Meet the Team
Our team are professionally trained in Safeguarding, Aim Award delivery, Health and Safety, Risk Assessing, Vocational Assessments, Internal Verification and mental health awareness.
Our team’s commitment to supporting our students and employers is outstanding. Working one to one or in small groups with our students our Student Development Co-ordinators ensure students achieve outcomes way beyond their expectations. We are really proud to work with team members to help them develop in confidence and ability and to help them progress within the organisation.
We are also happy to support volunteers and students keen to do work experience with ourselves.
Helen
Director of Safe Opportunities
I have been fortunate enough to have been trained within the Work Related Learning industry and employed through the local authority before redundancy; I was keen to pass knowledge on to a new team and establish a programme that worked for the changing environment in schools and workplaces.
I am passionate about supporting young people with the transition from school to employment, this stage in their life is pivotal to prepare them for work. Without this vital support, students lose confidence and motivation.
I established Safe Opportunities with the ambition to improve the support and guidance schools, students and employers receive while helping young people. Over the last three years, we have started to achieve this with a range of established programmes and support systems available showing increased participation and excellent progression rates into employment. I am determined to ensure that we continue to support schools and employers and encourage young people to develop into successful independent employees.
Gemma
Student Development Co-ordinator/SEN Team Leader
My career began in 2006 within the early years sector. I studied Level 3 Diploma in Child Care and Education at college and continued into full time work in a nursery. I progressed through the different management levels within the nursery, eventually becoming the manager of the pre-school club. During this time, I completed my BA (Hons) in Childhood and Youth Studies.
I really enjoy helping others to learn and felt that I wanted to progress into a training role. I next became an NVQ Assessor and completed my A1 Assessor Award and Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector qualifications. I supported young people and adults looking for employment and helped them complete apprenticeships and vocational qualifications. I have experience of supporting children and young people with varying disabilities and special educational needs.
When I saw the vacancy for a Student Development Co-ordinator at Safe Opportunities, it really caught my interest. I feel that the values of the company are so strong and provide such valuable experiences for young people. I believe that not all students are suited to the traditional educational route and it is important to build on their interests to engage and support them in their own personal development. In the short time that I have been working at Safe Opportunities, I have already seen the value and impact that these opportunities can have on the young people. I am proud to be part of a company that genuinely cares for the young people they support and has their best interests at heart. I am looking forward to supporting the young people that I work with to gain valuable work experience and progress into the world of work.
Sarah
Safeguarding & Attendance monitoring Co-ordinator
I started my career supporting young people in 2003 as a part time Youth Worker for the local authority. As my love for the job grew, I completed my BA Hons in Youth and Community Work alongside my employment and graduated in 2009. From then I was a fulltime Youth Worker in the local authority before taking redundancy in August 2018. In my experience as a Youth worker I gained skills in many areas including working with social, emotional and health initiatives. I have also managed small teams to develop innovative projects and activities to enhance young people’s social and emotional wellbeing, whilst also being a positive role model and informal educator allowing young people to make informed choices
When I saw the opening as a Student Development Co-ordinator with Safe Opportunities, I was excited to continue supporting young people and ready for a fresh challenge. Safe Opportunities enables young people to experience the world of employment and supports young people to experience and achieve in the work place, giving them the best chance to succeed as they develop and grow into their adult lives.
I hope to see the young people we work with thrive in the work place and gain confidence and self-belief. Giving young people a variety of work and learning experiences can only enhance their education and enable young people and their employer’s ability to support them grow. I hope that by giving young people unique learning opportunities they can develop into who they aspire to be.
"Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I will understand."
– Confucius, 450 B.C
Stephen
Careers Advisor
After leaving university with a degree in politics I decided to pursue my interest in education/working with young people further by undergoing postgraduate training to become a careers adviser. I then worked in several schools delivering careers education and guidance to young people so that they could make more informed choices regarding their future employment, training and education options. I also worked with young people in the labour market who were looking to secure employment/apprenticeship training.
Following a brief spell of adult guidance work and managing a Connexions centre I secured a position as a career’s adviser with Liverpool John Moores University. In addition to delivering careers guidance to both undergraduate and postgraduate students I also developed and delivered several bespoke career management modules on a number of undergraduate programmes.
I am looking forward to helping and supporting the young people with their future career choices to help them reach their full potential.
Laura
Student Development Co-ordinator
I graduated from university with a BA Hons in Primary Education and worked as a primary school teacher for six years in an armed forces school. This role provided me with experience of working across the different key stages in a variety of roles; working alongside young people supporting them to access and engage in their education.
Following this, I was eager to progress my career in a direction that offered a fresh challenge and new opportunities to develop my existing skills. I then joined Safe Opportunities in March 2019 as I am passionate about making a positive difference in young people’s lives and providing them with tailored learning opportunities and work experiences in order to engage, motivate and prepare them for future life.
The Safe Opportunities team are such a welcoming group of people who make a huge difference to a lot of young people’s lives by guiding, supporting and encouraging them through the transition from school to the workplace. I am excited to continue watching the young people we work alongside flourish, grow in confidence and achieve their best possible potential.
Cheryl
Administration Co-ordinator
I joined Safe Opportunities in September 2018 as the Administration Co-ordinator; I am responsible for keeping all the office processes and procedures running smoothly, maintaining our presence in social media and helping to ensure that we offer the best possible support to our pupils and engage positively with local employers.
Before joining Safe Opportunities, I was a Carer Budget Worker for a Cheshire based charity providing advice, support and encouragement to carers of all ages in the county. Previously in my career I have worked in administration in the NHS, financial services and consultancy sectors.
I have a particularly keen interest in the opportunities available to young people with special needs as my son is on the Autistic spectrum and has learning difficulties. My son has already benefitted from the brilliant support provided by the Safe Opportunities Team in his student work placements.
I am proud to be part of such a positive, caring organisation that supports and encourages young people to look forward to developing into valuable, self-sufficient employees. I am looking forward to both contributing and supporting the values and aims of the Safe Opportunities team.
Lewis
IT technician
I am the IT technician and co-ordinator for Safe Opportunities. I have had a keen interest in computers and technology my whole life. This started with my passion for photography which has given me a lot of experience and skills in order to take professional photos, such as the ones seen on this website. This love for photography also led onto film making which sparked my interest in computers due to the heavy reliance on the editing process in my work. I needed to do a lot of my own research into computers which helped me to understand the hardware and software workings of computers. In the past I have built my own custom PC and have worked on many computers from troubleshooting software issues to mending hardware.
I am currently studying A level Computer Science and using my skills to keep the Safe Opportunities IT systems running smoothly; making sure we are using technology as efficiently and securely as possible and to our full advantage. I do this by keeping all devices updated and monitored. I also advise the team on technology that could be used to provide a better service.
I aim to help Safe Opportunities become paperless to reduce our carbon footprint and support the environment. I like working for Safe Opportunities because I help the team provide a valuable service to prepare the students for a life outside of education which can be difficult for some young people.
Emily
Employer Engagement Co-ordinator
I began my career in Business Management which was extremely rewarding. I enjoyed building and running a successful retail business and watching it grow. During this period, I recruited many aspiring individuals who are now flourishing in their careers. My aim was to encourage and develop my team which is something I am extremely proud of achieving.
I have recently moved to this part of the country with my young family and I am now excited to be working in a new environment with the Safe Opportunities Team as their new Employment Engagement Co-ordinator.
My role involves engaging and assisting local employers to offer work placements, apprenticeships and employment opportunities for our young people. I hope to utilise the young people’s strengths and talents to ensure local business’s benefit by strengthening their own workforce.
My goal is to get as many new employers on board to work with the Safe Opportunities team and support the young people we work with. I am sure this will make a difference to many organisation’s recruitment, the future careers of the young people and ultimately benefit our whole community.
Amie
Student Development Co-ordinator
I started at Safe Opportunities in November 2020 as an Employer Engagement Co-ordinator. The job role stood out as a great fit for my personality as I come from a background in Drama and Creative Writing. I have learnt that the best way to express yourself is always through something you love to do.
My job is to find local employers who can help us support our young people into paid and voluntary work. One of the most rewarding feelings is to see a student progress within a work environment and see their confidence grow and their ability shine through. As a volunteer of the YOT, I also understand the importance of helping young people to use their talents to gain stable and suitable work that will place them in good stead for any future endeavours.
The support we secure from employers is paramount to us as a company – it underpins our ability to help both the young people we work with and the local community. I hope to build some fantastic connections with companies in the Cheshire East and West area, that are willing to work with us and in doing so, strengthen their organisation and to help us to continue supporting our young people.
Today I shall behave, as if this is the day I will be remembered. – Dr. Seuss
Paula
Student Development Co-ordinator
Having taught largely in Specialist settings for twenty-five years, I have a range of experience of working with students with a wide variety of additional physical, medical, learning and communication needs, specialising in English, but teaching a range of subjects from Pre-Entry level to GCSE. I fully embrace and celebrate diversity and am passionate about all young people achieving their very best and being able to lead fulfilling lives, where they feel satisfied and valued.
For the last twelve or so years of my school-based career, I worked with older students and led on 14-19 curriculum, including Personal and Social Development and Careers and Vocational Education. During this time, I worked networked with other teachers to raise aspirations within the local community. Through this work, I with local businesses and Post 16 providers, developing good relationships, working as an advocate, and raising the status of the young people I represented in a wider context.
When the post at Safe Opportunities became available, I was excited to join the team, having known of their work through the Cheshire and Warrington Careers service, the Local Pledge and Vulnerable Learners meetings.
Increasingly, I felt there was a gap between what schools were able to offer and the skills that employers were looking for and felt that my work at Safe Opportunities would allow me to utilize the skills and knowledge I’d gained over the years in an exciting and useful way.
I love being able to tailor learning to the individual’s needs, interests, and vocational areas, making essential skills relevant and motivating. I feel passionately that while many young people with additional needs miss out of employment, many employers also miss out on the amazing skills, dedication, and commitment that these young people offer to the world of work!
Seeing students reinforce and consolidate key skills, and gain confidence in the workplace is highly rewarding, watching their work placement and ultimately their job become part of their everyday conversation, as they relay anecdotes, talking about "we" and "us" and feel a part of something is the ultimate reward for the work we do.
Our hard-working, successful students really are the very best ambassadors for Safe Opportunities!
Kerry
Student Development Co-ordinator
My career within education began in 2014 within mainstream secondary education as a Science Teacher. I studied Sport and Exercise Science at University gaining a B.Sc. (Hons) Degree. I then went on to train as a teacher completing Post Graduate Certificate in Education specialised in Science. Throughout my teaching experience I worked in a variety of settings and have experience of supporting children and young people with varying disabilities and special educational needs.
Throughout my time in education I came to realise that the traditional educational settings aren’t right for everyone and that there must be another pathway out there to support individual young people with a more unique tailor made programme.
When I came across a vacancy for a Student Development Co-ordinator at Safe Opportunities I had finally found the pathway that I felt the educational system was missing and wanted to be part of the company to help, support and guide young people in to gaining work place experience and to learn life skills to help them with their future.
I am proud to be part of Safe Opportunities as a company and know that the commitment and dedication that the company provides towards the young people makes a real difference to their lives.
Fiona
Student Development Co-ordinator
Originally from Nantwich, I graduated in 2009 with a BA Hons in Dance at DeMontfort University. I have more recently worked extensively in the UK and China in dance development and teaching.
I am a qualified primary school teacher and children’s yoga instructor. In 2018, I completed a masters in Multidisciplinary studies, where I looked at the effects of mind-body exercises in relation to young people’s productivity in the classroom. I speak Mandarin and I am a mum of two little boys. I see myself as a life-long learner and continually seek new challenges within my personal life and career, to broaden my experience and knowledge within education and well-being.
I am delighted to have found Safe Opportunities and I have joined them as a Student Development Co-ordinator. I am really inspired by the work they do to empower young people in finding their way in today’s complex world. I look forward to building strong relationships with staff and positive relationships with young people, to support them in building futures where they feel successful and confident.
Nicola
Student Development Co-ordinator
I began my career at the University of Leeds, studying for a BA (Hons) in Drama and Theatre Studies. After a year working in retail management, I realised that I wanted work with children and have a more people-focused vocation. I applied to the University of Chester and successfully completed my secondary PGCE teaching qualification. After twenty years of teaching Drama/English and various other subjects along the way in three different high schools, I was looking for a new challenge.
I have always loved helping students to progress and overcome difficulties and I am passionate that all students should have a rewarding and positive educational experience, no matter the range of ability or needs. When I saw the advert for ‘Student Learning Co-ordinator’ at Safe Opportunities, I immediately applied for the position. I knew that this would be an opportunity to share my skills on more of a 1:1 basis and really make a positive difference to students’ lives. I have only recently joined the team but I am excited to meet all my students and help them the best I can with their programme of learning and work experience, hopefully enabling each student to flourish and be the best version of themselves!