As Head of Forward2Employment, I am passionate about supporting young adults with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) across Medway and Kent into employment. I strongly believe that with the right support and high aspirations, every young person has valuable, diverse skills to offer in the workplace.

Previously, I held the role of Vice Principal at Bradfields Academy within Fortis Trust. This experience has been instrumental in shaping my leadership approach and continues to inform my work at Forward2Employment. My background also includes working in mainstream education and as a Psychologist, which underpins my inclusive and person-centred approach.

I hold the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership. These have strengthened my ability to lead strategically, drive continuous improvement, and ensure that Forward2Employment provides the highest quality support and opportunities for our interns.

At Forward2Employment, I take a hands-on approach and really enjoy working closely with our team. Whether it’s supporting our Job Coaches in their work with interns or building relationships with employers who are keen to be part of our journey, I am always looking for ways to make our provision even stronger.

The most rewarding part of my role is seeing young people grow in confidence, develop their employability skills, and go on to achieve meaningful and sustainable employment—it’s what drives everything we do.

I am proud to lead a provision where belief in our young people is at the heart of everything we do, and where we celebrate every step of their journey into employment.

I started my career in the British Army, where I served as an Infantry Soldier for 9 years. I then joined Her Majesty’s Prison Service as a Prison Officer and have worked in several establishments with various categories of prisoners. I have seen firsthand how important it is that young people have the right start in their adult life and how badly things can go wrong if there isn’t support in place. I strongly believe that Supported Internships and employment provide that support.

I am currently a Kent, Sussex and Essex regional Health, Safety and Fire Advisor working at establishments throughout the region. I am qualified to carry out Health, Safety, and Fire risk assessments, and I will be vigilant in ensuring the safety of the interns when they undertake their placements.

I enjoy working with other agencies so the young people and their families or carers have access to all relevant information that can be helpful when they are making decisions.

I started my career in hospitality, learning the importance of strong teams, quality customer service, and building healthy working relationships very quickly. It was through this role that I met my current employers. I have worked for Richard Austin Alloys since joining the team in 2016 as a sales apprentice. I now manage our skilled and experienced sales team in their day-to-day tasks and hope to encourage them all into their next challenge, offering the support and guidance that I was once shown. I have more recently joined a collective of local artists who exhibit our work around the county. This experience has strengthened my commitment to community and authenticity, values I believe benefit my work with F2E.

RAA began offering intern placements in 2022 after being approached by Forward2Employment. Our motivation was to offer opportunities to local young people. I have now experienced F2E’s work firsthand and the critical role they play in the development and growth of the interns who join their programme. I remain impressed by the support offered to interns and associated businesses (like RAA) to ensure placements and a fair chance for interns to experience working life.

I was excited to be asked to join the board at F2E in 2024 and hope that my experiences can offer insights into ways to maximise the potential of associated businesses and work towards successful placements where both the intern and the business have the support and reassurance they need.