Our team

PSC / About Us / Our team

The PSC Team brings a wealth of personal and professional experience of children and young people (including Looked After Children) with additional needs.

For your peace of mind, all PSC staff and volunteers carry a plastic PSC ID card, with the respective photograph from this page.

Managers

Ruth Pearse

Founder and Chief Executive

Ruth was a primary teacher in a school with a specialist unit for children with physical disabilities.
Zobia Kalim

Trauma and Attachment Service (TAS) and Support Groups Manager

Zobia is a Specialist Parenting and Sleep Practitioner supporting families with special needs children, families with Looked After & Adopted Children and families affected by developmental trauma. She also manages our Support Groups.
Jo Lavelle

Finance Manager

Jo is a qualified chartered accountant, specialising in corporate tax, and has previously volunteered as our Treasurer.
Jennie Kettell

Sleep and Helpline Service Manager

Jennie is also a Parent Governor at a local Special School, and helps to run a holiday playscheme for children with Autism.
Polly Lewis

Administrator and Volunteer Co-ordinator

Polly is a former Information Officer with the Civil Service. She is involved with The RAFT Club, a play club and support group for autistic children and their families in Reading.

Parenting Practitioners

Ruth Pearse

Founder and Chief Executive

Ruth was a primary teacher in a school with a specialist unit for children with physical disabilities.
Zobia Kalim

Trauma and Attachment Service (TAS) and Support Groups Manager

Zobia is a Specialist Parenting and Sleep Practitioner supporting families with special needs children, families with Looked After & Adopted Children and families affected by developmental trauma. She also manages our Support Groups.
Jo Billington

Parenting Practitioner

As well as working for PSC, Jo is a doctoral researcher in the Centre for Autism at the University of Reading researching the lived experience of autistic school children.
Louise Butler

Parenting Practitioner

Louise is currently home-educating her son.
Helen Cattermole

Sleep Practitioner

Helen also works within Berkshire Foundation Healthcare Trust as a Behaviour Specialist Nurse, and works with adults with learning disabilities.
Denise Challis

Parenting Practitioner

Denise works with children and families, many of whom have experienced life with special needs, within an educational setting. Her particular interests are ADHD and mental health, and she is an accredited mindfulness teacher.
Leila Cox

Parenting Practitioner

Previously a Training Manager for a Market Research Company, Leila now works in the Special Needs sector and runs the West Berks PDA Support Group, as well as delivering courses and workshops on PDA.
Ruth Moyse

Parenting Practitioner

Ruth has worked as a primary school teacher, and is now a full-time doctoral researcher into the experiences of autistic girls at mainstream schools. Ruth facilitates the Autistic Girls Monthly Workshops and our social group for Autistic Girls; The A Team.
Lyn Oualah

Parenting Practitioner

Lyn is a qualified teacher, an accredited ADHD/ASD coach, an accredited Triple P Parenting Practitioner, and a Solution Focussed 'champion'. After working for Reading Youth Offending Service (2001-17), she has set up her own coaching business (www.rkcs.co.uk).
Amy Plumer

Parenting Practitioner

Amy has joined the team working with the Autism service. She also works as a paediatric occupational therapist and project worker for the National Autistic Society.
Peter Burton

Parenting Practitioner and Volunteer Peer Supporter

Peter is involved in delivering parenting courses and workshops within the Trauma and Attachment Service. He also facilitates the Dads and Male Carers Support Group.
Liz Slocombe

Parenting and Sleep Practitioner

Liz is a trained Nurse and Complementary Therapist, and in her spare time, is a Guide and Scout Leader.
Helen Tracey

Sleep Practitioner

Helen also works part time as a Social Worker in a Short Breaks Service for disabled children.
Mary Van Der Merwe

Parenting and Sleep Practitioner

Mary delivers sleep and autism-focused courses and workshops for PSC. She also facilitates the Autistic Girls Monthly Workshops and our social group for Autistic Girls; The A Team.

Staff and Volunteers

Caroleanne Beecher

TAS Assistant and Helpline Volunteer

Carolanne provides administrative support for our Trauma and Attachment Service. She also supports our Helpline with calls, emails and admin as a volunteer.
Kelsey Rumens

Fundraising and Family Events Administrator

Kelsey also works part time as an Administrator for a Surveying Company and previously worked in Public Relations.
Charlie Taylor

Helpline Advisor and PHT Co-ordinator

Charlie provides information for anyone needing help regarding special needs via the phone and email. She supports our practitioners at Autism and ADHD workshops and co-ordinates our People's Health Trust Community Support Groups.
Toshiko Tani

FUNDING ASSISTANT AND VOLUNTEER ADMINISTRATOR

Toshiko researches funding opportunities. She also supports us by processing registration, attendance and outcome data as a volunteer.
Peter Hammond

Volunteer Administrator

Peter supports us by processing our event bookings.
Louise Lambourne

Volunteer Administrator (Helpline and Sleep Service)

Louise supports our Helpline and Sleep Service with their admin.
Sue Moore

VOLUNTEER ADMINISTRATOR

Sue supports us by processing our event bookings and attendance data.
Karen O'Leary

Volunteer Administrator (Helpline and Sleep Service)

Karen is a Nurse and mum to two boys. She is volunteering with PSC by supporting our Helpline and Sleep Service.

Trauma and Attachment Service

Zobia Kalim

Trauma and Attachment Service (TAS) and Support Groups Manager

Zobia is a Specialist Parenting and Sleep Practitioner supporting families with special needs children, families with Looked After & Adopted Children and families affected by developmental trauma. She also manages our Support Groups.
Caroleanne Beecher

TAS Assistant and Helpline Volunteer

Carolanne provides administrative support for our Trauma and Attachment Service. She also supports our Helpline with calls, emails and admin as a volunteer.
Lynne Blencowe

Volunteer Peer Supporter

Lynne is a long term foster carer of three children, two of which have disabilities. She has a training company specialising in training foster carers with a wide range of courses.
Peter Burton

Parenting Practitioner and Volunteer Peer Supporter

Peter is involved in delivering parenting courses and workshops within the Trauma and Attachment Service. He also facilitates the Dads and Male Carers Support Group.
Jo Gordon

Volunteer Peer Supporter

Jo supports families of Looked After and Adopted Children.
Eleanor Greaves

Parenting Practitioner

Eleanor has taught children with complex needs for many years. She is a qualified Teacher of the Deaf. She is also lucky enough to be mum to 3 children including her adopted son with special needs.
Nuala Hemphill

Parenting Practitioner
Dawn Rimmer

Volunteer Peer Supporter

Dawn is a single parent and special guardian to her autistic grandson who has lived with her for the last 4 years. She supports families of Looked After and Adopted Children particularly Kinship Carers.
Val Robson

Volunteer Administrator

Val is supporting PSC with administrative tasks.
Ingrid Wittken

Volunteer Peer Supporter

Ingrid supports families of Looked After and Adopted Children.

Trustees and Directors

Ellie King

Chairperson

Ellie works as a registered childminder, and was part of the group who set up the Diagnosis Support Service.
Mary Singleton-White

Secretary

Mary has a particular interest in PSC’s work with Looked After and Adopted Children. Before becoming a Trustee, she was a local Councillor, and works as a marketing consultant for an environmental charity.
Sam Coombes

Treasurer

Sam first made contact with PSC as a service user at the end of 2017 following her daughter’s Autism diagnosis. Sam has worked in the financial services sector for 18 years. With her experience working in a corporate environment and a strong financial background, Sam has a particular interest in supporting PSC on future strategy.
Sarah Bamford

Trustee

Previously a business journalist, Sarah now works part time for Reading IASS, supporting parents whose children have Special Educational Needs.