Staff

Name: Catherine Cleary

 
Job title: Founder of First Steps Derbyshire & CEO
 
Main job priorities:
  • Leading and managing the organisation
  • Work with the board to define strategies to implement and further develop the business plan
  • Develop operational policies to ensure services and activities are implemented effectively
  • Have responsibility for day to day financial management of the charity, including preparation of budgets for agreement by the relevant committee of trustees
  • Defines the resources needed to operate effectively and develop relationships with statutory grant makers and high value supporters
  • Lead the staff team and conduct their supervision and annual appraisals against agreed personal objectives
  • Represents FSD and acts as the “public face” of  the charity in press and public appearances when required 
Background information:
 
First Steps Derbyshire was founded by Cathy Cleary in January 2004 as a small help group which ran twice per month. She has personal experience of living with an eating disorder and witnessed a lack of understanding, information and specialised services. Cathy made the decision to set up First Steps and use her personal experiences to support and encourage other people in similar situations. She has dedicated the past eight years of her life to developing the charity and raising awareness and understanding of eating difficulties and disorders.    
 
Name: Danielle Sinclair
 
Job title: Care Coordinator
 
Main job priorities:  
  • Providing information and support to people affected by eating disorders
  • Coordinating and delivering support services for people affected by eating disorders
  • Delivering training to young people and professionals
  • Raising awareness about eating disorders in the community and reducing stigma attached to eating disorders
  • Representing service users to management of major organisations such as the NHS
  • Organising activities to reduce the social isolation experienced by people with eating disorders
  • Overseeing the  steering group to make sure that service users have a say in how we run and develop the organisation
  • Representing FSD in press and public appearances when required
Background information:
 
Danielle first used First Steps Derbyshire as a service user when she came out of hospital in 2006.  Danielle has suffered from depression and eating difficulties from the age of 13.  She was bullied for 10 years and the low self esteem she experienced ultimately affected her mental health.  Danielle struggled to complete GCSEs and A Levels to the exacting standards that she requires in her perfectionist nature.  After finishing her degree in Counselling and Therapeutic Studies, her self esteem hit an all time low to the point where she felt that she didn't even deserve to eat.  Danielle was hospitalized in 2005 for a year.  She worked incredibly hard on her recovery but really struggled when she came out of hospital.  There were no services to be referred out to, so she started to deteriorate, venturing into bulimia and binge eating disorder.  If she hadn't have found First Steps in 2006, she would either have ended up back in hospital or worse.  Danielle continued to access support groups and therapy for the next 3 years until she felt at a stage that she was able to get back into support work.  When the job came up at First Steps, she knew she had to have it - and was very lucky to get it!  She loves her job and is passionate about making sure that other people do not suffer like she did.
 
Name: Rob Dawes
 
Job Title: Volunteer Co-Coordinator
 
Main job priorities:
  • Recruit, train and manage volunteers
  • Delivering eating disorder training to a range of professionals, service users and institutions
  • Raising awareness and understanding of eating disorders in the community
  • Working closely with service users, professionals and families to make sure motivation is maximized
  • Implementation of PQASSO (a quality standard mark) including developing and reviewing policies and procedures.

Background information:
 
Rob joined First Steps Derbyshire after a career with a leading UK financial services company after deciding that he wanted to change the direction.  Rob was responsible for the training and development of financial advisors and also has considerable experience in recruitment and project implementation. He is passionate about skills development and helping individuals to achieve their potential and fulfill their goals. These transferable skills are essential to help the volunteers of First Steps Derbyshire develop and grow in their roles, and ultimately will enhance the service offered to our service users.  Rob has had personal experience of eating disorders from a family member. Rob's aim is to help First Step's Derbyshire to continue to develop and evolve to provide a high quality service that meets the individual needs of each of its volunteers and service users
 
Name: Michelle Lisbona
 
Job title: Support worker
 
Main job priorities:
  • Providing information and support to people affected by eating disorders.
  • Delivering specialist support programme in partnership with Derbyshire Eating Disorder Service (DEDS)
  • Help planning and leading support groups
  • Delivering training
  • Raising awareness about eating disorders in the community and reducing stigma attached to eating disorders.
Background information:
 
Michelle originally worked at First Steps as a volunteer Counsellor for two years whilst completing an MSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy.  Prior to this she worked as a Healthcare Assistant with young people experiencing mental health problems and co-founded a B-eat self-help group, which she co-facilitated for 2 years. Michelle's interest in working with people recovering from eating disorders stems from her own personal experience of obesity, bullying, low self-esteem and dieting.

 
Name: Naomi Wildgoose
 
Job title: Young Persons Support Worker
 
Main job priorities:  
  • Providing information and support to people affected by eating disorders.
  • Help planning and leading support groups
  • Provides face to face and online befriending support 
  • Providing nutritional support
  • Delivering training
Background information:
 
Naomi helps to plan and deliver the young person’s group on Wednesdays and provide befriending support to service users. She is studying nutrition at Sheffield Hallam University, and would one day like to work as a nutritionist for people with eating disorders. Naomi has personal experience of eating disorders within her family
 
Name: Tajinder Adnan
 
Job Title: Outreach Worker
 
Main job priorities:
  • Raising awareness of eating disorders in the BME community
  • Raising awareness of eating disorders in the wider community
  • Managing the befriending project on a day to day basis
Background Information: 
 
I joined First Steps Derbyshire after a career with Derby Homes.  For this role I was able to develop myself further and was able to deal with sensitive issues without being judgemental.  This then led me to change direction within my career.  I am very passionate about helping people out, especially those whose first language is not English.  Coming from an Asian background I feel it is very important to be able to raise awareness of eating disorders and difficulties.  I have experienced eating difficulties with a family member and found that the lack of understanding within the BME community makes it difficult for people to know who to talk to or where to go.  I want to be able to support and raise awareness, and let people of different communities know that it's okay to get help without being judged.  
 
Name: Marc Thrasivoulou
 
Job title: Administrative Support worker
 
Main job priorities:
  • Supports staff in their administrative tasks.
  • Organizes monitoring and evaluations of services.
  • Provides face to face and online befriending support. 
Background information:
 
Prior to being employed by First Steps Derbyshire, Marc was a service user. For a period of around 10 months, Marc attended the Wednesday night group (HYPED) which is targeted at young people who suffer with eating difficulties. By attending the groups on Wednesday evening’s Marc felt much less socially isolated and feels that the groups run by First Steps played a huge role in the recovery from his eating disorder. Marc no longer struggles with food and is recovered. Currently Marc is employed by First Steps and works 10 hours a week as a befriender and administrative support worker. He is also studying Sports and Exercise Science at the University of Derby.   Marc has also achieved his NVQ level 2 qualification in Business and Administration.
 
Name: Megan Griffiths
 
Job title: Administrative Support worker
 
Main job priorities:
  • Supports staff in their administrative tasks.
  • Organizes monitoring and evaluations of services.
Background information:

Megan started off her career as an admin officer for Sheffield City Council.  She then went on to work as a Housing Officer for several different Councils and Housing Associations.   This role gave her experience of dealing with people sensitively and non-judgementally.   Megan had a career break whilst she had her children.  Unfortunately after the birth of her youngest child she suffered with mental health problems including anxiety, depression and anorexia.   She then became involved with First Steps Derbyshire firstly as a service user and then later as a volunteer.  Megan volunteered as an office support assistant for a year before the job of Admin Support worker came up.  Megan was very happy to be offered the job and is glad to be able to provide admin support to help staff to provide assistance to people struggling with eating disorders.