Alyson Fuller

Aly is an Independent Safeguarding Trainer with a social work background and has designed and delivered bespoke safeguarding training for over twenty years to a range of local authorities, voluntary organisations and major companies. In 2003 she was approved as a Safeguarding trainer within Warwickshire and accredited as a Safer Recruitment trainer in 2012. Her teaching experience includes eight years as a lecturer with course leader responsibilities for a University of Warwick under graduate widening participation programme.  Aly has a Masters Degree in Education Studies, teaching qualifications and a Safeguarding Children Postgraduate Award.  She has built a reputation for putting learners at ease and providing a safe training environment where people are actively encouraged to ask questions and share good practice.

Ann Seal

Ann has been a safeguarding trainer for Warwickshire Early Years since 2008 and a Protective Behaviours trainer since 2001. She has had a career in nursing, health visiting, teaching and training. Ann taught Childhood Studies and Health & Social Care at a Warwickshire FE college for several years alongside health visiting and then went on to run The Taking Care Scheme in Warwickshire supporting schools to use the Protective Behaviours process as part of their proactive safeguarding protective education. She is experienced in delivering Designated Safeguarding Lead training with over 15 years’ experience working for a local authority Education Safeguarding Service, designing and delivering safeguarding courses and supporting settings with safeguarding queries. Ann is an accredited Protective Behaviours trainer with the Protective Behaviours Training Partnership, delivering training at Foundation, Specialist Practitioner and Train the trainer levels. She has a Master’s degree by research in Applied Social Studies having researched safeguarding children through protective education at the University of Warwick. Ann enjoys working with participants in the training room and evaluations evidence a reputation for approachability, building relationships quickly, helping put people at ease and a sense of humour.

Deborah Powers

Deborah completed a BSc in Speech Sciences at University College London and qualified as a Speech and Language Therapist in 2002. She then worked with diverse communities in East London, based in community clinics, child development centres and Sure Start children’s centres where she was a Locality and Clinical Lead Specialist for Early Years. Deborah then worked as a Communication Advisor for the children’s communication charity I CAN before joining ‘time to talk’™ in 2013.

Deborah is interested in the little details in interactions with children – whether it’s a look, a smile, a gurgle or a word – especially when captured on video. She has created ‘time to talk’™ resources and training sessions which promote positive strategies to support children’s early communication across the community. Deborah co-ordinates the ‘time to talk’™ programme and sustains the strategy across the community.  

Mark Simmonds

Mark has worked in mental health for 24 years and has been qualified as a mental health nurse for almost 20 years – the last 17 years within a local CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) where he currently holds a role that is both clinical and as a senior lead. He has extensive experience of delivering a range of safeguarding training within Warwickshire for 15 years and has delivered this training for early year’s practioners in the county for 10 years. Mark has also had a secondment with Warwickshire Safeguarding Children Board for 2 years as their Interagency Training Officer. Mark has been a visiting lecturer within both Warwick University and Manchester Metropolitan University.

Evaluations from the early years training have constantly highlighted his extensive knowledge of the mental health implications of abuse and neglect on children and his ability to relate to real life cases which delegates find really helpful. Mark’s relaxed style of delivery and sense of humour are felt by delegates to help deliver a very sensitive subject.

MDD First Aid

MDD First Aid 'Vital Skills for Life'

MDD First Aid offers professional, certified and quality assured first aid and mental health training programmes to business organisations including educational facilities, social & childcare providers, forensic & health care services, motor sport, automotive, engineering and the public throughout the UK.

Our courses are designed to inspire you and enhance your learning experience.

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We ensure our training programmes meet and exceed the latest recommendations and guidelines by the HSE (Health & Safety Executive), the UK Resuscitation Council and the ERC (European Resuscitation Council), our paediatric courses exceed the requirements laid down by Ofsted, EYFS & Surestart. So you can feel confident you are receiving the highest quality education.

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Our qualified instructors are health care professionals, HCPC Registered Paramedics with valuable medical knowledge and years of experience which will compliment your training and help you to feel supported and in safe hands throughout your chosen course.

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We are committed to developing confidence and enthusiasm, empowering you to achieve your goal, enabling you to make a difference and perhaps save a life.

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Our Mental Health Qualifications are focused around helping candidates understand the difference between mental health and mental ill health, enabling recognition of the latter, which is a 'vital skill' in every workplace.  It is so important to understand and recognise how society, cultural attitudes and social media have a huge impact on every individual's mental health and how we can promote communications and open conversations, by raising awareness and reducing stigma to make a difference.

We also provide a variety of Health & Safety courses including Safe Moving and Handling to improve awareness of safe handling techniques in the workplace to reduce the risk of injury and time lost due to injury. 

Ben Kingston-Hughes

Ben Kingston-Hughes is a national award-winning trainer and Managing Director of Inspired Children Ltd. He has worked with children for over 30 years and has twice appeared on television working with vulnerable children.  His transformative training has been mentioned by Ofsted as an example of outstanding staff development and his distinctive blend of humour, neuroscience and real-life practical experiences make his training invaluable for anyone working with children.

Anna Ephgrave

Anna has been fascinated by babies and young children her whole life.  She has volunteered in various capacities and also has ten years’ experience as a foster parent.  She has over 27 years’ teaching experience, working for many years as an advanced skills teacher and most recently as an Assistant Head Teacher.  She has led her Early Years’ teams to four consecutive Outstanding grades from Ofsted. 

She promotes child-led learning in which children are given autonomy and respect.  She now works as an independent author and consultant, supporting practitioners both in the UK and abroad.   She has had four books published – Nursery, Reception and Year One in Action and, most recently, Planning in the Moment.  Anna now lives in Bristol where she spends time looking after her grandchildren and supporting a local pre-school.  A fifth book, based on the 2-3 provision at this preschool, is due to be published in June 2020. 

Joanne Vallis

Joanne has extensive teaching experience, specialising in early years, and has led and managed various teams both in school and as an Early Years Advisor. Her roles have been many and varied and include working directly with settings and schools, writing and delivering training, leading and managing the Warwickshire Early Years Advisory Team, contributing to a range of reports, articles and publications and speaking at several national and regional conferences and seminars. 

Joanne is an EYFSP moderator and a Link Tutor for the EYITT course at The University of Warwick.

Jean Ferraro

Jean has worked for Coventry and Warwickshire Local Authorities as a Primary and Early Years Teacher and an Early Years Advisor and has extensive experience in both the maintained and non-maintained Early Years sectors.  She has successfully undertaken many roles including the provision of direct support to leaders and practitioners through coaching and training in many areas of Early Years practice and is able to guide setting quality improvement through the use of well-regarded audits and reviews.  Recently Jean worked for a charity focussed on supporting children who are disadvantaged and/or have additional needs/disabilities where she was involved in effectively managing and developing a number of successful projects.

Jean is currently working independently to support Early Years practitioners and children in schools and settings. She is able to support settings to ensure that their Early Years provision is high quality, meets all children’s needs and enables practitioners to move forward confidently.

Kate Moxley

A consultant and trainer based in the West Midlands and she has worked within the Early Years sector for over two decades, combining a BA (HONS) in Early Childhood Studies with real-life hands-on experience of working with children and families in educational and PVI settings, leading and managing large staff teams.Kate is an approved Mental Health First Aid England Instructor and specialises in wellbeing and mental health training, workplace support and working with staff teams to think positively about their health and wellbeing by working together to create mentally healthy nurturing environments.