About the team

There are three Local Family Ambassadors in Thames Valley and three in the South West.

We appreciate that day time calls can be tricky for some families, so do ask if you would prefer the option of an evening appointment.  Meetings with the Local Family Ambassadors can be held by phone or MS Teams.

You can contact the Local Family Ambassadors by email: familyambassadorsTVPC@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk for Thames Valley.  See below for more information about the South West.

Local Family Ambassadors – Thames Valley

Elaine Howitt

Elaine works Monday to Thursday, 9.00am to 3.30pm.  She mostly works with parents/carers with young people at Marlborough House and Hospital at Home Eating Disorder Service.

More about Elaine

Elaine graduated in 1992 with a Sociology Degree and worked in Special Educational Needs in community settings until she completed her PGCE in Post Compulsory Education and Training in 2000.

She worked in both mainstream and Special Education Schools as a teacher until completing an Acupuncture degree in 2015.  She continued to work in Special Educational Needs as a Teaching Assistant and began to develop her own Acupuncture Practice.

At that point her eldest child of 3 started to struggle in school and developed an eating disorder. She required many medical interventions until she was admitted to Tier 4 services.

Seven years later Elaine joins the Family Ambassador team with a wealth of knowledge about Special Educational Needs and the experience of having a child in Tier 4 services.  With extensive experience of the variety of processes involved due to her child having several long-term admissions, Elaine will be able to offer insight, practical advice and knowledge to any parent who needs it.

Tamara King

Tamara works Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 9.00am to 3.00pm.  She mostly works with parents/carers with young people at Phoenix Day Unit (NHS Provision Berkshire) and Hospital at Home Eating Disorder Service.

More about Tamara

Tamara has a BSc Hon’s degree in Applied Computing from the University of Surrey (1996) and worked in Client Services for Governance, Risk & Compliance software companies in Europe, the Middle East and USA for 15 years.

In 2014 after a family relocation to the USA, Tamara took some time out to focus on her family’s needs.  She volunteered in the classroom at her Children’s School, and served on the School Board and Executive Committee.  She took a career change as an Education Consultant helping expat families find suitable schools in the local area.

She supported her son through an inpatient admission when he was 10 years old, and has 10 years’ experience working with CAMHS with both her sons. She has experience of neurodiversity, autism, pathological demand avoidance and PTSD. She’s parented her son who needed specialist residential schooling from the age of 11 years.  She has vast experience with securing quality Education, Health and Care Plans and specialist schooling for both her children.  She has worked with families of children with additional needs for 5 years, helping them to find appropriate schools when mainstream has not been working.

Sian McCoubrey

Sian works Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 9.00am to 3.00pm (Term time only).  She mostly works with parents/carers of young people at Highfield Inpatient Unit.

More about Sian

Sian has worked in administration, as a PA and Private Secretary for board of directors since leaving school at 16.  In 2013 she left full-time employment to focus more on her two children who are both autistic, her eldest spending time in a mental health unit 100 miles away, and her youngest being diagnosed with Down Syndrome at birth.

Sian has knowledge of navigating the education system to ensure her children have the best education possible, with her youngest receiving an EHCP and being accepted to a Special Educational Needs School and her eldest successfully passing her GCSE’s, after leaving an impatient admission and not returning to her mainstream setting, passing a college course and now maintaining a full time supervisory role at a Gastro Pub as a Mixologist.

Over the past few years Sian has worked at a mainstream school as a lunchtime supervisor supporting children with SEN alongside assisting TA’s and giving advice to help them in their roles or with their families.

Local Family Ambassadors – South West

You can contact the South West Local Family Ambassadors by email: dpt.familyambassadorsswpc@nhs.net

Nicky Heaton

Nicky works Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm.  She mostly works with parents/carers with young people at the Plym Bridge, Sowenna and Wessex House Units.

More about Nicky

Nicky worked in customer service, sales and logistics, but left full time employment to support her youngest daughter.  Her daughter was diagnosed with Autism during her primary school years and later with an Anxiety Disorder, and demand avoidance (PDA).  They had been involved with CAMHS for many years however, due to her daughter’s diagnoses and complex behaviour this culminated in an admission to a Tier 4 unit 240 miles from home.  She was discharged after four months to a specialist residential school placement.

Nicky has navigated her way through interventions with Social Services, CAMHS, education and health professionals for the Tier 4 placement, which along with the residential placement, was out of county.

When Nicky returned to work, she wanted to use her experience to support others so started in the NHS as an administrator in primary mental health, then as a Medical Secretary for a Consultant Psychiatrist in adult mental health, before moving to the same post within CAMHS.  Nicky has now joined the team of Family Ambassadors, to support families through their journeys.

Katrina Hutchins

Katrina works Monday 11.30am – 4.00pm, Tues 9.00am – 4.00pm,  Weds 9.00am – 3.00pm.  She mostly works supporting parents/carers with young people at Riverside Unit.

More about Katrina

Katrina has worked in Bristol for the NHS for over 20 years as a Physiotherapist.  She has worked as a highly specialist Physiotherapist in Rheumatology and Advanced Practice Physiotherapist in Emergency Medicine.  She is taking a break from that role to support her family and other parents experiencing the practical and emotional challenges when their child needs inpatient CAMHS services.

At the end of 2022 her eldest daughter was diagnosed with an eating disorder, which resulted in a two month admission to an Acute hospital for refeeding followed by a four month admission to a Tier 4 Unit out of area near London.  Her daughter is now back at home being supported by her family and CAMHS to re-enter her school in her GCSE year.

Katrina has a wealth of experience negotiating the medical world. She has two other younger children including an 8 year old boy who has an ASD diagnosis.  Katrina has personal experience of working with Autism, Neurodiversity and Eating Disorders and has worked successfully with both the primary and secondary schools for reasonable adaptations to facilitate her children remaining successfully in mainstream education.

Ottilie Mills

Tilly works Tuesdays, 9.00am to 12.45pm, and Thursday and Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm.  She mostly works with parents/carers with young people at Pebble Lodge.

More about Tilly

Tilly has worked in SEND for 15 years, starting out as a 1:1 support in nurseries, whilst studying towards a degree in Childhood & Youth studies with the Open University. She then supported children & young people with high care needs and disabilities, and their families. Tilly joined the National Portage Association as a Portage consultant in 2016, offering a home visiting service for children aged 0-5 with additional needs, which included identifying areas of developmental delay, encouraging skills through play, and working collaboratively with parents and professionals to enable best outcomes for children and families. Following this, Tilly took some time out of work to care for her daughter who has complex medical needs and PDA. Tilly joined the Family Ambassador team in September 2023 and is based at Pebble Lodge in Dorset. She has lived experience within the field of eating disorders, psychosis, Neurodiversity & PDA.

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Page last reviewed: 21 October, 2024