Whilst at college I did a placement supporting adults with learning disabilities and realised it was something I really enjoyed and wanted to pursue. I went on to work for the NHS in an adult learning disability assessment and treatment service and then a community based behaviour team, before becoming a MAPA® trainer with Joint Training in 2011, and later the MAPA® lead (now Learning and Development Officer Restraint Reduction Lead).

Part of my role is to work with service managers and their staff teams, to promote approaches that support people in person-centred ways, identifying what a person may be trying to communicate through behaviour and using proactive approaches to intervene early and prevent risk behaviours from occurring. Hopefully staff leave our training sessions feeling more confident to support people in the right way, focusing on how they can improve the person's quality of life and always using the least restrictive approach.

I hold the following qualifications relevant to my role:

• Safety Intervention™ Master level instructor
• Edexcel L3 preparing to teach in the lifelong learning sector
• L4 award in the instruction of managing the risk of aggressive and challenging behaviour in the work place
• BTEC L4 positive behaviour support
• Operations Departmental Manager Level 5

Outside work I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, reading and walking.