ALISON GRIMSHAW

Joint CEO

Alison has over twenty years teaching Science and has held a range of senior leadership positions in both secondary and specialist settings. During a break in teaching, she founded a successful management training company with both international and national clients.

TEACHING AND NURTURE

On her return to teaching, Alison who has always had an affinity with vulnerable children specialised in teaching children who exhibited SEMH difficulties.

Alison has been passionate about working within and promoting the nurture principles since feeling inspired by Marion Bennathon some 25 years ago!  After completing Nurture training at Cambridge University Alison saw the enormous benefits of the nurturing approach and has set up, managed, and supported many nurture groups since then.  

STUDYING AND WORK

During her time working for Wirral Local Authority Alison attended many courses on nurture and SEMH to improve her own practice. She studied to complete a master’s degree using the Boxall Profile as the assessment tool for her dissertation. Following this achievement, she become a tutor for the University of Birmingham Masters SEBD programme and has also written and delivered material for Manchester University.

More recently, Alison became the manager of the KIND team (Kids in need of development), a specialist team of clinical psychologists and mental health workers. This team effectively implemented a unique approach towards childhood trauma to support the most vulnerable and damaged children, families, and schools across Wirral local authority. 

PARTNERSHIPS

Alison is also passionate about working in partnership with parents and is the author of Family works, Family Welcome and Family Wise. All programmes designed to engage parents in supporting their children’s social, emotional, and cognitive development. These programmes attracted nationwide acclaim and Alison was approached by the DCSF to become the author of Family SEAL.

The latest venture that Alison has undertaken was to work for nurtureuk as an associate consultant trainer.

WRITING

Throughout her career Alison has published numerous articles in educational journals and has been invited to deliver training and speak at many UK and International Conferences about her work. Alison is interested in neuroscience and how a child’s brain develops. She uses this knowledge to inform her practice and believes relationships are pivotal to working with children and young people.  Alison’s biggest achievement is being mum to her grown up beautiful daughter Lucy.