My interest in adoption was sparked many years ago when, as a Residential Social Worker I worked with three very young girls who were relinquishing their babies for adoption. Supporting them through such a traumatic process at a time when there was little support for either birth parents or adoptive families lead me to want to work in this field and bring about change for the better.

After over 30 years working in Local Authority, I moved back home to the South West and joined CCS as the Adoption Manager in 2010, taking over the CEO role in 2016. I soon discovered that CCS is an amazing place to work. I love my job and feel very proud to be part of an organisation and charity that has been repeatedly rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted.

Having originally studied Sports coaching and development at Bath University I worked for 6 years within football and sports coaching, in various schools to deliver curriculum sports. I moved onto facilities management and have managed sports sites and community centres, before moving to CCS in July 2015. I’m motivated by things that will challenge me, whether in a work environment or in my personal life. The last couple of years especially have been a challenge within CCS, with the incredible growth we have had as an agency.

I have recently completed a Level 6 Diploma in Management and I am currently doing a Level 7 Diploma in HR Management.

I have worked in a Project Support and Finance role since graduating in 2009 with a Computer Science degree. I joined the team in June 2015 as Finance Manager for CCS. I have an AAT Level 3 Diploma in Accounting and CIPP Payroll Technician Certification. I love spreadsheets and use them to ensure that CCS remains financially secure so that CCS can continue to build a positive future for children for many more years to come. I’m also a keen runner and often fundraise for CCS.

I joined CCS in February 2019 having spent 18 years in Business Management roles, mainly for non-profit organisations, and in very different sectors including learning and skills, addiction recovery, environmental consultancy, and housing advice. I have a degree in Politics, a Diploma in HR Practice and have attended lots of training, including in quality management, internal audit, and fundraising.

As Business Development Manager at CCS I am passionate about helping CCS to thrive and grow so that we can continue to deliver the services adoptive families need. In my spare time, I like to be outdoors and active – typically gardening, walking or cycling.

I joined CCS in 2013 with 25 years’ experience as a Senior Practitioner, Team Manager and Service Manager in Local Authority Children’s Services; including in Safeguarding, Looked After Children’s, Adoption and Fostering services.
I joined CCS as a Senior Practitioner and Project Lead for The Centre, becoming a Practice Manager in 2017. I have an MA in Social Work, PQ Child Care Award, a level 5 Management qualification, a degree in Sociology and Practice Teaching Award.
I believe that all children deserve to grow up in a safe and attuned forever family. At CCS I am part of an accomplished service finding permanent families for the children who need them and supporting those families effectively.

I qualified as a social worker in 2002 after working in residential settings with adults with Learning difficulties. I spent many years working in safeguarding teams with a number of Local Authorities, working with birth families and placing children for adoption. I left the Local Authority in 2015 to work in the voluntary adoption sector, before coming to CCS in 2017 as a Practice Manager. People inspire me and intrigue me.

I am always encouraged by the resilience of the human race; especially children who have experienced adversity, trauma and loss, yet still manage to get up and get on with their lives. What an absolute privilege to be part of that journey!

I have a CQSW from Bristol University and have worked with children and families for 33 years. I started in children’s services within Bristol local authority in a young person’s Looked After Team before moving onto South Glos. Fostering services, working for 14 years as a Training Officer with foster carers and adoptive parents.

I moved to CCS in 2014 as a Social Worker in the Advice Team and enjoy speaking with people in the early days of them considering adoption.

I love working with our enthusiastic Adoption Advisers (all Adoptive parents) and am keen to widen participation, improve Children’s rights and inclusion, including access to services for children and people of colour.

One of my big passions is getting outside! With this in mind I have encouraged activities at CCS in which families can share the experience of being out in nature together.

Before my training officer role, I spent four years working as an adoption adviser for CCS. I have a birth son, and twins who joined our family through adoption in 2007, so I have lots of real life experience to draw on when training our prospective adopters.

I have worked as a midwife at the RUH in Bath, running antenatal classes and training student midwives. After a period of study, I went on to manage the RUH press and communications office before leaving to focus on our newly adopted twins.

My previous work and home life experiences along with our highly experienced and knowledgeable CCS team, have been key in helping me to develop the skills and empathy to engage, train and support our prospective adopters through our adoption process and beyond.

After studying for an English Literature degree at the University of Durham I worked at the sales, marketing and PR end of book publishing and for an arts charity for 20 years, taking a long break when I adopted my children in order to be “just” a mum. Returning to work and joining CCS in 2017 I gained a Diploma in Digital Marketing and worked hard to catch up with the technological and digital leaps that had happened in my absence. My life has been immeasurably enriched through the adoption of my children and I feel privileged to work in this field connecting would be parents with the children who need them.

I have a background in hospitality and events management, and administration for both business and non-profit organisations. I joined CCS in February 2021 as their new fundraising co-ordinator.
The fantastic services provided by The Centre rely completely on voluntary funds and donations from our wonderful supporters. I’m really excited to be part of the CCS team and to work to help them deliver their invaluable life-long support to adoptive families.

After a career in Events Management and raising my family, I joined The Centre in 2009. Initially facilitating the Tots group I have recently taken on the role of Centre Supervisor. I ensure the delivery of the Centre’s support services; co-ordinating the activity staff and volunteers providing support to adoptive families. Although now more often found in the office, I still love to meet the children and their adoptive parents.

Having started my working life as a probation officer and social worker, I retrained as a clinical psychologist in 2000.
Since then, I have worked for specialist NHS CAMHS teams and a private psychology practice for adopters in the Midlands. My work has always been with children who have experienced early adversity, trauma and have subsequent attachment issues and with the network of adults who surround them.
In 2018, following a family move to Bristol, I joined the Therapeutic Services Team here. I provide consultations, assessments and therapeutic work, including Hearts and Minds, co-written with Andrew Lister. I became Joint Clinical Lead in 2019.

I qualified as a Clinical Psychologist in 2007 and have over a decade’s experience working with children, young people, and their families. I was drawn to the field of trauma and attachment because I believe that our early relationships, and what happens to us during childhood, are key to how we will experience the trials and tribulations of life. Since qualifying I have become accredited in Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy – an attachment informed approach. In 2018 I became a Consultant in DDP and also a Consultant Clinical Psychologist. I can see that everyone who works at CCS is passionate and dedicated, and am really excited to be working as Joint Clinical Lead for the Therapeutic Services Team.

Having joined the team in April 2017 I am the Team Lead for Therapeutic Services at The Centre. With an MSc in Social Work I am also qualified in Theraplay (Level 2), Dyadic Development Psychotherapy (DDP) Level 1, Non Violent Resistance (NVR) Foundation, Therapeutic Life Story Work and I have a Foundation in Art Therapy. I am passionate about delivering a high-quality service which is responsive to the needs of children and their families. I am also a Theraplay® Informed Practitioner and work directly with a small number of families to build and strengthen relationships using Theraplay® informed practice.

Floella is a tireless campaigner on behalf of children, and we are honoured that she feels that the work of CCS Adoption is worthy of her endorsement.

Baroness Benjamin understands the importance of encouraging a diverse range of potential adopters to come forward, as this will enable more children to experience the richness of a stable, loving family life.

Floella has enjoyed a long TV career of over 40 years but describes her real passion as ‘inspiring children and young people’. Over the last 30 years plus she has campaigned on behalf of children.

“I am supporting CCS Adoption because of the valuable work they undertake to bring joy and happiness into the lives of children who through no fault of their own, find themselves in need of a family. I always say ‘Childhood lasts a lifetime’, so early life experiences matter as they will form a foundation for adult life.”

“So giving those children happy, wonderful, loving experiences and an understanding of who they are creates a strong identity which makes a huge difference when they grow up. It brings with it the confidence to face prejudice, adversity and helps to break down the barriers they may face. CCS understand the implications of not making sure this is delivered in children’s early lives and therefore do their utmost to practice this important philosophy.”

Jenny’s bold and contemporary paintings reflect her life-long love affair with Bristol and the South West. Largely working from memory, she experiments with acrylic, collage, ink and digital mediums to create contemporary and colourful images of her favourite places!

Jenny’s work has been exhibited in galleries all over the South West of England, including The Royal West of England Academy.

Originally from a scientific background, Jenny studied Biology at Oxford University and then went on to teach secondary science for ten years. In 2011, she gave it all up and decided to follow her dream of being an artist.

I have enjoyed a long and varied career in Social Work and Counselling serving in the public, commercial and voluntary sectors. My early years were in Northants working in child care and specialising in family placement .In 1990 I relocated to Bristol and moved to the commercial sector in the position of Staff Counsellor for a large retail company. In 1996, I moved to the voluntary sector where I managed a local organisation which supported individuals and families affected by stroke, until my retirement in 2010. In 2000 I returned to Bristol University where I gained an MSc. I have had several articles published on the psychosocial effects of stroke on the family.
Since 2010, I have been a Trustee of CCS and am a member of the Adoption Panel.

Catherine has many years’ experience as a primary school teacher in a challenging area of a large city and has been a trustee and volunteer fundraiser and more latterly Panel Member, at CCS since 2014.
Prior to training as a teacher, in her early forties, Catherine supported small businesses with HR and Marketing for a number of years.
She is committed to achieving positive outcomes for CCS adopters. Catherine also believes that post adoption support is crucial to helping those families thrive. She is also keen to support the work of CCS through various fundraising activities.
Catherine is married and lives in South Gloucestershire. She has two adult daughters

I have just retired after 33 years working as a social worker with children and their families. During my career I worked in an adoption team working with all sides of the adoption triangle and established an adoption support service. My last post was as manager of an early help team.

I qualified as a social worker in 1975 and have spent the ensuing 45 years in a variety of settings from forensic psychology to adoption and fostering. I have specialised in adoption for the past 30 years, and have been connected to CCS, in one way or another, since 1995 - I have been a trustee since 2010. I am now semi-retired but continue to act as an adoption panel chair for Adoption West; I am due to retire in September 2021. For many years I was the ADM for CCS but now only step in when the current ADM is away.

Born 1944 in Leamington Spa, where I grew up with loving parents and a younger brother. Read Physics at Sussex Uni. Spent my career in the Aerospace Industry. For 10 years a member of a team designing and building an astronomical detector which is still working inside the Hubble Telescope. While at work and for some time after, I served as a non-stipendiary minister in the United Reformed Church. Finally in full retirement, and to my great pleasure, I was welcomed as a Trustee and ‘Man Friday’ with CCS. Happily married to Alison for over 35 years. Our daughter, son-in-law and three glorious granddaughters live in the USA and I have joyfully morphed into a Global Science and Maths Tutor!

Nik has many years’ of experience working within the financial services sector, having held a number of senior roles, including the management of a variety of community engagement programmes. Having lived in Bristol all of his life, Nik is in a civil partnership, where he and his partner live with their adopted son.