Meet our partners

New River College pupils, parents and staff are supported by a range of external services and professionals, which include:

• CAMHS (Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service
• Educational Psychology Service
• Speech and Language Therapy Service
• Post-16 Progress Team
• Safer Schools Policing.

To find out more about the services and the individuals who provide them, click on the links above:

CAMHS (Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service)

We have established a specialist CAMHS team in all NRC settings to make the service more accessible to young people and their families. Having dedicated CAMHS clinicians who spend a significant amount of time in the schools has the following benefits:

• It helps the pupils get to know the clinicians in a school setting.
• Parents and carers can access help in a school setting.
• Clinicians can easily observe the young people in a school context, day to day, understand their needs and develop useful insights into how to support both the pupils and the staff teaching them.

Our small team is made up of clinical psychologists, a child and adolescent psychotherapist and a clinical nurse specialist.

Young people come to NRC for many different reasons but they may have struggled with the pace of the school work, keeping to the rules of behaviour, or dealing with the size of classes or year groups in mainstream school. Some may have found their previous school environment overwhelming or emotionally distressing. Others arriving at NRC can feel they have been ‘singled out’ or treated unfairly in the past and that they have not been understood in their previous schools. Coming to NRC can be an opportunity to move forward, get support with things that have been difficult and find different ways of doing things. CAMHS is often a part of this process.

There are lots of different reasons why pupils at NRC and their parents/carers see someone from the CAMHS in the PRU team. Some examples of the kind of things we try and help children, young people (and their families) with include:

• depression, low mood or feeling ‘flat’
• low self-esteem
• anxieties, worries or panic attacks
• angry feelings or outbursts 
• difficulties with learning
• problems paying attention or concentrating
• finding it hard to keep to rules or boundaries
• family relationship difficulties
• problems getting on with other young people or adults
• hurting or upsetting other people
• behaving in dangerous or ‘risky’ way
• being upset about difficult things that have happened in the past.

Some of the reasons parents and carers ask for our help include:

• wanting to understand their child or young person’s behaviour
• finding out how best to support them at home and school
• strengthening the relationship with their child or young person, and improving family relationships
• talking through their own worries which might be affecting their child or young person
• getting help with talking to and communicating with other professionals and services.

Our specialist team can help young people and their families in a variety of ways. As the team are based in the PRU sites, you will have the opportunity to meet a member of the team very early on, as part of the induction process to NRC.

• We aim to be at your first meeting when you and your child arrive at NRC.
• We can meet with you and your child, separately or together, to think about how to support your child’s emotional wellbeing.
• We can offer short- and long-term support for your child and your family.
• We can offer detailed assessments of a child’s development, for example, around concerns about ADHD.

Working with New River College, the team can:

• with your consent, work with other agencies involved with you and your family to support you.
• attend staff meetings and meetings with professionals involved with your family.
• join in the classes and playtimes to share ideas and skills with staff on how best to support students at NRC.
• offer training to NRC staff on a variety of topics, for example, trauma and anxiety.

NRC's CAMHS clinicians are:
Siobhan Kelly — Clinical Psychologist and Team Manager
Dana Webb — Medical 
Kalender Dogan — Secondary / Medical
Jessica Mankenda — Secondary / Primary
Claire Usiskin — Primary

Educational Psychology Service (EPS)

Educational psychologists are involved in enhancing the learning and development of all children and young people. They work with teachers, parents, carers and other professionals to help bring about positive changes. Educational psychologists work with five- and 16-year-olds who are on roll at New River College.

Our Educational Psychology Service focuses on improving outcomes for all children and young people by promoting learning, attainment and healthy emotional development. We aim to contribute to improved outcomes for all children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) so that they achieve their potential and are prepared for adult life. This involves working with families, schools and other providers to increase their capacity to meet a wider range of needs, as well as providing advice on individual pupils and undertaking direct work with children, young people and families.

We provide high-quality, evidence-based advice and assessment to inform outcome-based planning and intervention. We also work closely with other agencies to provide early intervention and support for children, young people and families (using the Early Help approach), and we contribute to improved partnerships and integrated working across Education, Health and Care. In addition, we support families and schools so that they know about and can make appropriate use of locally available services (the Local Offer).

All educational psychologists have had extensive training in all aspects of child development and learning, and are  registered with the Health and Care Professions Council.

NRC's educational psychologists are:
Becky Watson — Secondary
Charlotte Cracknell — Secondary
Ellie Rahman - Primary
Iulia Udrescu-Clarke  - Primary
Sanaa Ali - Primary
Trudy Kearney - Medical
Jess Malcom Mckay — Medical
Sarah Louise Poxon — Medical

Speech and Language Therapy Service

Speech and language therapists work with children and young people aged five to16 years on the roll at New River College. We provide specialist support for children and young people with a range of needs affecting speech, spoken language and social communication. This may include difficulties in:

• expressing thoughts, ideas and needs
• understanding what others say, for example, instructions given in the classroom
• understanding social interaction and making friends
• articulating sounds clearly.

We offer a range of support that may include working directly with pupils as well as providing training and advice to help parents, teachers and support staff develop ways of helping children and young people to communicate more effectively and access the curriculum.

The Speech and Language Therapy Service is part of a multidisciplinary therapy service. We work collaboratively with parents, other health professionals and the child’s education team and/or wider team to support children to develop their speech, language and communication.

NRC's speech and language therapist is Nicoline van der Woerd, who works across all New River College sites.

Post-16 Progress Team

The Post-16 Progress Team provides help with a range of issues affecting young people, including career choices, college courses, job searches and leisure activities. The team can also connect you with agencies that can help with other issues such as benefits, health and housing.

The team is made up of experienced careers advisers (known as progress advisers) with qualifications in Careers Advice and Guidance to a minimum of NVQ Level 4. The service works with all Year 11 NRC pupils to support their next steps beyond Year 11 whether it is education (for example, at a college), employment or training such as an apprenticeship. All pupils will meet regularly with a progress adviser. 

In addition, the service works with young people who are not currently in education, employment or training (NEET) after they have finished school and who may need additional support to stay on track after leaving New River College.

All of the information, advice and guidance that team members provide is completely independent, impartial and, importantly, confidential – no information about what is discussed will be shared with anyone else unless you agree, or are in danger.

Our qualified progress advisers provide:

• information and guidance on careers and the labour market  
• impartial and unbiased information about the qualification and career paths that suit pupil's interests and skills 
• opportunities to meet top London employers and apprenticeships providers and to explore further education options and attend key career events
• support pupils to enhance their key employability and life skills
• help pupils research, apply and prepare for an interview so they can shine
• help pupils access work placements and vocational opportunities
• introduce approaches to broaden pupils' knowledge of the world of work, their networks and horizons. 

NRC's progress advisers are:
Lorraine Blyth — Post 16 Participation Manager - Secondary
Dean Ryan — Secondary
Barbara Baidoo-Peart — Medical