Our Trainers

Claire

Training Manager

Claire is responsible for managing the Training Team who deliver interactive courses on a wide range of topics and levels including safeguarding, child rights, children looked after and child development.

Sian

Training Officer

Siân delivers the Children in Wales, advertised, commissioned and contract training courses on a range of subjects. She has particular expertise in training around safeguarding, children's rights, direct work with children, young people and families who have experienced different forms of abuse and neglect and supporting children and young people from marginalised groups.

Natalie

Training Officer

Natalie facilitates a number of the Children in Wales, advertised, commissioned and contract training courses and has practitioner experience of training around safeguarding and children's rights in both statutory and voluntary sectors.

Natalie has worked directly with children and families in a range of settings, including education, charities, and children's services. Natalie is a qualified teacher and has particular expertise in group facilitation & working with volunteers.

Kelly

Training Coordinator

Kelly is responsible for all administrative tasks linked to our training courses, together with our conferences and events.

Ceri Reed

Ceri is an Associate Trainer for Children in Wales, with a fervent dedication to the Rights of Children and Young People.

Prior to founding Parents Voices in Wales in 2018, Ceri was a specialist dietitian and subsequently engaged in clinical research. Her work encompasses multiple sectors, focusing on the inclusion and well-being of neurodivergent children, young people, and their families.

As co-Chair of the Ministerial Advisory Group for Neurodivergence, Ceri has played a pivotal role in co-producing the NEST/NYTH Whole System Framework, which is now being implemented by the Welsh Government across statutory services.

Her ability to work across systems significantly contributes to her understanding of how to meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people, thereby preventing negative outcomes.

Ceri offers two training programs: one that raises awareness of neurodiversity and another that specifically addresses ADHD.

Charlotte Hilton

Dr. Charlotte Hilton is a Chartered Psychologist with a focus on clinical health psychology, integrated care, quality improvement, and elite sports. She works extensively with the NHS in the U.K. while also participating in various international initiatives. Charlotte is committed to practice-informed research, drawing on her diverse experiences in health, social care, and organisational settings—including both corporate and elite sports—to generate research that is meaningful and applicable to routine practice. Her training is consistently based on evidence-based methodologies and best practices.

With considerable expertise in delivering Motivational Interviewing (MI) training, Charlotte enhances behaviour change for individuals, groups, and families. She also employs MI strategies to improve organisational dynamics, fostering better communication and trust, as well as to develop leadership skills across a wide array of contexts. Each training session is customised to meet the specific needs of the attending professionals.

Cheryl Martin

With over 20 years of experience in social care, Cheryl has engaged in multiple roles, including foster care, child protection, youth offending, and promoting equality and diversity, alongside addressing domestic abuse.

Her understanding of child sexual exploitation stems from her work as a foster carer, her involvement in youth offending, and her contributions to charitable organisations focused on children and youth.

Cheryl has been a qualified trainer for more than 10 years, offering a variety of training sessions to a wide array of professionals and practitioners. Furthermore, she is a certified counsellor and an independent mediator.

David Chamberlayne

David Chamberlayne offers training in Safeguarding and Child and Adult at Risk to organisations across the Statutory, Third, and Private Sectors that require high-quality, current, and pertinent training for their personnel working with vulnerable individuals in Wales.

With more than 40 years of experience in Social Care Practice and Training, David conducts Group B (Level 2) training for childcare staff, adhering to the National Safeguarding Training, Learning, and Development Standards set by Social Care Wales. Based in North Wales, David is able to provide face-to-face services.

Deryl Dix

As an independent facilitator, trainer, and consultant, Deryl brings a wealth of experience in designing leadership and management development programs, along with workplace initiatives that promote well-being, mental health, and resilience.

Gabrielle Eisele

Gabrielle is a co-founder of The Windfall Centre, where she has been instrumental in its transition to a charitable entity and the diverse services it currently provides. She holds qualifications as a Play Therapist and Filial Therapist, accredited by the British Association of Play Therapists (BAPT).

Her academic achievements include a Master’s degree in Play Therapy, a MSc in Psychology, and a distinction in a Master’s in Developmental and Therapeutic Play. Gabrielle engages directly with children through Play Therapy and collaborates with parents, caregivers, and professionals in the Filial Therapy, Nurturing Families, and Hand in Hand programs.

A well-regarded trainer, she has conducted extensive training sessions across Wales for numerous organisations and agencies, as well as delivering keynote addresses at various conferences. With more than 30 years of experience in working with children and young people in the UK and the USA, she has developed particular expertise and sensitivity to the needs of disabled children, those on the autistic spectrum, and children who have experienced difficulties with attachment and trauma.

Imelda Spencer

Imelda Spencer of Positive Resolutions Plus brings a wealth of experience in education and safeguarding, having worked for 16 years as a teacher and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCo). She served as the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead and was a key member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). Over a span of 9 years, she worked as a Family Support Worker for six primary schools, overseeing and referring cases in alignment with the Working Together to Safeguard Children framework, the Children Acts of 1989 and 2004, as well as all applicable statutory and non-statutory guidance from the Department for Education and local safeguarding children partnership procedures.

Imelda is an independent NSPCC-accredited Safeguarding Trainer, offering both statutory and customized safeguarding training programs, in addition to conducting thorough safeguarding audits for entire schools. For the last six years, she has also acted as an Associate Trainer and Consultant for Children in Wales.

Jon Trew

Jon is a dynamic and enthusiastic trainer who skillfully engages, develops, and maintains the interest of his learners. He employs a wide array of technical and creative skills, informed by his extensive experience with vulnerable groups. His proficiency in winning the trust of participants of all ages and motivating them to achieve their goals, often in challenging circumstances, allows him to make a significant and lasting difference.

Mike Lewis

Mike possesses over thirty years of experience in the Public Sector, encompassing a diverse array of operational, management, and leadership roles.

He is a seasoned facilitator and trainer proficient in both English and Welsh, addressing a broad spectrum of subjects such as diversity, assessment, child and adult protection, migration, positive ageing, quality, leadership, management, and workforce development.

Currently, Mike is exploring the integration of Positive Psychology and Mindfulness within workplace settings. He is also enhancing his practice in Independent Social Work Assessments, particularly concerning Migration and Safeguarding. Furthermore, Mike has significant expertise in training related to the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 and the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016, and he is recognized as a Trauma-Informed Practitioner.

Mike Mainwaring

With more than two decades of experience in working with children and young people, Mike has established himself as a specialist in substance misuse, youth homelessness, participation, and children's rights. He is a certified trainer who has educated children, young people, and adults on a range of subjects, including substance misuse, LGBT matters, children's rights, participation, handling difficult behavior, safeguarding, child protection, child sexual exploitation, and setting boundaries.

Moreover, Mike has initiated and managed youth-led research projects and has worked in a variety of contexts, including street drug initiatives, residential rehabilitation, outreach efforts, play and youth work, managed housing programs, and youth councils. His artistic background has enabled him to support young people in distress through art, and he has showcased his own artwork focused on social issues. Recently, he has achieved qualification as an Art Therapist.

Sian Owen

Sian is dedicated to enhancing awareness and understanding of autism spectrum disorders while promoting the necessary skills to ensure that individuals, both children and adults, receive optimal support. With thirty years of experience in learning disability nursing, Sian has consistently advocated for and cared for individuals with learning disabilities and autism. Her commitment is deeply rooted in her personal experience of having a brother with autism and learning disabilities.

During her ten-year tenure as the Director for Inclusion at ‘Mudiad Meithrin’ (Welsh Early Years Specialists), Sian viewed her role as a significant opportunity to assist staff, families, and young children with additional needs. She was instrumental in raising awareness of autism and delivering training to early years practitioners across Wales.

Sian has always prioritised training in her career, firmly believing that high-quality, audience-specific training is crucial for enhancing awareness and understanding of autism. Born and raised in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, Sian is fluent in both Welsh and English.

Viv Mumby

Based in South Wales, Viv Mumby currently holds the position of Trainer at the Cardiff Alcohol and Drug Team and is additionally an associate trainer for Children in Wales. She specialises in various fields, including Motivational Interviewing (MI), Personality Disorders and Complex Needs, Psychologically Informed Environments, Positive Psychology, Professional Boundaries, Staff Resilience, and Counselling.

She brings valuable experience from her earlier freelance engagements in the Health and Social Care sector.