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Hi, I’m Claudine.

I Provide Trauma-Informed SEMH and SEND Support for Secondary, Special, and alternative provision & families

At BrightKids Education, I support schools, alternative provision and local authorities to develop relational, trauma-informed and SEND-aware practice that improves behaviour, engagement and staff confidence.

My work bridges education, SEMH specialism and trauma-informed understanding, supporting both young people and the adults working with them.

I work with education settings supporting young people with complex social, emotional and mental health needs, including:

  • Secondary mainstream schools

  • Special schools (SEMH, SEND, complex needs)

  • Alternative Provision & AP academies

  • Independent education providers

  • Local Authorities & commissioning teams

Book a consultation

My Approach

Children and young people with SEMH and SEND needs do not struggle because they lack ability or motivation.

More often, they struggle because the systems around them do not yet fully understand them. Behaviour, anxiety, withdrawal or disengagement are rarely the problem in themselves - they are communication.

My work begins with understanding the child first - emotionally, developmentally and within their wider context - and then supporting the adults around them to respond with greater confidence, clarity and compassion.

“We cannot support children to feel safe if the adults around them do not feel supported themselves.”

HOW I WORK WITH SCHOOLS

In school settings, I support staff to move beyond surface-level behaviour management towards relational, sustainable practice.

Through workshops, reflective spaces and ongoing SEMH consultancy, I help teachers and leaders to:

  • understand behaviour as communication

  • feel more confident responding to dysregulation

  • reduce reactive cycles and staff burnout

  • embed trauma-informed thinking into everyday classroom practice

This work is practical and evidence-informed, but it is also human. I aim to create safe spaces where staff can reflect honestly on the emotional demands of their roles, without judgement or blame.

Find out more

HOW I WORK WITH FAMILIES

Families often carry years of worry, advocacy and emotional labour behind the scenes. My work with parents and carers focuses on:

  • deepening understanding of their child’s needs

  • rebuilding confidence and trust in their parenting instincts

  • reducing guilt, blame and overwhelm

  • supporting stronger communication with schools

  • work 1-1 with the child, mentoring and supporting them with strategies to cope.

Through specialised support and guidance, I work alongside families to create consistency around the child, helping them feel held and understood across different environments.

Book a free consultation

What People Are Saying

Claudine helped us navigate a complicated provision issue with the local authority. Her knowledge and experience in different provisions really helped. Our son is now placed in a specialist school where they can meet his needs. Having such a high level of support throughout the process has been invaluable to our child’s education. Thank you.

— Advocacy Parent

Creative, reliable, and genuinely passionate about what she does. Claudine improved our provision to help support the kids in the school who needed it most. She empowered the staff with confidence and allowed us to create a structure of robust support for the whole school. Communication was top-notch, and the outcome was even better than we imagined.

— School Principal

Claudine spent weeks in the summer mentoring my 15-year-old son, who was having a really hard time navigating his friendship groups and his relationship with his Dad. With her guidance and support, he is now in college, thriving and has a more focused outlook and has started to feel safer in his environment again. I can’t thank her enough.

— 1-1 Mentoring parent

Frequently Asked Questions

  • An initial conversation allows us to explore your context, current challenges and priorities. My work is always adapted to the needs of the child, family or setting-there is no one-size-fits-all model.

  • I primarily work with children and young people from primary through to post-16, as well as offering counselling support for young adults. School-based work is tailored to the age and developmental stage of the young person.

  • My work focuses on understanding the needs behind behaviour rather than simply managing surface-level symptoms. While I draw on educational experience and evidence-led practice, my approach is relational, trauma-informed and SEND-aware; supporting both the child and the adults around them.

  • I combine a thoughtful, human-centred approach with clear communication and reliable results. It’s not just what I do-it’s how I do it and my experience with many children over the years, all of whom have demanded a level of differentiation that has developed my deeper understanding of diagnosis and behaviour.

  • Yes. Where appropriate, my work can support identified EHCP outcomes, particularly in areas such as emotional regulation, social communication, resilience and readiness to learn. Review structures can be agreed in line with commissioning requirements.

  • No. My 1:1 mentoring work supports families to better understand their child’s emotional and developmental needs, offering practical guidance and relational support. While it is therapeutically and emotionally informed, it is a more direct counselling focused support. Where therapeutic intervention is needed, this is discussed separately.

  • Therapeutic sessions within schools are designed to compliment existing SEND and pastoral provision. Clear safeguarding procedures, defined session structures and agreed communication boundaries ensure the work is contained, professional and aligned with school systems.

  • My work is largely preventative, but if urgent or high-risk concerns arise, I will always advise appropriate statutory or clinical services. If I am already working with you directly, you will be advised on any crisis support available based on your needs.