About Us:

Following 20 years in the construction industry, I changed career and worked in several residential homes for children. This was in conjunction with attending a part-time learning course with the Open University. This led to me gaining a Bachelor of Science degree (Honours) in Psychology in 2007. I then decided on full-time study and obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work Studies at The University of Nottingham in September 2010. 

Following my graduation, I gained extensive experience of front-line social work. My social work roles were with 7 local authorities and have included court, out of hours, duty, and disabilities teams. I have also been a team manager for two child protection teams in Derbyshire (Heanor and Langley Mill). In the role as a manager, I have overseen cases and quality assured work of social workers, including within Public Law Outline and proceedings. 

I have extensive experience in completing reports for court including parenting assessments, SGO, S7 and viability assessments. I pride myself on a child centred approach, which is in line with how family courts would choose professionals to operate. In addition to the experience of parenting my own 4 children, I have met a vast number of children, with a range of needs. I can forge working relationships with children and families, regardless of the circumstances.

In January 2022 I set up Socialeyes (Chesterfield) Ltd. I act as an independent social worker for the company with support from administration staff. We accept a range of independent work, including from CAFCASS as an associate Family Court Adviser and NYAS 16.4 Guardian. I have worked on a ‘project’ in Solihull MBC, in a duty and assessment team. I was selected due to my experience, as the local authority were experiencing significant challenges in service delivery due to several factors, including a high-profile serious case review. Part of the role was to support a restructure of the service and promote excellent practice. My current direction is working directly with the public as a Mckenzie Friend.