MEET THE TEAM

SARA GRAHAM 

Sara has extensive experience of safeguarding, having worked as a Designated Safeguarding Lead in two of the Trust Secondary schools, as well as fulfilling this role in a voluntary sector organisation prior to joining the Trust in 2014. Drawing on this experience and her expertise in the mental health arena, she currently leads on safeguarding and mental health across the Trust.  This role provides a Trust-wide consultancy provision, facilitates regular supervision for all safeguarding personnel, and delivers ongoing quality assurance of consistent safeguarding processes and practice within each school and across the Trust.  Throughout the academic year, Sara undertakes a series of audits which focus on safeguarding standards in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education, including Single Central Records reviews, as well as First Aid and Medical reviews.  Sara works closely with both internal and external colleagues across the safeguarding partnership and local area to promote effective networking which facilitates information sharing and joined up practice.  

As a trained Counsellor, Sara has worked with specialist colleagues and multi-agency partners for over 20 years to drive the development of mental health services for children and young people, as well as mental health and wellbeing across whole school communities, and sits on several local strategy and partnership groups.  She worked with the Chief Executive Officer to implement Rotherham MAST, an inhouse provision employing school mental health specialists, which secured a therapeutic offer for the Maltby Learning Trust community.  Having working knowledge of SEND, Sara also contributes to the development of provision for children with social, emotional and mental health needs and whole-school trauma informed practices.   

Sara is an experienced trainer having written and developed a range of bespoke evidence-based training packages. She is an accredited Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor and is also working with Trauma Informed Schools UK as a trainer. Sara has been asked to speak at national level about a whole school approach to mental health. She gained Specialist Leader of Education status in 2015 and has served as a school Governor in Primary settings since 2002. 

NATALIE BRAITHWAITE

Natalie has BSc (Hons) Psychology and Counselling as well as eighteen years experience working across different sectors including community care work, mentoring, psychiatric care, social work, counselling and mental health as well as financial services. Natalie led the implementation of a pilot mentoring scheme across Doncaster schools, drove the development of a new counselling service sitting on the management board, and led a change management project in Banking after completing a Banking Advisor qualification and a leadership programme.

Natalie joined Maltby Learning Trust in 2014 where she has worked alongside the Strategic Director to deliver a whole school community approach to mental health. Achieving University Accredited Attachment Lead status with Trauma Informed Education enables Natalie to support children who have experienced relational trauma or loss and support schools to implement a Trauma Informed, Attachment Aware approach. She has a BPS Approved Certificate in Clinical Supervision and delivers both supervision and training across Maltby Learning Trust.

Natalie is committed to keeping abreast of the ever-changing landscape of mental health and has engaged in a wealth of training including Theraplay techniques, Introduction to EMDR, Trauma Tapestries, Brainspotting, Rewind Technique, EFT, CSE, safeguarding, Mindfulness, Suicide First Aid, and the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics.

JACQUI PEARCE

Jacqui has worked in the education sector for over 14 years, initially as a Teaching Assistant at Maltby Hall infants, and progressing to Cover Supervisor at Maltby Lilly Hall Academy, before becoming a Mental Health Specialist for MAST.

Jacqui is a qualified Counsellor and member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. She has worked for charities such as Cruse Bereavement and Talkzone, working with adults, young people, and children. She has a wealth of experience dealing with trauma, sexual identity, bereavement, depression, and anxiety.

Keeping up to date with the changing practices around mental health, Jacqui has undertaken a wide range of additional professional training, including, ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training), Motivational Interviewing and Mentalizing, Life Story Work, Bonding Through Play, Creative Counselling Interventions Pathway and Solution Focused Pathway. Jacqui also provides counselling and supervision to fellow professionals within the Trust and has completed Essential Supervision Skills (BPS Approved Certificate in Clinical Supervision).

Julie Green

Julie completed a BSc (Hons) in Psychology in 2007 and qualified as a Person-centred counsellor in 2010. Julie trained in GP surgeries for the NHS and then worked with survivors of abuse for more than a decade. Julie has extensive experience of working with trauma and mental health in counselling.

Julie has also worked as a senior clinical supervisor and counsellor and facilitated therapeutic groups. In 2018, Julie expanded her work to offer counselling to young people.

Julie commenced working for the trust in 2023, providing counselling and supervision to staff and students. Julie continues to remain up to date in relevant areas around safeguarding children and emotional regulation.