CATHERINE RUSHFORTH AND ASSOCIATES - Key Persons

Anna comes to CR & A with high credentials. She has a strong background in secondary education, youth services and faith-based settings. As an accomplished Designated Lead Person for Safeguarding she brings an authenticity to the demands of the role in this current era, including the interface between young persons' emotional/mental ill health, sexual harrassment and violence and its links to the online culture within the Contextual Safeguarding frame.She is known both by us, the CR & A Team and much further afield for her close attention to Emotional Intelligence in the caring services' workforce. Anna utilises this extensive experience to good effect through the level of Professional Reflective Supervision that she provides on a 1 :1 basis for DSL's and for Safeguarding Teams, in addition to a broad range of professional training and consultancy.

Chris brings an extensive experience of direct work with young people to the Team. He is a warm and exceptionally perceptive man who has the capacity to draw out the best in young people and practitioners alike. He is a respected figure in residential care, youth services, youth offending and integrated services within the community and across the secure estate in Secure Training Centres and Youth Offending Institutions. His stance is unwavering in enabling professional understanding of : The complex needs of young people during adolescence, particularly for those who experienced troubled early years, family breakdown and family trauma. The need to apply a sensitive and comprehensive assessment model with a view to achieving successful engagement with young people and their families. The importance of Practitioner maturity and ‘boundaried' work with young people to bring about positive and sustained change.

Christine is exceptionally well-read, with an MA in Social Policy and Administration. She is a life-long advocate for social justice, including Children's' Rights and the fundamental importance of family life. Christine has a sharp eye for emerging trends and coupled with her informal, relaxed approach, puts her intellect to work in assisting others to: Recognise how their service ‘fits' within the current legal and social policy framework. Apply an evidence-based approach to practice, rooted in respected research findings. Adopt an accessible structure for monitoring and evaluating professional practice.

I am delighted to welcome Dimitrios to our Team. He's a man of great warmth, who really importantly 'has time' for the young children, their siblings and parents with whom he works. This IS truly extraordinary as he and his teams work with over five thousand vulnerable children and families across the Nursery School and Children's Centre he manages day to day. Dimitrios has worked in the primary education sector too and and is widely sought after as a Trainer for STEEP and ATLAS, as well as on a part-time basis for us. He is highly accomplished academically, (BA Hons, MA, MPhil, NPQICL) He brings a deep authenticity to professional training as he works in safeguarding including the very serious levels of child protection as a Designated Lead Person on a very regular basis; simply put 'the man walks his talk'.

Lorraine brings a fresh, recent from practice edge to her Associate role at Catherine Rushforth & Associates. She's an accomplished woman having trained herself as a Teaching Assistant, Teacher for Key Stages 1 and 2 and then led a Pastoral Team, taking on the Designated Lead Person role. Having held this position herself in the last years, culminating in a senior leadership role, she has a wealth of knowledge. This recent insider position enables her to really understand current challenges to safeguarding, including child protection at a very practical level. Lorraine was well known and widely respected as a Pastoral Lead and Family Support Manager, particularly for going that extra mile with children and their families. Lorraine has designed and delivered a number of professional learning and training events in her role for a large federation of schools and brings that heartfelt approach to safeguarding synonymous with the Catherine Rushforth & Associates.