The Social, Emotional, Mental Health Support Team (SEMH)

Updated: 03/04/24

Click on the person’s name to see their One Page Profile.

 

Caroline Hall SEMH Support Team Leader
Caroline has twenty years of experience in working with vulnerable children and children with additional needs. After graduating with a degree in Psychology, she began working in a Pupil Referral Unit supporting and teaching permanently excluded children. She worked in an SEMH SRB whilst completing a post graduate diploma in child development and education. In 2013, she led the Child Support outreach team based at the Short Stay School for Norfolk. In 2018, she joined EPSS as an SEMH practitioner and has managed the team since 2023. She has a special interest in supporting children with neurodiversity and mental health difficulties.
Jo-ODonoghue  

Associate/SEMH/Specialist Behaviour Support Teacher
Jo has extensive experience of working with children with special educational needs in a range of settings. She has worked in schools as a teacher, SENDCo and Direct or of Inclusion, as the Headteacher of a Pupil Referral Unit and as a Behaviour and Attendance Adviser. She works as an Associate for the EPSS carrying out assessments and consultancy work with schools and delivering training. Jo has a post graduate advanced diploma in working with children with SEMH difficulties and is also a trained psychodynamic counsellor. For several years she a been a respite and emergency foster carer for Norfolk children and had an active role in supporting foster carers and delivering training.

Beryl Bond Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)
Specialist Support Assistant

Beryl has been working within the Primary education sector for over 30 years as a Teaching Assistant, Higher Level Teaching Assistant as well as providing One to One support for a high number of children with varying needs. She has completed training as a Parent Support Adviser and has actively supported many families. She enjoys supporting the children around their social, emotional and mental health needs, helping them to become more confident and positive, as well as showing them ways to manage, control and understand their own behaviours and emotions. Beryl is also able to work with families to support them around parenting strategies and other specific needs.
Caroline Hatch Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) Practitioner 
Caroline has 34 years of experience working with children in primary and secondary mainstream settings. She has lead departments and written schemes of work for mainstream students. She has also worked supporting students with PMLD in a range of discrete groups and settings, supporting and delivering schemes of work as directed by Speech and Language therapists, etc . Pre teaching ‘P’level students and has been a Head of Year an Inclusion manager and Safeguarding lead. She is a History graduate.
Alice Smith Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) Practitioner 
Alice has worked in mainstream secondary schools for over ten years as a science teacher and pastoral lead, overseeing the needs and progress of students with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. As part of these roles, she has also worked with students attending a Key Stage 3 and 4 autism base and supported them in attending and succeeding within a mainstream setting.Alice has experience of working with and mentoring vulnerable students in group and one to one scenarios within schools and liaising closely with school staff to ensure classroom and whole-school strategies are in place to support these, and all students.
Natalie Daley Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) Practitioner 
Natalie is a qualified teacher who has varied experience supporting vulnerable and challenging children in mainstream and short stay schools. Natalie has been a designated safeguarding lead and Norfolk Steps Lead Practitioner, who is also trained in assessment, bereavement, Social Stories and Lego Therapy. Her special area of interest is supporting and nurturing children to develop strategies and skills to recognise emotions and to develop self-regulation techniques, so they are able to make positive choices and reach their full potential.
 

Naomi Kitchen Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) Practitioner 
Naomi has over twenty years of experience within education settings, working as a mainstream classroom teacher, an SEN intervention teacher and a SEND teacher of vulnerable students with the EOTAS service.  Most recently Naomi worked as SENDCo in an Alternative Provision for secondary aged students with SEMH needs, alongside other special educational needs.  Naomi has completed her NASENDCo award and she focussed on Trauma Informed Practice as an area of specific interest. Naomi seeks to advocate for the young people she works with, to capture their pupil voice and to enable good communication in order to create the best outcomes for all young people.
Kirsty Lane Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) Practitioner 
Kirsty has worked within the primary education sector as a Higher-Level Teaching Assistant, Intervention/Nurture lead, Mental Health Champion/Lead, Bereavement support advisor and assistant SENDCo. Kirsty is ELSA trained and her special area of interest is supporting social, emotional, and mental health in children.
Jenny Wenn Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) Practitioner
Jenny is an experienced teacher, deputy head teacher and SENDCo who has worked in Norfolk Schools since 1989. She has mainly taught in Early Years through to Key Stage 2. Most recently Jenny was a THRIVE Practitioner using a therapeutic approach to support children’s emotional development and resilience. In schools she has experience working with vulnerable pupils, children with social, emotional, and mental health difficulties and autistic children supporting inclusivity for all in the mainstream classroom.
Louise Wright Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) Practitioner

Louise has worked as primary teacher across all year groups in a variety of schools including smaller village schools and larger urban schools, working as part of the leadership team and as deputy head teacher. Working as a designated safeguarding lead and mental health champion, Louise has a particular interest in supporting vulnerable families and children. She also has a special interest in behaviour. Louise combines working with individuals with ideas for staff to be used in class to help pupils become confident and independent, promoting their own self-belief and feelings of belonging.

EPSS