蜜桃传媒

With over 28 years of experience across the health and social care sector, I鈥檓 proud to teach on the BSc and FdSc Health and Social Care programmes at UCB. My expertise centres on autism, neurodiversity, advocacy, empowerment, and co-production - areas that have guided both my professional practice and my personal journey as a parent of an autistic daughter. I鈥檓 a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) and I鈥檓 undertaking a PhD in Psychology at the University of Warwick. My PhD takes a participatory approach to examining the mental health issues of autistic university students. 

My professional roles to date have involved supporting children and young people, individuals with learning disabilities, and autistic people and their families. In many of these roles, I championed working in authentic partnership with 鈥楨xperts by Experience鈥�, ensuring that those who use health and social care services have a genuine say in shaping the support, services, policy, and research that affect their lives. For me, the quote 鈥渘othing about us without us鈥� accurately sums up the importance of co-production in designing health and social care services. 

At UCB, I have developed innovative work with 鈥楨xperts by Experience鈥�, who now co-deliver modules alongside me. Students regularly comment on the value of hearing directly from those with lived experience, finding these sessions insightful and genuinely transformative for their own thinking and practice.

I鈥檝e also held positions as a Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner and have spent eight years as an Autism/ Mental Health Mentor at university, supporting and learning from remarkable students, many of whom continue to inspire me with their achievements today. My own lived experience as a parent of an autistic child has been invaluable, deepening my empathy and commitment to inclusive, person-centred care, and helping connect theory to the everyday realities of practice for my students. I鈥檓 continually inspired by autistic self-advocates and campaigners such as Chris Packham, Ann Memmott, and Dr Georgia Pavlopoulou, who are driving forward research and positive change for neurodivergent communities.聽