the University of Leeds Policies and Procedures Associated with Children & Young People 1/2 day. Clinical Psychology Doctoral Course, the University of Sheffield. Harmful sexualised behaviour: working with children/young people and their carers. 1/2 day. Looked After Children Nurses Mental health problems in children and young people. 3 hours. Wakefield District Community Paediatricians. OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION I hold personal professional liability & indemnity insurance. I have full DBS clearance.
Appendix CHRONOLOGICAL WORK HISTORY Clinical Psychologist and Managing Director, Reflective Minds Ltd., Independent Practice 2015-current Main areas of work include: Developed and provide a wide range of clinical psychology assessment and therapies for 0-25 years olds with a wide range of psychological presentations. Specialising in trauma based assessment and therapy (single incident and complex developmental trauma), including Looked After Children and Adoption. Working with the broad range of mental health presentations. Provide expert witness reports, consultation, clinical supervision, and teaching to a range of audiences on a range of topics. Senior Clinical Psychologist, Looked After Children s Service, South West Yorkshire Mental Health Foundation NHS Trust 2010-current Main areas of work include: Individual assessment and intervention for children and young people. Specialising in attachment and trauma work, but also offering treatment for a broad range of mental health and behavioural problems Therapeutic work with parents, adoptive parents, and foster carers Consultation with social workers and Looked After Children s Nurses, consultation and teaching with educational staff in schools and nurseries Trauma based work including single trauma incident presentations using the most widely recognised therapies; CBT and EMDR. Also developmental trauma presentations (child abuse), using attachment focused based therapies Theraplay, DDP and Narrative informed approaches Formal psychological assessment including mental health, attachment/parental and sibling relationships to aid care planning Other aspects of the role: clinical lead for Looked After Children, experienced in service design, development and reconfiguration, member of Multi Agency Panel Against Child Sexual Exploitation, CAMHS representative on the LAC Complex Care Panel, clinical supervision of multi-disciplinary team members, Band 7 Clinical Psychologists and 1 st and 3 rd year clinical psychology doctorate trainees, staff recruitment and selection
Clinical Supervisor, Independent Practice 2012-2015 Clinical supervision sessions for Clinical and Counselling Psychologists specialising in working with children and young people GCSE Exam Marker, Oxford Cambridge & RSA Examination Board. Part-time/seasonal 2009-2013 Marked GCSE Psychology Studies and Applications papers. Included involvement in standardisation process and devising final mark scheme. In addition to marking 300+ exam papers each examination period Clinical Psychologist, Split post CAMHS/ Child Development Centre, Paediatrics, Wakefield District NHS Community Healthcare Services 2008-2010 CDC- specialised in working with children aged 0-5 years, diagnostic autism assessments, attachment, feeding issues, developmental assessments & intervention, genetic disorders, learning disability, neuropsychological assessment, ADHD CAMHS -Wide range of mental health and behavioural problems for children and YP aged 0-19 years, neuropsychological assessments, learning disability diagnostic assessments, diagnostic autism assessments 14-18 year olds Trainee Clinical Psychologist, University of Manchester 2005-2008 Attended university lectures, completed coursework and exams Completed 6-12 month placements in the core areas of training, covering the life span: children and young people, adults, older adults and people with Learning Disability. As part of this core rotation I worked in community, hospital and forensic services Completed elective placements in Looked After Childrens and personality disorder (adults) services Assistant Psychologist, Complex Problems and Psychosis Service,Leeds Mental Health NHS Trust 2004-2005 Ran assessment clinic Provided therapeutic work: Mind Over Mood, relapse prevention, relaxation, timelines Worked in two multidisciplinary teams in community mental health teams Facilitated hearing voices group Conducted research into the impact of psychosocial interventions upon the symptoms of psychosis
Research Assistant, Sheffield Hallam University 2003-2004 Collected and entered data around Parkinson s disease and decision making Conducted WAIS assessments on participants Teaching Assistant, Sheffield City Council 2003-2003 Worked at a school for young people with emotional behavioural difficulties Provided teaching support to the class Offered some 1.1 teaching support to a 14 year old male with a diagnosis of ADHD and acquired brain injury Assistant Psychologist, Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust 2003-2004 Contributed to the rehabilitation programs of adults with traumatic brain injuries Analysed all of the behavioural data, devised behavioural management plans, implemented and evaluated their success Provided therapeutic work: memory aids, relaxation, mood Conducted neuropsychological assessment e.g. memory attention, executive functioning Therapy Support Assistant, Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust 2002-2003 Contributed to the design and implementation of rehabilitation support programs for adults with traumatic brain injury Supported adults with all aspects of daily living and social activities