In 2001, I graduated from DeMonfort University with a Diploma in Higher Education in Paediatric Nursing. Following graduation I was employed on a Neurological Ward at Leicester Royal Infirmary. It was during this time that I decided to specialise in the field of child and adolescent mental health. In 2004 I took employment with the Local Authority in a Social Care Team where I was able to critically engage with my nurse training, social policy, and theories of child development in a more considered holistic way.During this appointment, I was part of a pioneering Looked After Childrens Support Team. This team focused on working alongside children and their carers to promote permanence, stability and develop the bonds of attachment which is so essential to emotional well being. During this time, my innovative approach utilised the tenets of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Solution Focused work and Task Centered Practice. By 2009, I had succesfully completed an MSc in Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the University of Northampton. The topic of my dissertation entitled: The Experiences of Traveller Adolescents, enabled me to research an area of health and social care practice, which is largley overlooked in current policy. This study highlighted the importance of interagency collaboration, highlighting the discriminations and structural inequalities that can exist within some Social Care and Health organisations. On completion of my MSc I was promoted to Primary Mental Health worker within a Child and Adolescent team. In addition to the assessment of psychological functioning of child and adolescent mental health, I was also responsible for the development, monitoring and evaluation of specifically tailored treatment plans which were based upon my knowledge of psychsocial evidence based practices. In 2012, I moved from Leicester to Southport and took a position in School Health which further enhanced my skills in safeguarding and health promotion. However, my passion for Child and Adolescent Mental Health lead to a postion in 2013 in Child and Adolescent Mental Health for Alderhey Childrens Hospital. I was employed as a Mental Health Practitioner at Tier 3. During this time I discovered how I enjoyed sharing my knowledge and completed a teaching course at Southport College which led me to Edge Hill University. In 2014, I was employed as a Lecturer for pre-registration Nursing Students where I currently teach on Child and Adolescent Mental Health.