Sarah Lou Glover, Director and Founder member
I set up Parental Minds CIC in September 2019 and we had our first Parent+ Support Hub meeting in February 2020. I have supported friends and family with mental health issues throughout my life. As a mental health Caregiver I have knowledge of CAMHS, Children’s inpatient units, Adult Mental Health Units, the Community Mental Health Team, the Personality Disorder Service, PALS, the new 111 system and Private Practice. I have also supported people through their experience of CBT, drama therapy, DBT, Trauma therapy, and Mental Health Assessments; supporting them with self-harm, personality disorder, bi-polar, psychosis, suicidal thoughts and depression & anxiety.
Being a mental health caregiver can be exhausting, confusing, overwhelming, isolating and lonely. My vision was to set up Parental Minds to support and empower those who are supporting friends, family & colleagues through mental health issues.
I have taught Baby Signing to thousands of families, run training sessions for nursery staff & trained many new signing teachers since moving to Honiton in 2003. Previously I worked in a Sales & Marketing environment, delivering presentations and trouble-shooting around business administration. These experiences and the skills I acquired in these roles have helped me in setting up Parental Minds CIC.
I was born in Tunbridge Wells and now love living within the supportive community in Honiton with my husband, our son (who loves Football) and our dog Charlie who is one of our mascots. Our daughter lives close-by in Exeter and is studying with Open University and loves horse riding. I enjoy socialising with my family & friends, dancing, singing, eating chocolate and drinking the occasional glass of red wine with my hubby!
Richard, Co-Director
Since Parental Minds’ inception in 2019, I have been closely following its development – and have been amazed by the incredible work Sarah and her growing team do to support local families with mental health issues. When I was approached to become involved in Parental Minds I had to say yes, and will do what I can to support Sarah and this CIC as best I can.
A little bit of background on me. I have been working within the pharmaceutical clinical research industry since university days, which already feels such a long time ago. I work to support new drug development within many therapeutic areas, but more commonly respiratory, oncology and neurological indications to develop innovative and life-changing treatments for patients. I grew up in Southport, nr Liverpool, and over the years have moved further south due to both family and jobs. For the last 9 years, my family and I have been very happily settled in a village near Axminster with my wider family nearby. My wife works at the local GP practice and we have 2 teenage boys and all the fun and challenges that brings!
Vicks Johnson, Co-Director
I feel truly privileged to be part of Parental Minds and welcomed with such warmth kindness and generosity. I have worked as a clinical practitioner and senior operational manager in the NHS, Health and Social Care system for the last two decades. Much of my professional career has been spent in CAMHs, Adult Mental health, Neurodiversity and Learning Disability Services. I have had the privilege of working with people and systems when they are at their most vulnerable and have an authentic passion and commitment to make a difference; not only to those we serve, but to those that continually give their time, passion, dedication, and commitment to provide kindness and a great standard of care.
Being born on the outskirts of London, as a family we moved to Devon in the 1980’s. Whilst a short period of transience in my teens, back and forth to the city I soon settled in this glorious and diverse county. I have two children, who are now in the mid-twenties and as a single parent very much appreciate the challenges and achievements that parenting can bring. My hobbies include the love of walking, being by the coast, coffee, volunteering and of course a seasoned appreciation for the great game of rugby.
Advisory Panel of Professionals
Dawn Starley, Educational Psychologist
Hi, I’m Dawn. I’m an Educational, Child and Community psychologist and am delighted to have been able to offer consultation to Parent+ to support the development of their resources. I have worked in mental health crisis support, in a DBT therapeutic community and as a classroom teacher. I have just published my doctoral research in the book “Challenging Perfectionism: an integrative approach for supporting young people using ACT, CBT and DBT”. I am a parent of a child with complex needs and am therefore familiar with supporting children and families from a personal and professional perspective. I felt passionately about Parent+ as soon as I heard about it and hope my contributions here will be of help to many.
Beth Green, Mental Health Practitioner
As an occupational therapist I have always worked in the NHS and am hugely loyal to it. My passion is adult mental health. Joining Devon Partnership Trust in 2016 has been a new adventure into acute and urgent care, including A&E, home treatment and the new First Response 24/7 service. Occupational Therapy is about doing, being and becoming. Our activities, our roles, our goals are all unique to each one of us. Reaching a place of wellbeing or feeling we are thriving is often likened to a journey. Sometimes we are running and progressing, other times we stumble and even fall, wondering how we will get up again and carry on. Supporting those we love who are also journeying can be very tough and finding support may be difficult.
I was born in Ely, Cambridgeshire but my parents loved to move around, something I continued to do and I have been happy to call several places home. My three adult children have all settled in the cities where they went to university, so I continue to travel around, especially now I have 2 adorable grandchildren. Five years ago my husband and I moved to Honiton from Rugby in Warwickshire and we really feel settled and welcome.
I love volunteering for Parent+ and Honiton Foodbank and I belong to the WI. To relax I run (slowly!) with a local group and sing alto with the Sheldon Singers choir.
Parent+ is where caregivers are valued, heard, supported, empowered and offered a hand up when the journey is tough or a crisis knocks you down. It’s an absolute gem of an organisation and my privilege to support the team.
Lisa Rundle, Psychotherapist
My name is Lisa Rundle. I support Parent Plus by offering counselling and psychotherapy to adult carers.
After teaching for 20 years and having children of my own, I know that parenting is a tough job and sometimes extra support is needed. Since retraining and setting up my own private counselling and psychotherapy practice, I am pleased to be able to support Parent Plus and help families across Devon.
Becca Bradley-Carter, Listener and Special Needs Enabler
Hi, I’m Becca. In my day job I am an enabler for children with special needs, and also a language tutor. I have experience of pastoral care, of volunteering in the community, and of walking alongside friends and family experiencing mental health issues and neurodiversity. I am a Listener and Listening trainer, with over 10 years experience.
I believe everyone deserves their story and their feelings to be heard, which is why I work with Parental Minds; I hope that by being listened to, caregivers can process their thoughts and emotions about their situation, and become empowered to find answers, both within themselves and from outside agencies.
I love wild swimming and wild walking, though on a rainy day curling up with a good book is much more attractive!
Vicky Hill, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
Hi, I’m Vicky. I am really pleased to be part of the advisory panel for Parental Minds. My interest in neurodiversity and children’s mental health comes from my personal and professional worlds. I am mother to twin boys, at different ends of the neurodivergent spectrum. I have a currently lesser-known form of neurodivergence myself known as Aphantasia. I am a Consultant child and adolescent Psychiatrist working in the NHS and private sectors.
I travelled the world as a youngster and settled in Devon only relatively recently, but I love it here, and now consider it to be my long-term home. My hobbies include swimming, scuba diving and live music.