PROFILE

 

I am a Senior Mental Health Social worker, an Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP), currently working as a Clinical lead for Mid Essex Specialist Mental Health Service.

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I am also registered as an Independent Social Work practitioner.

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​​Passionate about supporting people from the neurodivergent community

 

Core professional skills, knowledge and experience

❑ The Care Act 2014: Strengths-Based Assessment and care and support planning

❑ Preparing for adulthood is crucial for young people with SEND, looked-after children, and young carers.

❑ Severe Mental Illness (SMI) and complex co-morbid diagnosis, including ASD/ADHD/LD, eating disorder.

❑ Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD/EUPD) – Insight into emotional dysregulation and trauma-informed approaches.

❑ Adolescent Mental Health

❑ Safeguarding Adults and Children & Crisis Work

❑ Motivational Interviewing – Behavioural change tactics grounded in empathy and autonomy.

❑ Substance Abuse Prevention

❑ DBT skills

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I possess extensive experience in expert-level professional and clinical mental health social work. I am skilled in the assessment and management of highly complex and high-risk cases, and regularly provide guidance, advice, and support to colleagues both within and outside my team.

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I have thorough knowledge of current legislation, regulations, and guidance applicable to mental health services and partner agencies is required. This includes social care and safeguarding frameworks, mental health statutes and guidelines, housing-related legislation, and legal mandates governing children's social care.

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I possess the ability to make clear and informed decisions, effectively identify and mitigate potential risks associated with interventions—including positive risk—and engage in shared decision-making. I am skilled in promoting, developing, and delivering high-quality, person-centred, and evidence-based health and social care practice tailored to individual needs.

Since May 2021, I have been a qualified Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP), actively participating in the AMHP rota. I possess comprehensive expertise in managing complex mental health cases that may require hospital admission under the Mental Health Act, including Section 135(1), Section 135(2), and Community Treatment Orders (CTO).

 

I possess in-depth knowledge of the Care Act 2014 and can conduct complex Section 117 and Care Act reviews, with a thorough understanding of the financial implications associated with commissioned care packages. 

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I possess in-depth knowledge and experience of the Care Act 2014: Strengths-Based Assessment and care and support planning specifically tailored for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), neurodivergence, or mental health needs, and aligned with the Care Act 2014 and trauma-informed principles

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I can offer the following services:

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Social Work assessments

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Social Work Assessment 1: The Care Act 2014:  Adults 18+

 

The Care Act 2014: Strengths-Based Assessment and care and support planning

Specifically tailored for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), neurodivergence, or mental health needs, and aligned with the Care Act 2014 and trauma-informed principles - Adults 18+

 

Social Work Assessment 2: Special Educational Needs & Disability (SEND) and The Care Act 2014 -- ‘Preparing for Adulthood. - year 9 +

 

’The Care Act 2014: Strengths-Based Transition Assessment and care and support planning specifically tailored for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), neurodivergence, or mental health needs, and aligned with the Care Act 2014 and trauma-informed principles - for young people with special educational needs (SEN) who have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan under the Children and Families Act 2014. The preparation for adulthood must begin from year 9, and the transition assessment should be undertaken as part of one of the annual statutory reviews of the EHC plan and it should inform a plan for the transition from children’s to adult care and support. 

 

[Chapter 16 of the Care and Support Statutory Guidance under the Care Act 2014, - local authorities’ legal duties for transition from children social care to adults social care]

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Neurodivergent Coaching and mentoring

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Tailored Support for Unique Kind Minds

 

Personalized coaching sessions designed for neurodivergent individuals. I will help you navigate life's challenges, enhance your strengths, and achieve your goals in a supportive environment.

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Neurodiversity coaching provides support to Neurodiverse Individuals including ADHD, ASD. including work and daily life, identifying strengths,creating strategies to address challenges, and promoting understanding of neurodiversity.

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The support may include:

❑ Life skills coaching

❑ Psychoeducation related to ADHD and/or ASD

❑ Assisting in developing individualised external systems and strategies that shore up executive functioning skills

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Imperial College London quotes the following definition of ‘Coaching’ which was put forward by Sir John Whitmore, widely acknowledged as the father of coaching for performance: 

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Coaching involves both a mindset and a skillset.

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• Mindset: You are resourceful, with inner strengths, capabilities and wisdom. As a result, you will often be able to identify the solution(s) to the issues you are experiencing

• Skillset: This is about how to structure your thinking about your issue in order to find a solution that works for you”

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Social Work coaching and mentoring

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Coaching and mentoring in social work are powerful tools for professional development.

 

Social Work coaching and mentoring - What They Are

 

• Coaching: A structured, goal-oriented process where a coach helps a social worker enhance performance, develop leadership skills, and navigate challenges.

   

• Mentoring: A relationship-based approach where a more experienced social worker offers guidance, wisdom, and support to a less experienced colleague.

 

🌱 Benefits for Social Workers

 

• Skill Development: Enhances communication, leadership, and ethical decision-making.

   

• Confidence & Competence: Builds self-assurance in handling complex cases and navigating organisational systems.

   

• Emotional Support: Offers a safe space to reflect, decompress, and build resilience.

   

• Career Progression: Encourages growth through feedback, goal-setting, and exposure to new opportunities.

   

• Ethical Practice: Reinforces values and professional standards through modelling and discussion.

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EDUCATION

 

• 2020 - PgCert Applied Mental Health Practice. The University of Hertfordshire

• 2014-2016 - MA Social Work, Middlesex University

• 2000-2003 - BA Sociology, University of Lodz/Poland

 

 

Relevant Training Courses

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• ADHD Works - ADHD Works Coach​ - Sep 2025 - 

• The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism - March 2025

• DBT®Skills Essentials Workshop British Isles DBT Training 2019​

• Adapting Your DBT® Programme For Substance Use Disorders British Isles DBT Training – 2020

 

Licenses & certifications

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• ADOS-2 - Issued May 2025

• The Autism Diagnostic Interview - Revised (ADI-R) Issued Apr 2025

 

Skills and knowledge

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• Neurodiversity

• Adults Social Care

• Transition into adult services

• Severe mental illness (SMI)

• Working with Restricted Patients

• Domestic Abuse and MARAC

• MAPPA

• Safeguarding Adults

• Safeguarding Children

• Crisis Intervention

• BPD/EUPD

• Substance Use Disorders

• Adolescent Mental Health

• Mental Health Law

• Social Work

• Section 117 Aftercare

• Case Management

• The Care Act 2014

• Social Services

• Motivational Interviewing

• Mental Health Assessment

• Substance Abuse Prevention

• Mental Health

• Mental Health Care

• Community Mental Health

• Mental Health Treatment

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WORK EXPERIENCE

 

Clinical Lead – Mid Essex Adult Specialist Mental Health Service,

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

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July 2025 – present

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Main duties:

• Manage and oversee management and care of service users with highly complex needs.

• Conduct and supervise assessment and observation to ensure appropriate and timely feedback to the team

• Conduct, supervise and oversee risk assessments of the individual highly complex cases and the potential hazards in the service user’s environment

• Provide professional clinical leadership at multi-disciplinary meetings i.e. referral / review / business, professional or safeguarding meetings

• Provide education and support to develop service user’s understanding of mental illness and training packages for staff 

• Provide psycho-social intervention, education and support to develop service users understanding of mental illness with aim to prevent relapse and admission to mental health hospital

• Provide practical support, guidance and education for service users, carers and other professionals as required 

• Lead in the continuing development of a high quality service and contribute to local emergency plan, team risk assessment etc. that is underpinned by evidence-based practice, care pathways / packages and NICE and DH Guidance

• Provide clinical leadership and professional expertise to the team

• Deliver training where appropriate for other professionals

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Dual Diagnosis Senior Practitioner – Mid Essex

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

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October 2023 – July 2025

 

Main duties:

• Leading on the delivery and provision of an integrated service for people with co-existing substance misuse and mental health problems. This also require joint assessments with Crisis teams, Community Mental Health Services, Criminal Justice, Essex STaRS service including the third sector to ensure that service users with multiple needs are not passed from one service to another.

• To support engagement with the community mental health services, Essex STaRS staff, criminal justice, substance misuse services and Choices staff in their assessment and interventions where co-existing problems exist. To co-ordinate and oversee cases where there are co-existing problems and/or a need for services from multiple departments/agencies both within and outside the organisation.

 

Social Worker/Senior Social Work Practitioner –

Mid Essex Adult CMHT

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

 

• July 2020 -October 2023 – Senior Social Worker,

• December 2016-July 2020 – Social Worker

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Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary environment/community experience. Experience of working within an NHS/Local Authority environment and an understanding of the issues/ policies/ practice within these environments. Thorough understanding and working knowledge of mental disorder and the treatment options, substance misuse, housing difficulties, self-harm and suicide ideation, safeguarding adults and safeguarding children,

• A thorough working knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983 and subsequent amendments, Working knowledge of the NHS & Community Care Act, The Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act and other social care & mental health legislation, policy & guidance

• Ability to write specialist reports to Mental Health Review Tribunals, Managers Hearing, MARAC, Safeguarding Children and Safeguarding Adults. Experience of Working with restricted patients and ability to write a conditional discharge report for restricted patients to The Mental Health Casework Section (MHCS), Thorough understanding and working knowledge of s.42 Safeguarding Adults enquiry

• Member of Child Protection Conferences, Child in Need meeting, Child Protection Core Group meetings, MARAC meeting,

• Possessing very good and excellent mental health social worker skills, including assessment skills, assertiveness, engagement with other professionals, decision-making, and problem-solving abilities. Capable of adopting creative and flexible approaches to address the needs of service users. Demonstrates well-developed communication skills, enabling effective interaction with a diverse range of audiences. Skilled in building trust and developing relationships to promote service user involvement. Ensures that equality and diversity values underpin the daily operations of the practice area.