Meet the EP team
Dr Jane Park, Co-Principal Educational Psychologist
I'm Dr Jane Park, Co-Principal EP with Telford & Wrekin EPS. Since completing my doctoral training with the Tavistock & Portman NHS Trust I have worked for Telford & Wrekin EPS. I'm committed to neuro-affirming practices and ensuring the successful inclusion of neurodivergent children and young people. My primary area of professional interest lies in Preparation for Adulthood, particularly supporting positive life outcomes for neurodivergent children and young people. I'm passionate about supervision and it has been my privilege to guide the professional development of many trainee EPs from across the region.
In Telford & Wrekin, I coordinate Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) training and supervision, as well as leading on our Autism Education Trust offer. I'm a fan of positive psychology and am committed to anti-racist and anti-oppressive practices in the EP field. My work in applied psychology has been widely published and I'm an enthusiastic collaborator in research, most recently supporting research with Drs Fi Coley and Alexandra Sewell on compassion-led practices within the EP profession.
Publications
Dr Hannah Fleming, Dr Katie Ellis & Dr Jane Park (2024) Reflecting on the Emotional World of Neurodiverse Young People. In Chris Arnold & Jane Yeomans (eds.) Psychology for Teaching Assistants, Birmingham: Teaching Times
Dr Alexandra Sewell, Dr Jane Park, Dr Janchai King, and Dr Hannah Fleming, Kara Pirttijarvi, Stuart Busby (2022). Voice Practices to Support Pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND). In Diverse Voices in Education London: JKP.
Charli Franklin & Jane Park (2022) Transition Into Adulthood. In Judith Gainsborough (ed) Educational Psychology Perspectives on Supporting Young Autistic People, GB: JKP
Alexandra Sewell & Jane Park (2021) A three factor model of educational practice considerations for teaching neurodiverse learners from a strengths-based perspective, Support For Learning 36, 4 pp 678-694 https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9604.12387
Jane Park & Judith Mortell (2020) Using the Grid Elaboration Method (GEM) to investigate transition experiences of young autistic adults, Educational Psychology in Practice, 36:2, 193-207, DOI: 10.1080/02667363.2020.1731429
Jane Park (2018) From real-world research to the real world: Extending the free association in Grid Elaboration Method into applied educational psychologist practice with older students. In Brian Apter, Christopher Arnold, & Julia Hardy (Eds.), Applied educational psychology with 16-25 year olds: New frameworks and perspectives for working with young people (pp. 135-150). UCL Institute of Education Press.
Katie Hughes, Trainee Educational Psychologist
Hi! I'm Katie, a third-year Trainee Child and Educational Psychologist at the University of Nottingham. Since September 2023, I've been working with the Telford and Wrekin Educational Psychology Service. Over the years, I’ve supported children, young people, and families in various educational and healthcare settings, working with individuals aged 0-25.
Before beginning my training as a Child and Educational Psychologist, I gained valuable experience in a range of roles, including working as a Teaching Assistant in a Specialist Educational Provision, an Assistant Psychologist within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), and most recently as an Assistant Educational Psychologist with Flintshire County Council.
Within these roles, I developed a passion to work in a consultative way, working with key adults around the child or young person to better understand and create a richer picture of their strengths, challenges and needs. I’m passionate about creating positive change through collaboration and supporting the young people I work with to feel heard, understood, and empowered to thrive.
Here are some of my current areas of professional interests I particularly enjoy:
· Empowering children and young people to make decisions about their own education
· Personal Construct Psychology
· Solution-Focused Psychology
· Dynamic Assessment as an alternative to Psychometric approaches
· Therapeutic and relational approaches
· Understanding group dynamics and supporting anti-oppressive practices
· Joint working and group problem-solving
· Positive psychology
· Supporting vulnerable groups such as young people experiencing Emotionally Based School Avoidance or Selective Mutism
· Social, emotional, and mental health support
· Self-harm and suicide prevention
Charley Regan, Assistant Educational Psychologist
I am an Assistant Educational Psychologist for Telford and Wrekin Council, and I joined the team in September 2024. I am passionate about providing equitable, inclusive and anti-oppressive education for all children and young people.
After gaining a degree in Psychology at Keele University, I worked as an Assistant SENCO in a mainstream primary school. As part of this role, I created and lead a specialist hub implementing the SCERTS model. Following this, I worked as an Emotionally Based School Avoidance Practitioner collaborating with children, families and settings. Prior to my current role, I was an Early Years Advisor at the Virtual School, supporting the education of our care experienced children and young people in Staffordshire.
My professional interests include:
· Anti-oppressive practice.
· Implementing psychological approaches at a whole school level.
· Early childhood development.
· Neuroaffirming practice.
· Strengths-based approaches.
· Relational and restorative approaches.
· Gathering pupil voice.
Meryl Newton, Co-Principal Educational Psychologist
I am a Co-Principal Educational Psychologist at Telford and Wrekin EPS. I completed my Educational Psychology doctorate at Cardiff University, having previously completed an MSc in Psychology at the University of East London.
My professional interests include pupil voice work (gathering and representing young people’s views), working with children under the age of 5 and supervision. I have enjoyed providing clinical supervision for a range of professionals, including Social Workers, Emotional Literacy Support Assistants, school-based wellbeing leads and Trainee Educational Psychologists.
Publications
Meryl Newton & Ian Smillie (2020) Educational psychologists’ practice: obtaining and representing young people’s views, Educational Psychology in Practice, 36:3, 328-344, DOI: 10.1080/02667363.2020.1787955
Holder for Dr Bissell
Holder for Dr Regan
Lara Amos-Earle, Assistant Educational Psychologist
I am an Assistant Educational Psychologist, and I have been working with the Educational Psychology team since September 2023. Prior to joining the Educational Psychology Service, I worked as a teacher specialising primarily in the Early Years Foundation Stage and also Key Stage One. During my teaching career, I was always interested in the application of psychology and the communication of behaviour, which led to completing my MSc in Psychology at Birmingham City University. I am committed to inclusive practice, and I am passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and young people and their families. Person-centred, strength-based, and solution-focused approaches are extremely important to me, as they support a rich and holistic understanding of the lives and experiences of our children and young people. I am interested in capturing the voice and views of our children and young people, and in particular how this can be captured with our children in the Early Years.
My professional interests include:
· Early Childhood Development, including supporting the development of cognitive, social, emotional, and physical skills through play
· Capturing Child’s Voice
· Person -centred, solution-focused and strengths-based approaches
· Positive Psychology
Rhiannon Skilton, Assistant Educational Psychologist
am an Assistant Educational Psychologist at Telford and Wrekin Council, having joined the team in September 2023. Prior to joining the team here in Telford and Wrekin, I worked as a specialist learning support mentor in a mainstream primary school supporting pupils with a wide range of complex needs, before working as an Assistant Educational Psychologist in Sandwell where I continued to nurture my passion for inclusive practice and advocacy for our most vulnerable children and young people.
My professional interests include:
- Neurodiversity affirming and inclusive practices
- Strengths-based approaches
- Anti-oppressive practice
- Exploring barriers to education (i.e., Emotionally Based School Avoidance)
- Whole school approaches to supporting wellbeing (i.e., The Sandwell Wellbeing Charter Mark)
- Early childhood development
- Understanding behaviour as communication
- Personal Construct Psychology
- Dynamic assessment
- Positive psychology
- Working with systems i.e., schools and families
- Relational and restorative Approaches
- Supporting children and young people to develop skills for self-advocacy
Dr Colette Soan Specialist Senior Educational Psychologist – SEMH
I have been an educational psychologist for 24 years, working in local authorities across the West Midlands. I have also worked as a tutor on the educational psychology professional training course at The University of Birmingham.
Currently I work as a specialist senior EP specialising in SEMH and taking a lead on our service response to current themes and needs. I work with a team of assistant EPs piloting the Sandwell Wellbeing Charter Mark in Telford and we are working on responding to the needs of children and young people presenting with EBSA. When I’m not working in Telford I work on the national Green Paper evaluation as part of The University of Birmingham research team. My role is to lead the work package focussing on the whole school approach to need and how the implementation of MHSTs and SMHL training has impacted on this.
My professional interests are wide ranging. I enjoy thinking about whole systems and how they impact the lives of those working within them. I espouse to work in a way that enables co-constructed formulations that champions the child at the centre of their lives using consultation.
Holder for Dr Jobson
Alex Hobman, Trainee Educational Psychologist
I am a second-year trainee Child and Educational Psychologist studying at the University of Birmingham and joined Telford Educational Psychology Service in September 2024.
Prior to starting my training, I was a Primary School Teacher in London before working as a Programme Co-ordinator for Barnardo's on a wellbeing and resilience programme across the UK and Ireland.
My professional interests include:
· Using holistic and ecological approaches
· Promoting systemic work to build capacity in schools
· Solution focused and strengths based work
· Social justice
· Working with care experienced children and young people
Chloe Hand, Assistant Educational Psychologist
I work as an Assistant Psychologist for Telford and Wrekin. As part of my role, I support educational psychologists (EPs) by visiting schools and nurseries to actively listen to children, young people, parents, and school staff to understand their perspectives. I assist in delivering comprehensive support to school staff, aiding them with their professional development and emotional wellbeing. I also help children and young people with complex needs, working closely alongside professionals to devise effective strategies for moving forward and making progress. I have a master's degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Bristol and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Practice in Education Settings. I was previously an Educational Mental Health Practitioner for the Black Country NHS.
Professional Interests:
· Mental health, well-being, and implementing a whole-school approach to mental health
· Utilizing evidence-based therapeutic techniques, and addressing potential risks associated with mental health challenges.
· Supporting the participation and empowerment of both children and parents as collaborators in professional activities.
· Helping children develop cognitive, social, emotional, and physical skills through play
