Tamsin qualified as a speech and language therapist and audiologist over 18 years’ ago in South Africa. Early on in her career she began to support pupils with a range of complex needs, often demonstrating social, emotional & behavioural difficulties. Whilst providing speech and language therapy according to pupils’ EHCP specifications, she became interested in the reasons for their dysregulation and difficulties with accessing quality education, even when teachers made adequate adaptations to their lessons. Tamsin then began her journey of chasing the why through reading, research and various additional specialist trainings in attachment aware and trauma responsive education.

Tamsin joined her school’s pastoral and behaviour team, starting to use her new skills. Over the years she became very skilled in responding to pupils in crisis and supporting pupils with their distress. She then began to lead these teams, becoming part of the senior management.  Tamsin is now a Strategic Therapeutic Attachment Lead practicing in DDP & Theraplay in her work, having been trained up to Level 2 so far. She is particularly passionate about equipping educators to effectively support children and young people who have experienced adversity.

In recent years, Tamsin has led on the development of attachment-aware and trauma-informed practices and approaches whole school. Part of this work has included developing the ‘Team Pupil’ approach (developed by Louise Bombèr in her Attachment-Aware School Series, 2016) creating and supporting 16 small teams.  Tamsin provides ongoing training to staff which includes training on Attachment and Trauma, and PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy). Further staff workshops have been delivered on topics such as ‘Holding boundaries with PACE’ and ‘Staff wellbeing and PACE: Being PACE-ful with ourselves and each other’ in 2023-2024 and presenting PACE principles at parent coffee mornings. She has also facilitated Seguridad in the school and has set up regular reflective spaces with qualified trauma therapists from TouchBase for the Team Pupil teams. She has pioneered and advocated for a relational policy to replace the school’s behaviour policy on senior management level after having been commended highly for her draft policy on our TRE pathway. She is passionate about supporting educators to develop effective self-care and wellbeing practices to ensure staff retention, and happy and healthy staff cultures in school.

Tamsin is now available as an education consultant for other schools and LAs over ZOOM. We are now offering TRE consultations for Headteachers and Virtual Schools implementing a relational policy now. Tamsin is also available for trainings.

For more information on how you can work with Tamsin please contact info@touchbase.org.uk