JO

COACH & CBT
INDEPENDENT SOCIAL WORKER
DISABILITY BENEFITS ADVISOR
PARENTING SUPPORT
ACCESS TO WORK SUPPORT 
ADVOCATE

DIAGNOSED ADHD

LOCATION ~ TN27

Jo has been a qualified social worker since 1996 and has undertaken a variety of roles working with a wide range of clients. She has personal understanding and experience of ADHD herself, in both her children as well as some of the co-existing conditions. Jo also has personal experience of LGBTQ+ issues.

When Jo first qualified as a social worker she worked in a hospital with adults, planning discharges and soon became the connection between the palliative care team helping clients and their families during end-of-life care. Hospital work was a fast-paced environment and Jo learnt a huge amount about the health systems and various conditions.

Jo then became a helpline worker for the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre where she used counselling skills with women and girls as well as supervising and supporting volunteers. This work continued alongside her social work until her second child was born.
 
Jo then became a specialist HIV social worker, working with families and training others in HIV care. After that she worked in the community with adults with physical disabilities, learning disabilities and with older adults. After that Jo spent time in a community hospice working with families both before and after bereavement and providing training.

After a few months career break to care for her first son, Jo went back to hospital discharge work for a few months before returning to work in the HIV specialist sector.

After a year she was seconded to the role of training officer for 18 months where she organised and managed the training input across adult social care. During this time Jo also qualified as a trainer herself and undertook advanced social work training to become a Best Interest Assessor – a specialist role in mental capacity and human rights.
 
Ten years ago, Jo began to diversify and started to use her assessment skills to assess prospective foster parents. Since then, she has worked with a mixture of adult and children’s services including assessment and support with fostering and adoption, specialist mental capacity work and domestic abuse relationships. She has also assisted in courts, both family and criminal. Jo became completely independent and self-employed in 2013 and enjoys the freedom this provides her in choosing to help the clients who really need support.

Jo is knowledgeable on social law, justice especially human rights and elements of criminal law and enjoys helping clients find their way through complex issues. She likes being supportive and helping clients with understanding and navigating the social care, education and health systems.  She knows how confusing and perplexing this can be and is passionate about helping her clients understand the process and not feel alone.
 
Jo is a determined soul and puts her whole effort into getting the very best she can for every single person she works with.  Jo is a very thorough person and likes to ensure everything she does is of excellent quality.  She is loyal and committed with a strong sense of social justice and keeps up with legal and policy developments.  Jo is passionate about helping clients struggling with any issues and will put her heart and soul into getting the best outcome for each client.

Jo’s Areas of Expertise:

Parenting Therapeutically – Especially Children who have experienced Trauma
Navigating Social Care Systems
Advocacy
Safeguarding – Children & Adults 
Obtaining Disability Benefits 
Court & Legal Issues 
Safety Planning – Domestic Abuse  
Advice on Issues on Adoption & Fostering 
Disability Services 
Care Planning 
Human rights
LGBTQ+ issues
Victims of Crime Support 
Needs Assessments

Qualifications

• MA/Diploma in Social Work  1996
• Certificate in Counselling Skills. Level 3   2003
• Certificate in Counselling Theory  Level 3  2002
• Best Interest Assessor Training. Specialist Advanced Practice in the area of  Mental Capacity – 2011
• CIPD – Certificate in Training Practice  2010
• Life Coaching  Level 3  2022
• CBT Diploma – Distinction 2023

See what Jo’s previous clients have said …

JO

COACH & CBT

INDEPENDENT SOCIAL WORKER

DISABILITY BENEFITS ADVISOR

PARENTING SUPPORT

ACCESS TO WORK SUPPORT

ADVOCATE

DIAGNOSED ADHD

LOCATION ~ TN27

Jo has been a qualified social worker since 1996 and has undertaken a variety of roles working with a wide range of clients. She has personal understanding and experience of ADHD herself, in both her children as well as some of the co-existing conditions. Jo also has personal experience of LGBTQ+ issues.

When Jo first qualified as a social worker she worked in a hospital with adults, planning discharges and soon became the connection between the palliative care team helping clients and their families during end-of-life care. Hospital work was a fast-paced environment and Jo learnt a huge amount about the health systems and various conditions.

Jo then became a helpline worker for the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre where she used counselling skills with women and girls as well as supervising and supporting volunteers. This work continued alongside her social work until her second child was born.

Jo then became a specialist HIV social worker, working with families and training others in HIV care. After that she worked in the community with adults with physical disabilities, learning disabilities and with older adults. After that Jo spent time in a community hospice working with families both before and after bereavement and providing training.

After a few months career break to care for her first son, Jo went back to hospital discharge work for a few months before returning to work in the HIV specialist sector.

After a year she was seconded to the role of training officer for 18 months where she organised and managed the training input across adult social care. During this time Jo also qualified as a trainer herself and undertook advanced social work training to become a Best Interest Assessor – a specialist role in mental capacity and human rights.

Ten years ago, Jo began to diversify and started to use her assessment skills to assess prospective foster parents. Since then, she has worked with a mixture of adult and children’s services including assessment and support with fostering and adoption, specialist mental capacity work and domestic abuse relationships. She has also assisted in courts, both family and criminal. Jo became completely independent and self-employed in 2013 and enjoys the freedom this provides her in choosing to help the clients who really need support.
 
Jo is knowledgeable on social law, justice especially human rights and elements of criminal law and enjoys helping clients find their way through complex issues. She likes being supportive and helping clients with understanding and navigating the social care, education and health systems. She knows how confusing and perplexing this can be and is passionate about helping her clients understand the process and not feel alone.
 
Jo is a determined soul and puts her whole effort into getting the very best she can for every single person she works with.  Jo is a very thorough person and likes to ensure everything she does is of excellent quality.  She is loyal and committed with a strong sense of social justice and keeps up with legal and policy developments.  Jo is passionate about helping clients struggling with any issues and will put her heart and soul into getting the best outcome for each client. 

Jo’s Areas of Expertise:

Parenting Therapeutically – Especially Children who have experienced Trauma
Navigating Social Care Systems
Advocacy
Safeguarding – Children & Adults 
Obtaining Disability Benefits 
Court & Legal Issues 
Safety Planning – Domestic Abuse  
Advice on Issues on Adoption & Fostering 
Disability Services 
Care Planning 
Human rights
LGBTQ+ issues
Victims of Crime Support 
Needs Assessments 

Qualifications

• MA/Diploma in Social Work  1996
• Certificate in Counselling Skills. Level 3   2003
• Certificate in Counselling Theory  Level 3  2002
• Best Interest Assessor Training. Specialist Advanced Practice in the area of  Mental Capacity – 2011
• CIPD – Certificate in Training Practice  2010
• Life Coaching  Level 3  2022
• CBT Diploma – Distinction 2023

See what Jo’s previous clients have said …