About Reach

Hello, my names Lisa and I am an Occupational Therapist living in Staffordshire. My clinical area is in and around Staffordshire, Cheshire and the surrounding areas.
I qualified in 2007 after completing my degree whilst working as Occupational Therapy support staff. I am passionate about OT and the positive difference in can make in a person’s life.

Since joining Reach in 2015, Bel has been dedicated to optimising operations and enhancing service offerings. After stepping into the Operations Lead role last year, her focus has been on streamlining processes, fostering collaboration, and driving efficiency to support the company’s growth. Additionally, she have been instrumental in expanding our services, including the introduction of general OT. Working alongside a talented and dedicated team, she is committed to continuous improvement and delivering exceptional results.

Sarah is a nurse by professional background and specialised in neurosciences before moving into managerial roles. She has worked in the private sector since 2002 in a variety of roles spanning case management, rehabilitation, expert witness, medical assessment, and treatment provision. She brings a wealth of knowledge to Reach as a seasoned business leader. Sarah loves team work, especially working with fellow clinicians and generally with all people who want to deliver excellent service and want to explore innovation.

I have worked for reach personal injury for over 15 years.  I am based in Edinburgh.  As well as working for reach I have worked in brain injury rehab in the NHS for 25 years.  

My name is Morag and I am an Occupational Therapist in Edinburgh.  I have been with Reach since 2022. I also work in the NHS and work across the inpatient and community neurological rehabilitation services in Lothian. 

I qualified from Southampton University, Hampshire, in 2005 with a BSc Honors in Occupational Therapy and have been working in the NHS ever since. The majority of this time has been spent specialising in Neurological Rehabilitation, working with clients with a wide range of neurological conditions. Over the years I have worked in various places within Hampshire, from acute settings, rehabilitation units, to the community, giving me a vast understanding of the challenges that can be faced at different stages of injury and recovery.

Since qualifying as an Occupational Therapist in 2006 I have gained a wide range of experience in acute London hospitals and community services in assessing and treating adults and children with a neurological diagnosis. Through these roles I have developed a special interest in brain injuries and rehabilitation. I have spent 12 years of my career working with children with an acquired brain injury in the community for a charity that provided a national service.
I am currently working in the community where I am the service lead for Post Covid, Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Neuro Rehab teams (adult services).
Since qualifying I have attended numerous neurological courses and conferences. I have spoken at a variety of forums including the College of Occupational Therapists specialist section, Children, Young People and Families training event on ‘Evaluating the Children’s Trust, Brain Injury Community Team using the Measure of Processes of Care’. I have also had a poster presented at an international conference, International Paediatric Brain Injury Society. I have passed an enhanced DBS check.

Reach’s founder Heather Batey is a multiple award-winning neuro-rehabilitation expert. Since qualifying as an occupational therapist in 1987, Heather has been sought after as a guest speaker at national and worldwide conferences.

Tony started out in the travel trade in the early 90s, co-ordinating the movements of captains of industry and rock stars as they went about their business, and it was here that he realised an aptitude for technology. He moved across to a technical support role in one of these companies and went on to further education, achieving a degree in computing with the Open University.

He started working as a freelance IT consultant in 2003 and was soon acquainted with Heather, who was growing a neuro-rehabilitation company and in need of a little help with the technology. Tony became a part-time employee of Reach in 2016 as the demands of the business grew and he now shares his time between the local residential and business community in Northumberland, and supporting Reach with all things technology and beyond.

Natasha specialises in neurological rehabilitation and neurological conditions. Natasha obtained a degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, in 2000. She started her career in the United Kingdom as a locum Occupational Therapist working in a wide spectrum of clinical areas.

Taking on a permanent position at King’s College hospital in 2004 to complete a neurology rotation, Natasha started to specialise in Occupational Therapy for clients with neurological diagnoses. She practiced in the National Health Service (NHS) and private hospital and community settings since, predominantly with the neurologically impaired clientele. During this time, she developed both clinical and managerial/leadership skills holding several clinical lead positions. In 2011 Natasha successfully completed a Masters degree on Research in Clinical Practice at St George’s University of London. Natasha started working in private practice from 2015.

Natasha holds full professional membership with the British Association of Occupational Therapists and is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council. She is also a member of the College of OT Specialists sections: Neurological Practice and Independent Practice. Natasha enjoys working as an Occupational Therapist and is passionate about treating the challenging client group with neurological difficulties. Due to an extensive career in neurology, Natasha is clinically, managerially and socially equipped to provide any client with an occupational therapy intervention plan best suited to their needs.

Sushmita qualified as an occupational therapist in 2001 and completed her Masters in Neuro Rehabilitation in 2003, before moving to the UK in 2004 in various the field of neuro rehabilitation. She gained a broad variety of experience in specialist neuro rehab while working with clients with a range of neurological diagnoses across inpatient, outpatient and community settings. She held the role of clinical lead in the Neuro Rehabilitation Service at Kings College Hospital (that included a specialist neuro rehabilitation unit), and as pathway lead for a complex community rehabilitation service in her previous role.

Sushmita has over 19 years’ experience working with clients with head injury and other complex neurological disabilities. She uses a person-centred, multi-disciplinary approach to identify early rehabilitation needs and set individualised goals to maximise clients rehab potential and facilitate community reintegration in the longer term.

She has specialised skills in acute neurology and neuro rehabilitation, and experience of using a variety of specialist assessment and intervention tools for evidence-based rehabilitation after neurological injuries, such as customised neuro splinting and functional electrical stimulus. Sushmita also has a PhD degree in exploring care pathways for people surviving severe stroke and involved in research and education in neuro rehabilitation. Additionally, she works for with the Care Quality Commission to ensure high quality care in neuro rehabilitation across the country while continuing various rehabilitation posts.

Maria is an experienced neurological Occupational Therapist and researcher in the field. Maria graduated from the London School of Occupational Therapy in 1982. She completed her Masters in Neurological Rehabilitation in 2007 followed by PhD in 2015 both awarded by Brunel University, West London. Her main interests are in promoting recovery and optimizing client outcomes. Maria has practiced in the UK and abroad. Her career spans more than 35 years during which she has actively combined clinical work, lecturing in Occupational Therapy and research in education, assistive technology and neurological rehabilitation.

Maria has lived and worked with her family in Europe and the Middle East (Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Syria). During this time, she held numerous posts locally and worked alongside international organisations providing professional services and expert advice in different settings including acute hospital, schools and in the community. Maria worked with people from different cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds as well as indigenous Middle Eastern communities. She gained a wealth of experiential knowledge and practical skills in the field of neuro-rehabilitation before moving back to live in the UK and take up a senior clinical post in stroke rehabilitation at East Kent Hospitals in 1999. Since then, Maria has actively contributed to the development of local acute and community neurological services and continued to work with survivors and their families to improve client experience and health outcomes. She has presented her work in national and international conferences and has also published in professional journals.

Maria enjoys working creatively with people. She believes in empowering the individual as much as possible and uses a client centred approach to assessment and intervention – aimed at improving functional independence, quality of life, job prospects and facilitating meaningful integration in society and community after neurological injury.

Mairead is a highly skilled and experienced Occupational Therapist (OT) with a demonstrated history of working in hospitals, HMO prison and community and health care. She is a committed and skilled professional who has extensive experience in rehabilitation, healthcare, clinical research and medicine, with experience including an eclectic range of NHS and private roles in specialist stroke, brain injury, paediatrics, mental health, physical rehabilitation, supervising/organising adaption of environments and assessment roles. As well as working for Reach, Mairead is employed by the Chelmsford Priory mental health hospital.

Bryony graduated from Oxford Brookes University in 2011 with a BSc in Occupational Therapy. Starting her career at a major trauma hospital on the acute wards she found her passion and interest in neurological rehabilitation. Bryony spent just under a year working on Wessex Neurological Centre, a major trauma unit specialising in a wide range of conditions.

Since then Bryony has worked in the community stroke team, community neurological rehab team and an inpatient rehab ward for approx 4 years. Working with those who have long term conditions as well as prescribing intensive rehabilitation programmes.

Most recently Bryony has specialised in the area of Environmental Controls where her caseload mainly consists of individuals with complex and long-term conditions.

Alison qualified with a BSc with Honours degree in Occupational Therapy at Oxford Brookes University. During her employment she has progressed to Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist having experience of working in several geographical areas from Newmarket to the Isle of Wight. She has lead and developed teams whilst accruing over fourteen years of neurology experience in both NHS and private settings.

Alison is a founder member of both Portsmouth Community Stroke and Rehab Team (CSRT) and Isle of Wight CSRT. The Portsmouth model was at the forefront of best treatment of patients in the home environment with early supported discharge. Her role within both of these teams focused on Occupational therapy goals and needs of the patients. From here she has evolved the Wight Patient Model which holds the patient throughout their intervention journey at the centre of practice with a named allocated therapist.
She remains focused on active treatment, assessments, programmes and advice for patients with Specialist Occupational Therapy needs.

Natalie qualified in 2006 from the University of East Anglia. She began her career by spending 5 years working with adults at Kings College Hospital and The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in central London. Here she specialised in Neurology in both the acute and rehabilitation settings and developed a special in acquired brain injury.

In 2011 Natalie pursued her interest in paediatrics and is currently working with children with an acquired brain injury.

Elizabeth qualified as an OT in 1989 and completed her Masters degree in Design Research for Disability in 1992. Her areas of expertise are paediatrics, sensory integration, dyspraxia/development coordination disorder, child head injury and autism. In 1993 Elizabeth spent 6 months as a locum OT in Australia. She then worked in a variety of hospital roles. Between 2009-2011 she worked as senior paediatric OT at the Kennedy Leigh Children’s Centre in London. Since 2006 Elizabeth has developed her private practice as a paediatric OT and she has worked for reach since 2007.

Jo qualified from Dorset House in 1989. Following a 2 year rotational post she moved to King’s College Hospital to specialise in neurology. Whilst at King’s Jo worked on the newly established acute stroke unit and gained experience in research looking into early prognostic indicators for stroke recovery.

Her clinical specialist post at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neuroscience provided Jo with invaluable experience in neuromedicine, neurosurgery and neuropsychiatry in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. Whilst at NHNN Jo developed an interest in seating complex neurological clients and ran and managed the departmental seating clinic.

For the past 8 years Jo has been a self employed OT. During this time she has worked with Hobbs Rehabilitation, providing community based rehab.

Paula qualified with a BSc in Occupational Therapy from Queen Margaret College, Edinburgh in 1993. Paula’s career has included positions in community, rehabilitation and acute settings with more than 20 years experience in neurological rehabilitation. Paula’s working life has included positions in various areas in Scotland, England and USA & she currently works and lives in the Highlands of Scotland.

Alice qualified from Queen Margaret University College in 2003 and has experience of working in both community and inpatient settings. She has worked with a variety of client groups, including older adult mental health, forensic and mental health learning disability and vocational rehabilitation, and she began specialising in brain injury and neuro-behavioural rehabilitation in 2006. Alice is the Occupational Therapist team lead at the Edinburgh neuro-rehabilitation service, working for NHS Lothian.

Alice has contributed to the educational material for the Scottish Acquired Brain Injury Network (SABIN) website. She regularly supervises students and has been involved in providing lectures on university programmes.

Fern qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 2008, and has worked predominantly in the context of paediatrics. Fern has a passion for the work she does and has developed a wide range of skills in various specialities including neurological conditions, ADHD, Visual Impairment, complex needs, Autism, as well as community paediatrics.

Fern has also previously worked in Reach, as a programme assistant, gaining valuable insight into the Reach organisation from various perspectives. Fern currently works as a senior Children’s Occupational Therapist in NHS Forth Valley.

Fern regularly supervises OT students and junior members of staff. She is motivated by helping to further expand their skillset and experience, whilst she is also very committed to her own professional development.

Qualifying as an Occupational Therapist in 2000, Beth has a special interest in brain injury and has gained extensive experience working in this field. She is skilled in providing assessment and graded rehabilitation for brain injured people in hospital and community settings, has worked in social services providing aids and adaptations and as a case manager.

Currently a Specialist OT working in a centre for brain injury rehabilitation, where she specialises in stroke and brain injury rehabilitation, providing assessment and treatment in activities of daily living, cognition, perception, upper limb and community living skills.

Beth is a member of the British Association of Occupational Therapy.

Gillian qualified from Glasgow Caledonian University in 2005 and has experience of working in both community and inpatient settings across a wide variety of clinical areas including elderly care, acute medical, orthopaedic and mental health. She began specialising in the neurological aspect of OT in 2007, working in the area of stroke and brain injury rehabilitation. Gillian is currently the team leader of the East Ross community Allied Health Professional (AHP) team within NHS Highland, covering a wide variety of client groups in both inpatient and community settings.

Gillian has presented some of her work nationally at an NHS event and maintains a keen interest in all aspects of neurology. She manages and supervises a team of both qualified and support staff and is committed to continued professional development.

Alsion graduated with a First Class degree in Occupational Therapy from Coventry University in 1998 and has a broad career encompassing acute and rehabilitation in patient care, community rehabilitation and prevention of admission work. The client groups she has worked with include brain injury, stroke, orthopaedic conditions, and a variety of general medical and post-surgical conditions. She has been a member of BAOT and HCPC since she graduated and enjoys continuing her professional development in a variety of ways.

Outside of work she enjoys looking after her two children, volunteering at her Primary School and assistting with the running of the monthly Messy Church. She also enjoys swimming, running and crafts.

Kirstin qualified as an Occupational therapist in 1999 and since then has worked in a variety of areas, including medicine of the elderly, acute medicine, stroke and surgery. She began working in an inpatient neurological rehabilitation unit at the Astley Ainslie Hospital in Edinburgh in 2001 and currently works as the occupational therapy team lead in this unit. In this role, she has worked with a wide variety of brain injury and other neurological conditions.

Kirstin has been involved in teaching, this has included occupational therapy students, medical and nursing students. Kirstin is also responsible for the supervision of staff with the OT team. She began working with Reach personal injury in 2006.

Lauren is a Specialist Neurological OT supporting clients, families and carers in rehabilitation from neurological injury. In her professional capacity Lauren has worked across acute and community services in orthopaedic, medical and surgical settings, later specialising in the neurological field.

The complexities of neurological injury mean that each individual should be treated as such and Lauren has trained in range of treatment modalities to provide a diverse treatment range. Lauren employs a functional task-oriented approach to facilitate her clients to achieve their potential to acquire, maintain or regain skills required to participate in their daily lives and beyond.

Direct treatment may encompass developing independent living skills, reducing the impact of disability, facilitating a return to work, functional upper limb rehabilitation, post-concussion care, identification of adaptive aids and equipment for disability. Lauren has additional training in the Bobath concept, motivational interviewing, sensory strategies and postural care. She has experience in the use of technology to facilitate independence and social participation.

Amie qualified from Canterbury Christchurch University in 2008 with a BSc Hons in Occupational Therapy and has a wide range of Neuro experience since specialising in this area in 2012. She originally founded her passion for brain injury whilst working at the Children’s Trust prior to training as an OT. She worked for the Neuro Team at Royal Bournemouth Hospital in the Acute Stroke Unit, Specialist Neuro Management and Assessment Rehab Team and Neuro Outpatients.

Since 2015 she has been the Clinical Specialist and OT lead for the Wessex Neurological Centre at University Hospital Southampton. This is both a Major Trauma Centre and regional Neurosurgery and Neurology Unit. Here she provides specialist assessment and rehabilitation to a range of neuro patients, including those with traumatic and acquired brain injuries, as well as brain tumours, spinal injuries and a wide range of neurological conditions. Amie has a particular passion for cognitive rehabilitation and providing the best possible rehabilitation to her clients with a wide range of therapeutic techniques.

Teresa has over 22 years of experience as an Occupational Therapist. She combines her work as an expert witness with clinical work.

She has worked in a number of senior roles both in the community and hospitals, within both adult and paediatric services. These include coordinating discharge planning, providing advice on aids and adaptations and implementing specialist therapy programmes for those with complex physical, psychological and learning disability needs. For four years she also worked in Italy, primarily with those who had suffered head injuries and stroke.

Teresa has acted as a tutor in the Occupational Therapy Degree programme at UWE Bristol as well as being a guest tutor at Turin University. Prior to qualifying as an OT she taught English for seven years in Italy and enjoys the teaching aspect of her roles. She has previously acted as Lead Coach when training and supervising Safe Home assessors for clients needing telecare systems in their own home.

Teresa has a personal interest in clients with head injury and works for Reach alongside her other roles. She also works as a locum OT in a specialist stroke rehabilitation centre.

As Teresa has such a wide ranging experience at senior level she is able to competently and confidently provide her opinions and recommendations both verbally and in her written reports.

Teresa prioritises her continuing professional development and has had several articles published in Therapy Weekly, Fitness and City Limits. Her articles have also been used as contributions towards books. She has also acted as an advisor to the Multiple Sclerosis Society and was part of a clinical group advising Mirs Showers in formulating a user-friendly shower control. Teresa is fluent in Italian and French.

Since qualifying as an Occupational Therapist in 2003 Anna has0 gained a wide variety of experience in both inpatient and community settings. The majority of her career has been spent within the specialist area of brain injury and neurological rehabilitation, with experience also within the field of paediatrics.

She has recently worked in a brain injury rehabilitation centre and a community neurological rehabilitation team which required ongoing assessment, rehabilitation and management of clients with a large range of difficulties. She is currently working as a neurological Occupational Therapist for a company specialising in brain injury Rehabilitation. This includes providing detailed therapy assessments and treatment for brain injured adults and children in the independent sector.

Since qualifying as an Occupational Therapist in 2009 I have been fortunate enough to work within a variety of clinical areas, allowing me to develop both personally and professionally and become the OT that I am today.

I have experience with working with adults and children’s services. My clinical area of interest and specialism is within brain injury and rehabilitation. I have been working with Reach since 2017. I have specialist skills in acute neurology, neurosurgical care and neurorehabilitation.

As well as my role with Reach I am team lead and Advanced OT at Birmingham Childrens Hospital within the acute service

Tracy is an experienced clinician and qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 1995. Tracy has specialised in the field of brain injury rehabilitation for the past 22 years. For the past 20 years Tracy has been working in the field of community brain injury rehabilitation in the NHS, working within a multidisciplinary team. She works with clients to support them to set functional goals and run treatment programmes in a group or individual format. Her particular interest is working with clients with fatigue and looking at how the interaction of mood, cognition and physical symptoms affect fatigue. She also works with clients with cognitive and physical rehabilitation needs.

Tracy has also worked on developing a local Post Concussion Symptom pathway for assessment and treatment. As well as establishing a Post Traumatic Hypopituitary (PTHP) assessment pathway with the local NHS endocrinology service.

Tracy is passionate about providing the best possible care, support and rehab to clients and their families following brain injury.

Patti qualified as an OT in 1996 and has worked in the UK, USA and Australia. Her extensive experience includes work in a variety of adult and paediatric inpatient, outpatient, rehabilitation and community settings. She has co-authored two published papers in the British Journal of Occupational Therapy and undertaken post-graduate training within the sensory integration, neuro-developmental and vocational rehabilitation fields.

Patti also trained as an Integral Hatha Yoga teacher in 2009 and has completed Level 1 and 2 Mindfulness Teacher training with Exeter university. She works part time as a Retreat Leader and Mindfulness Teacher for the Sharpham Trust offering 8 week MBSR/MBCT courses and mindfulness retreats. She brings these additional mindfulness intervention skills to her work with Reach clients to assist in their adjustment to brain injury and capacity to develop a meaningful and fulfilling future life.

Lizzy qualified with a BSc in Occupational Therapy at the University of East Anglia in 2015. Whilst a student, Lizzy spent two months working on the stroke unit at Kings College Hospital in London, this started a passion and interest in neurological rehabilitation. Since being qualified she has gained a range of experience working on rotation at a large major trauma hospital in Southampton. During this time Lizzy worked within the Wessex Neurological Centre, a major trauma unit specialising in a wide range of neurological conditions. Another rotation within the Southampton hospital Lizzy worked within the Hand Therapy department learning key thermoplastic skills.

Since 2017 Lizzy has worked for an Early Supported Discharge team for the NHS supporting clients following stroke or a range of neurological diagnosis including traumatic brain injury. The team focuses on intensive early neurological rehabilitation from a multi-disciplinary approach.

Caroline qualified as an Occupational Therapist from Coventry University in 1994. She has specialised in neurology since 1996 with extensive experience of Occupational Therapy within a range of settings including community rehabilitation, working within neuro-outpatient settings and for over 15 years worked as the lead OT in various specialist residential brain injury rehab services. The focus being to facilitate individuals to return to community -based living. This involved detailed assessments, reports, goal focused rehabilitation and supporting individuals to generalise their skills to a community setting.

Caroline has worked as a University Lecturer/Practitioner and now works as a specialist Occupational Therapist working with the Armed Forces Community within the remit of Neuro rehabilitation.

Frances has extensive experience of OT ranging from paediatrics, mental health, neuro-outpatients to acute strokes. She is currently working in a county community brain injury rehabilitation centre as a clinical specialist. She is a committee member of the COTSS for Neurological Practice and also enjoys supervising students for the University of East Anglia.

Since qualifying in 2009 with an Honours Degree in Occupational Therapy Jo has focused her career on mental health and neurology and developed specialist skills in neuro-rehabilitation and supporting individuals with their strengths and aspirations whilst helping them to guide their own recovery. Her career spans acute, community mental health and community based rehabilitation.

Throughout her varied roles, Jo has developed specialist skills in working with individuals with a wide range of conditions, particularly in working with adults who have sustained catastrophic brain injuries. With a particular interest in developing an individual’s occupational performance and an established knowledge base and sound expertise, Jo has demonstrated the ability to work with individuals with complex needs, developing holistic, person centred goals and individualised treatment plans to help them achieve these goals. Acting with compassion and respect towards those in her care is central to Jo’s practice, an approach and philosophy that Jo believes significantly influences positive patient care and wellbeing.

Jo has experience working with a wide range of professionals as well as individuals and their families to develop, plan and implement treatment plans and feels confident in using and evaluating interventions that employ functional and standardised assessment and outcome measures. Jo has effective negotiation skills that she has gained from working as part of a team and is able to advocate her opinion when working with other agencies or professionals. She maintains a CPD portfolio and attends training, conferences and seminars to remain current, applying relevant theory to her practice and ensuring relevant legislation, policies and procedures are followed.

Craig qualified with an MSc in Occupational Therapy in 2011 and since then, has worked in a variety of settings including Medium/Low secure ABI hospitals, Dementia wards, and Acute Mental Health settings, both in patient and in the community. Most recently he has set up an Occupational Therapy service within the Crisis Response and Home Treatment Team. This service has been successfully keeping people from entering hospital by focusing upon their functioning alongside the more traditional medical model.

Craig is a firm believer that encouraging people to do things that they enjoy is the best tonic to supporting one’s health and well-being. With this in mind, he enjoys the challenge of empowering people and supporting them to overcome barriers that they may experience.

Craig has recently taken on a small caseload of patients for Reach in the role of Program Manager.

Angela qualified as an occupational therapist in 1999 from Ripon and York St John University. She had previously worked in community neurological rehabilitation for 5 years, then for 5 years in Liaison Psychiatry in the Leeds Chronic Fatigue Service where she also gained an MSc Professional Health Studies in Occupational Therapy.

Following this, Angela led a team of occupational therapy and clinical psychology specialists, working with people in the community with neurological conditions (Multiple Sclerosis). In 2009 she moved into higher education and works as a senior lecturer teaching occupational therapy to under and post graduate students at Leeds Beckett University. In 2017 she completed her doctoral studies with a Professional Doctorate in Education. In addition, in 2020 she also successfully completed ILM level 5 Coaching Certificate.

Angela continues to specialise in neurological rehabilitation and has a passion for enabling individuals to achieve health and wellbeing through occupation.

Kate qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 2009. Before joining reach she worked for the NHS within an Acute Hospital, as well as working for a small independent Occupational Therapy service. Kate’s main areas of clinical practice are in Traumatic Brain Injury, Neurological Rehab, Stroke and Trauma and Orthopaedics. As well as working as an Occupational Therapist she also work as a Clinical Case Manager.

Kate enjoys working holistically and has a keen interest in promoting occupational balance whilst supporting individuals in maintaining a sense of self confidence, independence and positive well-being.

As a relative of a person who survived a catastrophic stroke, Kate believes she has personal experience of the families’ perspective which supports her clinical practice.

In her own time she enjoys training in the gym, practicing Reiki and daily mediation.

Ellen qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 2008 from the University of Salford. She has worked in a variety of clinical settings including acute neurology, neurosurgery, neurorehabilitation and community services.

For the past ten years Ellen has specialised in assessment and treatment of acquired and traumatic brain injuries. Alongside her work for Reach, Ellen works in a community Stroke and Neuro rehab team.

Sophie qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 2013 completing the Pre-Registration Occupational Therapy Masters Course at Sheffield Hallam University. Her first post was at Salford Royal Hospital where she started to develop her skills for working in neurological rehabilitation as a Rotational Occupational Therapist throughout the hospital and community, spending the majority of her time working on neurological wards and in neurological rehabilitation.

Sally qualified as an occupational therapist in 2000 and has spent most of her career working with clients with traumatic and acquired brain injuries and other neurological conditions. She has worked within the acute setting, rehabilitation units and the community delivering complex neurological rehabilitation programmes. Alongside her work for Reach, Sally currently works for the NHS leading an acute stroke and neurology therapy team.

Lisa qualified as an occupational therapist in January 2017 with a distinction in her Master’s degree. Prior to this, Lisa had extensive experience working as a Personal Programme Assistant for reach. Since qualifying as an OT, Lisa has gained experience in both inpatient and community mental health settings, including acute psychiatry and eating disorders. Alongside her work for reach, Lisa currently works for the NHS in a Community Learning Disabilities team.

As well as her practical work with a variety of clients, Lisa is very interested in research and has a paper published which investigates the links between mountain biking and mental health.

Since qualifying in 2011 Stephanie has worked across a variety of inpatient and community settings, with experience across a variety of conditions. Most recently she is based within a neuro rehab unit which is the clinical area she has the greatest passion for. She is particularly interested in cognitive rehab following brain injury and promoting functional independence.

Stephanie has recently taken on a small caseload of patients for Reach in the capacity of Programme Manager and undertakes complete assessment’s and treatment for patients with traumatic brain injury

Since qualifying as an occupational therapist from Northumbria University, Laura has worked in various acute and rehabilitation hospital settings across the North East of England, gaining experience of a range of neurological and mental health conditions, including dementia, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, brain injury, brain cancer, stroke, depression, anxiety, and psychosis. Her responsibilities have included; arranging complex discharges, devising and monitoring in-hospital rehabilitation plans, completing moving and handling plans and facilitating moving and handling workshops, close working with carers and family members, managing risks that individuals present towards themselves and others through assessment of mental capacity and adherence to deprivation of liberty safeguards, and assessing for equipment for individuals who lack capacity or insight.

Currently, alongside my role as a neurological occupational therapist within reach, I work as a rehabilitation case manager, managing the rehabilitation of clients with orthopaedic, brain and spinal cord injuries. In my spare time, my interests include playing and teaching the flute, walking along the beautiful north east coast line, and cats.

Becky qualified as an occupational therapist in 1993. Before joining Reach in April 2014, she had a background experience of neurological rehab within NHS settings in Rural North Yorkshire and in the City of Leeds of more than 14 years.

To date Becky has completed numerous TBI and PCS assessments for Reach and has managed the treatment plans for several clients. Becky lives in Rural North Yorkshire and is also a portrait artist.

Margaret was an instrumental part of the group which devised a visual screening tool for use within Northern Ireland and sits on the committee of the NI Occupational Therapy in Neurology group, as well as being a member of the NI Multidisciplinary Association of Stroke Teams and COTSSIP.

An OT since 2003, Clare has a strong professional interest in the fields of neurology and paediatrics. She takes pride in applying her skills in new, more effective ways for a wide range of TBI patients.

Since qualifying as an OT from Salford College of Occupational Therapy in 1987, Stefanie has worked in a range of inpatient and community settings. For over 15 years, she’s specialised in brain injury and led the OT department of a brain injury rehab centre.

A member of the reach team since 1998, Tracey is a fully qualified occupational therapist, an expert in stroke rehabilitation, work resettlement and paediatric neurology and the Head Paediatric OT at Bassetlaw PCT.

Drawing upon over 30 years’ experience as an Occupational Therapist, and 20 years working with reach, Lisa has been involved in the development of the Post Concussive Syndrome service and reach’s Head Trauma Triage service.

With a postgraduate MSc in Rehabilitation from St George’s, University of London, and experience setting up and managing the national Brain Injury Community Team for children, Fiona is a leading expert in the treatment of brain injuries in children and adults.

A member of our team since 2021, Jane took post with the company as a key member of our administrative team. She has since taken up a role as the personal assistant to our clinical leadership team.

As one of the first people you’ll talk to when contacting reach, Bel takes pride in supporting and assisting our customers from the very first call.

A new member to the Reach team but with over 15 years of Finance Experience, Claire is relishing this new challenge within the Clerical Team.

Sheena is the part-time Clinical Lead for Moderate to Catastrophic Brain Injury and has a wealth of experience in her field, having recently retired from an illustrious career with the NHS spanning more than 22 years.

Sheena retired as the Neuro-Occupational Therapy Clinical Lead for the Astley Ainslie and Royal Edinburgh Hospitals, NHS Lothian, she sat on several National Committees representing Lothian Occupational Therapy Neuro-Rehab over the years, whilst lecturing on post-graduate courses in Neuro-OT. Sheena was also a contributor of educational materials to the Scottish Acquired Brain Injury Network (SABIN).

Joining Reach in 2005, Sheena became a Senior Programme Manager in 2009.

With a background in psychology and child brain injury, Fran has seen first-hand the positive impact home rehabilitation can have on an individual who has suffered a TBI. Transferring her skills and passion into the marketing world, she wants everyone to know about reach.