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Family Facilitators
We have a regional team of three Family Facilitators whose sole purpose is to support the families on Programme. Their professional backgrounds give them the experience to engage effectively with a cross section of mainstream and independent sources allied to the needs of children with disabilities. Most importantly they provide a listening ear and a tangible link between the families of the children on Programme and our Therapy Team. |
Sally Preston - Scotland, Northern England and North WalesContact details: Tel: 01704 572775 Mob: 07725 956011 Email: |
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Sally Preston is the Family Facilitator looking after the North of England and Scotland. Sally is a qualified Nursery Nurse and has always worked with young children including supporting those with Special Needs in mainstream Primary School. She has a daughter, Natalie, who has Cerebral Palsy and who has been on Programme at Brainwave since 1991. Natalie has just started a 3 year BA Hons degree course at University. Sally joined Brainwave in March 2009.
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Joanna Sladden - Ireland, South West, West Midlands and South WalesContact details: Tel: 0121 3081943 Mob: 07725 956012 Email: |
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Joanna has a wealth of experience in providing information and wide ranging support to families, from her role as an Antenatal Teacher. She is still actively involved in facilitating antenatal classes at the Birmingham Women's Hospital. Before joining Brainwave, Joanna worked for the North Birmingham Primary Care Trust, supporting Health Visitors and School Nurses. Joanna has two children.
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Ceri Collins - East Midlands, London and South EastContact details: Tel: 0560 2699 005 Mob: 0789 4424312 Email: |
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Ceri has a wide experience of working with families and children of all ages, from her training as a Nursery Nurse through to running a children's boarding house for 30 challenging teenagers. Her work has involved caring for children with Cerebral Palsy, Downs Syndrome, Encephalitis, Spina Bifida and other Special Learning Difficulties. Her involvement in charity publicity and marketing adds a definite edge to her Family Newsletters! Ceri has two daughters.
The Facilitators can help to sign post families to sources of help from other organisations. They also produce a six monthly newsletter with useful national and local information for families, including places for further help and advice (these can be found under the Newsletter tab). They do, from time to time, run events such as coffee mornings to get families together and facilitate peer support. |
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FAMILIES
DOWN SYNDROME TESTIMONIAL - EMMA
I think Brainwave is brilliant. I'd been looking for this type of help, and although it took me three years, I know I've found it.
The therapists are fantastic; they are so supportive. At the Initial Assessment, they really gave us hope and made us feel there is something we can do to help Emma. They were there to help us, and to teach us how to help Emma.
So many people you see suggest that you do a bit of this, or that you do that, it can become quite mind-boggling. To have a clear and structured programme written down in a simple list that you know is addressing all her areas of development, is brilliant. You know then that you're doing as much as you can.
Although Emma had just taken a few steps when we started Brainwave a couple of months ago, I still can't quite get my head around seeing her walking about now. We started with working on her balance, and now she's doing so well.
I think Brainwave is brilliant. I'd been looking for this type of help, and although it took me three years, I know I've found it.
The therapists are fantastic; they are so supportive. At the Initial Assessment, they really gave us hope and made us feel there is something we can do to help Emma. They were there to help us, and to teach us how to help Emma.
So many people you see suggest that you do a bit of this, or that you do that, it can become quite mind-boggling. To have a clear and structured programme written down in a simple list that you know is addressing all her areas of development, is brilliant. You know then that you're doing as much as you can.
Although Emma had just taken a few steps when we started Brainwave a couple of months ago, I still can't quite get my head around seeing her walking about now. We started with working on her balance, and now she's doing so well.