What do you do?
I am a Policy Advisor for the Department for Education, working within the SEND and Alternative Provision Policy Team. I work to help improve the educational and safeguarding outcomes for children who attend non-school settings. This includes developing policy ideas that will help children who need extra assistance meet their potential or provide more support to vulnerable children with complex needs. We present these policy ideas to ministers so we can make schools and other education settings better for everyone. Before that I worked as an EHCP officer in a Local Education Authority and as a teacher or Higher Learning Support Assistant in schools.
What has been your greatest achievement?
It sounds silly but I think my greatest achievement has been in finding the balance between living as independently as possible but knowing that there are some areas where I still need to ask for help. I’ve been able to complete multiple degrees despite having had to leave school early due to health reasons and I have a great job which makes me feel as though I’m helping young people like myself and live by myself with some outside support. I’ve been able to travel alone to Europe, America and North Africa.
What was been your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?
My biggest ongoing challenge is and always has been the limitations of my own body. I consider myself very lucky that I can enjoy life without too many things getting in the way but the complications from cerebral palsy including pain, muscle cramps and mobility issues still get in my way and are not always obvious to those around me. Plus, the epilepsy causes issues. Some days are harder than others but I have to overcome these things every day as an ongoing thing, face the struggles, push myself physically and mentally because I know I am capable and also not be afraid of asking for help from friends, relatives or colleagues as I know they will help make things easier for me
Who was your role-model growing up?
My uncle Eric. He taught me that if I can’t always exercise my body that I could focus on exercising my mind as well.
What do you think would help more adults with CP achieve their ambitions?
Better outside understanding of Cerebral Palsy in schools and the work place and just in general. Greater accessibility to training an education that takes into account the differently abled and better understanding that like many other conditions CP is a spectrum of conditions where everyone has different weaknesses but we all also have our different strengths that we can build on together and with the right support.