The advisory board will ensure that Fairview Farm always strive to meet the needs of the people who attend.
The advisory board will meet regularly with the people who attend to hear their views about the provision. They will then feed these ideas back to Fairview Farm.
The advisory board will also act as independent advisors in the event of a formal complaint.
I am delighted to be a member of the advisory committee for Fairview Farm. I really believe Fairview Farm offers a truly person centred, high quality service to those who attend.
As an independent adviser, I aim to be on hand to help people express their views and raise awareness of the opportunities available at Fairview.
I have spent many years working with young people and adults with a learning disability in a range of care and educational settings. I have a BA(Hons) in Special Needs and Social Policy , a Certificate in Education (Post 16) and an MA in Social Science.
Having worked for many years in social care, I moved in to the education sector. Following my role as Education Manager at HMP Chelmsford, where I had the pleasure of working with people who have a long history of social exclusion and watch them leave with increased confidence, better literacy and numeracy skills, qualifications, and sometimes even a job offer in place, I am now combining both my early carer and my teaching experience as the Deputy Head at the Bridge Special School.
When I’m not working, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, crafts, exercise classes (well sometimes!) and travelling. I also enjoy a cup of tea at nearly any opportunity!
I am so excited about being part of Fairview Farm!
I am a highly qualified and experienced special needs teacher and following a twenty year plus career working within special schools and colleges, my passion and specialisms now lie firmly working with young people and their families, who have significant communication and behavioural challenges. Many of the young people I work with are pre-verbal and many use a range of communication aids.
As the Head Teacher at the Bridge school (just like Emma!) as a teacher I believe creativity, energy and lots of fun can unlock hidden potential. I believe that we should have high aspirations for all of our young people, regardless of the barriers and challenges they face. As educationalists we need to think wider, higher and deeper to find ways to access and engage the people we work with and support them to achieve.
I am Mum to three young men and Grandma to the two most adorable young ladies!
When Georgina invited me to become a member of the Advisory Board, it was for me a very easy decision to say yes. I first visited the farm in the summer of 2019 and was immediately struck not only by its beautiful setting underneath a vast Suffolk sky, but by the overwhelming feeling that I had entered a happy place and this is a feeling that has remained with me since.
As a parent of two adult children with additional needs , I am a keen advocate of social inclusion and passionately believe that everyone should have an equal opportunity to contribute to society in a meaningful way. This ethos is clearly championed by Georgina and all of the team at Fairview Farm and undertaken in a real and measurable way.
Professionally, I spent over 25 years working in both the Prison and Police services and in 2015 was awarded the Queens Policing Medal (QPM) for distinguished service in the New Years Honours List. Retiring in 2017, I am now committed to both philanthropic pursuits and voluntary work and am an ambassador for Home Start in Suffolk.
My interests include wild swimming, mountain climbing, theatre, writing, public speaking and sharing my thoughts with my beloved English Bulldog Rosie.