Director, BUSS Model Ltd
A group of colleagues and I founded The Oakdale Centre in 1998. Since then, the centre has provided a multi-disciplinary psychological therapies service across the age range.
I met Sarah a couple of years after that when she approached us with a view to developing her private practice at the Centre. I was immediately drawn to her warmth, authenticity, curiosity and the care and compassion she showed her clients. She is a gifted and knowledgeable clinician and highly regarded as such in her field.
Sarah and her family then returned to Scotland and we met up again when she came back to Yorkshire and told me about the work she had been doing on what is now known as the BUSS model. I read her first book and listened to her talk passionately about what she had discovered.
We soon agreed to work together and I was honoured when she asked whether the Oakdale Centre might collaborate with her to extend the reach of the BUSS model by setting up programmes to train practitioners and work with young people and their families.
I feel fortunate to be involved in this ground-breaking initiative that is profoundly improving the well-being of children with developmental trauma.
My role in BUSS is to provide the corporate infrastructure and organisation structures required to support Sarah in the roll-out the BUSS model.
This role is an absolute joy and I feel privileged to be part of this exciting venture.
closeConsultant Psychologist
I’m the Clinical Director at the Oakdale Centre. My key role as Clinical Lead is to support the clinical work of practitioners, ensuring high-quality assessments and evidence-based interventions are provided. I am also Safeguarding Lead.
Professionally, I am a Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Systemic Practitioner and EMDR Therapist and registered with the Health Professionals Council. My background is largely within child and family mental health, neuro-developmental disorders and learning disabilities. My roles prior to Oakdale included being Clinical Lead for services across London, Leeds and South Gloucestershire providing Positive Behaviour Support to families where the home placement is at risk of breakdown due to challenging behaviour.
Part of my role at the Oakdale Centre is to provide clinical support and leadership to the Adoption Support Service which provides specialist assessments and therapeutic interventions to young people who are adopted and their families. Here, my specialist interests include the neuroscience of developmental trauma and the impact of early adverse events on the developing brain.
As such, I have been delighted to be involved with the BUSS programme and the wonderful work of Sarah Lloyd. I have first hand experience of the positive outcomes following a BUSS assessment and treatment plan. My role in supporting the implementation of the BUSS model has included providing support to ensure the model is continually evaluated using feedback from both professionals and parents as well as supporting the development and quality of the BUSS training offered to professionals.
closeBusiness Development
I am a Director of BUSS Model Limited and the Oakdale Group.
In the course of a career largely spent leading psychological therapy services on behalf of the NHS, I have developed an ever greater appreciation of the value of both prevention and early intervention – the critical importance of addressing issues quickly, before they can worsen and amplify.
This conviction led to my interest in BUSS, and after attending a seminar on the BUSS methodology; witnessing the critical difference the model makes to the development, growth and potential of children who have experienced adversity early in their lives, I was delighted to be invited to become a Director of BUSS Model in 2019 and hope to contribute to its growth and development over the coming years.
closeClient Services
Finance and HR
Administration and Website
Before joining the Oakdale Centre in 2019, I worked with young people in both schools and the community. I’ve had over 7 years experience working in Mainstream and Special Provision Education, specialising in working with young people with a range of difficulties and complex needs.
More recently I was part of a county-wide project that delivered person centred support to young people at risk of Child Sexual Exploitation. My role involved the delivery of training, producing intervention packages and working closely with both statutory and third sector providers to empower and safeguard young people across North Yorkshire.
At Oakdale my role has been as case manager, responsible for administration and triage of referrals as well as coordinator of special projects and I have been delighted to provide administrative support for the BUSS clinical service as well as arranging training events and being involved in the development of materials and the website.
closeChild and Adolescent Therapist and Trainer
I have worked for over twenty years with children as a social worker, short breaks foster carer and art therapist. This has included working in residential care, as a child protection social worker and a therapeutic social worker, eventually managing a Therapeutic Social Work Team. This was where I first encountered Sarah’s innovative work and commissioned her to train and supervise some of the team in developing the BUSS model in our practice. It proved to be a pivotal moment in my career and in the work of the team with children looked after, underpinning the psychological therapies we had previously been offering in isolation. I have now been working with Sarah and the Oakdale BUSS team for the last three years, taking up a post as Head of Clinical Services in 2020. I’m involved in the training, direct work with families and training/ supervision of BUSS therapists.
Qualifications:
Professional Membership(s):
Child and Adolescent Therapist
I am a qualified Non-directive play therapist, parent – child therapist and Senior Therapeutic Social Worker with over twenty years’ experience of working with children, young people and their families in a variety of organisations within Health and Social Care.
I have been working with Sarah and the Oakdale BUSS team for the last three years, and am involved in the training, direct work with families and training / supervision of BUSS therapists.
I was really pleased to be given the opportunity to undertake the BUSS training a little while ago now and I can honestly say that it has transformed my therapeutic work with children and their families. It was the “missing piece” for me. Helping me to understand how to help and support from a bodily and movement perspective. This has completely enhanced the way that I work and supports and underpins my work with children and their families.
I have worked at the Oakdale Centre for over ten years now.
Qualifications:
Professional Memberships:
Child and Adolescent Therapist
I have worked with children, young people and families for twenty years. I began my career in youth work before moving to work in children’s residential homes where I became increasingly interested in mental health, attachment related behaviour and the impact of developmental trauma. I worked briefly within adult mental health when undertaking my master’s degree in social work, and have worked as a children’s social worker since.
I spent a number of years as an Advanced Practitioner within child protection before moving to my current role as a Senior Therapeutic Social Worker in 2015. Since this time, I have undertaken a range of therapeutic training to help children and young people overcome the trauma and adversity they have experienced, and to support their parents and carers to meet their needs. It is within this team that I met Sarah and was trained in the BUSS model in 2016. The model has transformed my understanding of developmental trauma and has significantly enhanced my practice; I now use this model as the starting block for all my therapeutic interventions and assessment of therapeutic need.
Qualifications;
Professional membership
Clinical Psychologist
I am a Doctor of Clinical Psychology specialising in the assessment and treatment of individuals with psychological difficulties. I have worked for over 27 years as Consultant Clinical Psychologist in the NHS in Leeds and London specialising primarily in child and adolescent mental health. I have worked in community CAMHS teams, child development, paediatric and health psychology.
My therapeutic interests include, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Cognitive remediation Therapy (CRT), Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR), Neuro developmental work and the impact of trauma.
I am very interested in the relationship between early childhood experiences, emotional and psychological health and physical development and hope to bring my creative and playful experience to the BUSS team.
I am very excited to be working with Sarah and BUSS.
Professional Membership:
Adoption Support Social Worker
I have been working with children and families for the last 12 years. Prior to qualifying as a Social Worker, I worked in children’s homes predominantly with teenagers. This was my first experience of the impact of trauma and neglect. Prior to this I completed a degree in health and fitness, developing an interest in how the body moves and the benefits of physical activity.
My current role as an adoption support social worker has highlighted how beneficial BUSS is for the children and young people I work with. The opportunity to get involved in the training and delivering of BUSS has therefore been amazing for me. I am looking forward to having the opportunity to develop my knowledge of BUSS further and am delighted to be a member of the team.
Qualifications:
Professional Membership:
Specialist Occupational Therapist
I have worked with young people and their families for over 18 years in various CAMHS teams.
I have a special interest in the Sensory Processing Approach and have offered assessments and interventions using various models. I’m a Certified Practitioner in Ayres Sensory Integration Therapy and currently work with children in the Bradford looked after team, providing direct therapeutic intervention to young people in children’s homes and consultation to residential staff. This has given me a profound understanding of the sensory processing challenges associated with developmental trauma and their impact on children’s daily occupational performance.
I developed my interest in the BUSS model through my NHS work with Sarah Lloyd and am working towards BUSS accreditation as well as being part of a special interest BUSS group.
Qualifications:
Professional Membership:
Parent Mentor
I’m an adoptive parent and attended early BUSS training in 2015. We saw the amazing impact on our son’s emotional regulation and I was keen to learn more. I am now involved in delivering training and supporting families using the BUSS model.
closeParent Mentor
I’m an adoptive parent who has worked with Sarah for several years in delivering training, working to support families and training practitioners. I’ve seen huge physical and emotional differences in my own daughter as a result of using the BUSS model.
closeParent Mentor
I’m an adoptive parent who contacted Sarah about my son at the beginning of 2020 after reading her first book – it was a lightbulb moment for me! I asked if we could work remotely as there is over 200 miles between us and it was the start of the first national lockdown for Covid-19. Sarah agreed to give it a try and because it worked really well for us, the team started to offer remote BUSS work to all families. I have seen fantastic improvements in my own son on a bodily level as well as an emotional level.
I attended training with Sarah towards the end of 2020 then joined the BUSS team as a Parent Mentor to support other families, as well as helping to deliver webinars, podcasts, training and to increase the social media presence for BUSS.
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