CHILD AND FAMILY SOLUTIONS - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Independent Social Worker

I'm a dedicated and compassionate Independent Social Worker with a strong academic foundation and extensive experience in supporting children and families. I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours in Social Work from Kingston University, London (2009) and am registered with Social Work England. My completion of Safe & Together training (provided by the Safe and Together Institute) underlines my commitment to systemic and trauma-informed practice. My 15 years of post-qualified experience is comprehensive. I have worked within various local authorities, Independent Fostering Agencies, and residential children's home settings across London and the north west of England. My roles have ranged from Social Worker to Service Manager.

Job Titles:

• Director
• Founder
• Founding Director
• Counsellor

Alison is the founder and director of CFS and has been a social worker since 1990. In her role with CFS she practices as an Independent Social Worker and Expert Witness in private law matters in the family Courts and can also offer consultation on public law matters cases when needed. She is frequently recommended to offer expert assessments and intervention in complex and high conflict cases, some of which are in the High Court. Having had over 20 years of Local Authority social work experience, she is able to offer advice on working with most client groups, although her expertise is mainly in the field of Child Protection. She was a Children's Guardian - public and private law - for 10 of her years in social work. Alison is a trained counsellor, is currently undertaking a diploma in psychotherapy and has appreciable experience of mediation and conciliation work. She has skills in working with contact resistance and has successfully helped several estranged parents reunite with their child/ren including, where unavoidable, effecting and moreover managing a transfer of residence for those children to ensure they are able to have a relationship with both parents. Alison works to an ethos of shared parenting, believing that children need both parents in their lives in order to flourish. She is a member of the international organisation Leading Women for Shared Parenting (http://lw4sp.org). Whilst she has developed a specialism in assessing cases of alienation and hostile parenting, her focus is nonetheless on repairing and working therapeutically to resolve issues arising from strained parent-child relationships. This therapeutic work involves exploring the roots of the problem by assessment of the adults' attachment relationships and also undertaking direct work with children that includes art and play therapy techniques she has built up over many years of working with families. Her work to repair broken family relationships and reunite children with estranged parents is now well known and she is frequently recommended to work with long running and entrenched cases. Alison is experienced in dealing with diversity. She has advised parents in same sex relationships and is also able to assist in culturally complex matters in an informed and skilled way. She is also vigilant in challenging gender bias within the family Court system. Her testimonials from both colleagues and clients attest to the respect she has built up in the Courts and to her good interpersonal skills. She provides guidance and supervision to the team and along with the Director of Operations and the Referrals and Workflow coordinator, she ensures all the work of the team is quality assured. She has an energetic and solutions-focused approach to the challenges of family law and consistently achieves good results for her clients. She is now based in Norwich but is able to cover most of the South and South East and has been known to cover cases further afield including international matters.

Job Titles:

• Senior Family Practitioner

Amanda brings a wealth of experience to her role as a Senior Family Practitioner, with a professional background in family law and international child abduction. Her work is grounded in a deep understanding of complex family dynamics and a strong commitment to supporting positive outcomes for children and parents alike. Amanda specialises in reunification work, direct therapeutic work with children, and the supervision of parenting time. She is also highly skilled in writing detailed, evidence-informed reports that support families, professionals, and the Court in making informed decisions. With a particular interest in parental alienation, Amanda is able to support both parents, helping them navigate challenging circumstances with confidence and care. Known for her empathetic and supportive approach, Amanda creates a safe and respectful space for families to rebuild trust and connection. Her work is guided by compassion, clarity, and a belief in the potential for change. Outside of her professional role, Amanda enjoys jewellery making and crafts, as well as spending time with family and her two dogs.

Job Titles:

• Director of Operations & Senior Family Practitioner

With a strong academic foundation in Psychology and Criminology, and specialist training in Theraplay™, I bring both strategic oversight and compassionate practice to my dual role at Child and Family Solutions. As Director of Operations, I oversee the day-to-day running of the organisation, ensuring our services are delivered with excellence and integrity. Alongside this, I work directly with families, specialising in complex issues such as parental alienation and domestic abuse. My approach is rooted in empathy, evidence-based practice, and a deep commitment to supporting families through challenging times. My passion for this work stems from a deep belief in the power of safe, supportive relationships and how they transform lives. I am especially committed to helping families navigate complex and emotionally charged situations, including separations and relationship breakdowns as well as parental alienation. My approach is both professional and deeply empathetic-I strive to create a space where families feel heard, respected, and empowered. I bring warmth, structure, and evidence-based practice to every interaction. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with family, travel and exercise, which help me stay grounded and inspired in both my personal and professional life.

Job Titles:

• Clinical Psychologist
• Consultant
• Consultant Clinical Psychologist & Therapist

I have been qualified as a Clinical Psychologist for over 20 years. I have worked in a number of settings including Child and Adolescent Mental Health Neuropsychology, Paediatrics, Looked After Children, Court, Learning Disability, Specialist and Mainstream Schools. I have also worked with adults privately, conducted specialist assessments for Court and within a specialist provision for adults with severe and enduring mental health problems. I am skilled in assessing and intervening with children, parents (biological/foster/adoptive) and families. I have additional training skills in Neuropsychology which is highly relevant to children (and adults) with complex presentations including brain injury/speech and language, Neurological / genetic, Neurodiversity (including ADHD and ASD). My parallel interest is in Developmental Trauma; PTSD, Complex PTSD and dissociative disorders. I have trained in EMDR for children and adults and experience this to be a highly effective therapy for a range of presenting difficulties both in children and their parents/families.

Job Titles:

• Family Practitioner
• Family Practitioner and Public Health Consultant

Dr. David Iniama (Dave) is a Family Practitioner and Public Health Consultant with over 10 years of experience supporting children and families through complex emotional, social, and health-related challenges. Trained as a medical doctor with postgraduate degrees in Public Health and Global Health Policy from the London School of Economics (LSE), he brings a trauma-informed, child-centred, and evidence-based approach to every case. David specialises in family breakdown, co-parenting dynamics, domestic abuse awareness, safeguarding, and Section 7 reporting. His professional background includes extensive experience in clinical care, therapeutic engagement, counselling, and behaviour change support. He is known for working calmly and compassionately with families under stress, helping them find clarity, stability, and fair outcomes. Committed to non-judgmental practice, David helps parents navigate separation with empathy, always keeping the best interests of the child at the centre. Outside of work, he enjoys mindfulness, listening to music, and quality time with loved ones.

Job Titles:

• Counselling Therapist
• Senior Family Practitioner & Counsellor

Job Titles:

• Family Practitioner
• Independent Social Worker

As a Family Practitioner at Child and Family Solutions, I bring a unique blend of clinical expertise and personal insight to help families navigate the intricacies of separation and conflict. With over a year dedicated to our child-focused services, I'm passionate about transforming complexity into clarity for those we support.

Job Titles:

• Therapist & Youth Mentor

Job Titles:

• Independent Social Worker

I am a qualified Independent Social Worker with a BA (Hons) in Social Work and full registration with Social Work England. I have extensive statutory experience supporting children and families, and I specialise in delivering parenting and risk assessments, complex Court work, and safeguarding interventions.

Job Titles:

• Therapist

Qualifications Cruse counselling course - bereavement counselling - 1996 Glasgow

Job Titles:

• Family Practitioner

My name is Miriam Marchese, and I am currently working as a Family Practitioner. I hold a BSc (Hons) in Health and Social Care and an MSc in Global Public Health, where I specialised in safeguarding and child development.

Job Titles:

• Senior Family Practitioner and Therapist

Reem is a Senior Family Practitioner and a BACP registered therapist currently completing an MSc in Counselling Children and Young People. She specialises in supporting children, young people, and families during and after family breakdown and separation. With a deep understanding of the complexities that arise during these transitions, Reem brings both compassion and insight to her work. Her areas of expertise include family separation, safeguarding, and post-separation family dynamics. She has a particular interest in helping families navigate difficult circumstances such as co-parenting challenges, emotional trauma, and the long-term impact of disrupted relationships. Reem believes that when children and families feel supported, they can overcome adversity and achieve positive outcomes. Her work is grounded in a trauma-informed, non-judgmental, and child-centred approach. She places strong emphasis on relational practice, building trust and open communication with every family she works with. Outside of work, Reem enjoys spending time outdoors, staying active, and connecting with friends and family. She also has a passion for travelling and exploring new cultures, which helps her stay refreshed and grounded in both life and work.

Job Titles:

• Independent Social Worker & Therapist
• Registered Social Worker & Therapist

I have over 15 years of experience working with children & families. I have extensive experience in report writing in private family law, e.g parenting assessments, S.7 reports , supervising contact and providing 1:1 parent sessions.

Job Titles:

• Independent Social Worker

Job Titles:

• Independent Social Worker

Job Titles:

• Referrals & Operations Coordinator

I am passionate about providing efficient and professional administrative support. I deal with the incoming correspondence, referrals and enquiries for the team. I enjoy assisting people and have a calm and compassionate manner - I have a lot of empathy for people and aim to help in a reassuring way. I am a trained Mental Health First Aider. My career has been predominantly healthcare in the past working within a Mental Health Team for the past 19 years. I am a recent addition to the CFS Team and am very proud to be part of this competent and professional agency which has such passion in ensuring that children are heard in these difficult situations.