Qualifications
2024
Managing Safely - MoreCPD / IOSH
Understanding Eating Disorders - MoreCPD
Portable Appliance Testing – High Speed Training
2023
Leading for Staff Health and Wellbeing - The King's Fund
Understanding Suicide & Self Harm - MoreCPD
2022
Schwartz Round Facilitator, Day 1 - Point of Care Foundation
Yellow Belt / Lean LCS Level 1b - Frimley Excellence
Freedom to Speak Up – ‘Speak Up’ and ‘Listen Up’
Level 0 and 1 - NHS Leadership’s Edward Jenner Course
Health and Wellbeing Champion - NHS Health Education England
Suicide Prevention Training - NHS Health Education England
Heath and Wellbeing Conversations – NHS England / Passe Partout
2021
Health and Wellbeing, High Speed Training
Counselling Certificate – Unison / Be-a Education
Parenting, OpenLearn/Open University
2020
Mental Health First Aid Instructor, MHFA England
Mental Health First Aider, MHFA England
Panic Attacks Course, OpenLearn/Open University
Exploring Depression Course, OpenLearn/Open University
2019
Effective Minute Taking, Activity Group/Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
Action Counters Terrorism E-Learning, NaCTSO
2018
Prevent e-learning, HM Government / Home Office
Safeguarding Level 1, NHS Health Education England
Level 2 – Supporting Children with SEND, EduCare
Level 2 – Food Hygiene & Safety, EduCare
Level 2 – First Aid Essentials, EduCare / NHS W. Midlands Ambulance Trust
Level 2 – Supporting Early Language Development, EduCare
Level 2 – Introduction to GDPR, EduCare
Safeguarding (Working in State Education), Buckinghamshire Country Council
Chalfonts Community College (September 2001 – June 2007)
3 A-levels including History, IT and Physics
1 AS Level in General Studies
12 GCSEs, grades B-C, including Maths, English, Science, Graphics, History, French and IT
My Story
My Mum was an alcoholic and I was a sole carer until her death when I was 13 (in 2003). In June 2015, I tried to kill myself. I want to tell my story because suicide, not cancer or car accidents, is the biggest killer of men in the UK (aged under 50, ONS) and more teenagers are self-harming than ever before. Staying silent isn't solving the problem but talking openly and honestly, is the only safe and constructive way to dismantle stigma and help others seek the help they need.
The main causes for my suicide attempt was stress and workload at work, since we had lost several members of staff without them being replaced, but the trigger was an incident at work where I defended someone I 'saw' as vulnerable but I came under attack. Without consciously knowing it, I needed to look after that vulnerable person just as I did when I was the sole carer for my Mother between the ages of 8 and 13. She died when I was 13 from alcoholism. My 'damaged' hardware and software of my mind crashed. Once I returned to work, I volunteered my NHS assessments to my employer, saw their appointed Doctor who gave them a list of adjustments (which they only followed one of) and I agreed to be more open rather than bottle things up. I did. We all did.
I lasted just over 3 months. The trigger was when I brought something to the attention of my senior Manager and challenged him, just like we are always being told to. I told him he had offended some of the staff and he replied with "I don't care". It set off the same cascade failure we had seen a few months earlier except this time, I asked for help. When I told that same manager I had been signed off due to work he replied "No one else has a problem." He even tried to convince me to resign. I've seen GPs, my psychologists, I've spoken with solicitors and legal teams at Citizens Advice Bureau and ACAS as well as the fantastic team at MIND, the mental health charity. He discriminated against me, I assume because of my disability. I self harmed because of him. They knowingly exacerbated my condition. If I didn't ask for help they would have my blood on their hands
Even though I am so much better, I will always suffer anxiety and depression linked to my condition (Borderline Personality Disorder) It would be great if I could do more interviews like the ones for The Guardian, LBC and fill my life positive releases such as spending time with my Wife, Son and being part of the community through the Iver Heath Drama Club .