Wendy, NAAS Coordinator SEC Quality Assurance & Performance - Care Day 2022

Meet Wendy, NAAS Coordinator SEC Quality Assurance & Performance

My Mum was born with Cerebral Palsy and was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder as a teenager. In the 1970s, there was little understanding of how to support people with significant mental health needs. She was hospitalised and sectioned on numerous occasions and received ECT. Each episode would last many months and resulted in me and my sisters being placed in foster homes repeatedly throughout our childhood.

Our removal from home or school would often be traumatic and sudden, with no explanation and would result in not seeing my parents or sisters for long periods. Some of the foster homes were quite neglectful and abusive - foster care in those days was not regulated in the same way it is today. My experiences inspired me in my career to understand and support families experiencing distress and trauma as a result of mental ill health or disability. It also taught me the importance of ensuring the child remains at the centre of decisions being made about their lives which can be painful, distressing and confusing. I really believe, the only way to have an impact on a system is to change it from within and my passion for Social Work is born in part from my experiences as a child.