Mary manages the Educational Psychology Service in Sheffield and is interested in how schools and early years’ settings work with children to make sense of losses and the impact on their educational progress. Mary sees a vital role for schools/settings in developing children’s emotional resilience for managing changes and challenges in their lives. Sheffield has a Critical Incidence response team to advise schools and early years’ settings when a significant event like a fire, death of a member of staff or an accident which significantly impacts on the school community occurs.

Mary has contributed to staff training around the broad theme of loss, including aspects of the SEAL Programme for schools.

She is an Associate Lecturer with the Open University and teach on K260 “Death and dying” – mainly targeted at health care professionals.

Mary is a foster parent and am concerned with how we can support young people in public care make sense of the changes and challenges they have experienced.