Sam Sherwood - Hospital Manager

Sam qualified as a mental health nurse in 1991 and spent a total of 28 years working in High Secure Services. During this time she worked her way up through a range of roles including Staff Nurse, Team Leader and Ward Manager with men and women who had been diagnosed with a wide range of conditions including Brain Injuries, mental health and personality disorder diagnoses. During this time Sam also completed her Sex Offender Therapy Training and completed the DBT skills course, so she could facilitate skills based groups and complete index focussed work.

Sam has presented at many conferences, which includes the ‘Care In Custody’ conference which was hosted in Saskatoon, Canada. Leaving High Secure Services to broaden her career saw Sam became the Manager of a Nursing Home which looked after people diagnosed with Dementia and degenerative disorders.

Now proudly working within Pindar House as Hospital Manager Sam strives to work with the team to provide the best care to service users, enabling them to live their lives as independently as they can.

Kayleigh Wain - Highly Specialised Speech & Language Therapist

Kayleigh qualified in 2016 with a BSc (hons) in Speech and Language Therapy from De Montfort University in Leicester. Prior to this, Kayleigh worked for 8 years for the Royal National Institute for the Blind in various roles and gained experience in healthcare and education of people with Learning Disabilities/Autism. Since qualifying, she has worked in locked rehabilitation hospitals for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Learning Disabilities, Neuro-degenerative conditions, Acquired/Traumatic Brain Injury and Dementia.

Kayleigh has experience of working with wider teams in the community on the discharge pathway during her time as a Transforming Care Case Manager in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). Kayleigh has a special interest in functional rehabilitation goals and likes to work closely alongside the whole team in a Trans-Disciplinary way to maximise the outcomes and independence of patients.

Kay O’Neill - Clinical Lead Physiotherapist

Kay qualified as a physiotherapist in 1988 and spent 30 years working in the NHS and gaining experience in all the rehabilitation speciality areas available within teaching hospitals. Kay then went on to become a specialist practitioner working within mental health and learning disability services, initially in the larger institutional settings, and then worked mainly in community settings as part of integrated community teams.

Kay came to work at Cygnet in 2017 and enjoys working across the specialist in house services delivering and overseeing the provision of physiotherapy to patients in our care, training staff in specialist handling skills to promote and ensure patient safety and quality of experience whilst in our care. Kay providesadvice, training and guidance to other professional groups regarding physical activities and safe mobility practices to optimise functional independence for our service users. Kay is committed to working as part of the interdisciplinary team to ensure the care delivered incorporates physical activity and promotes overall wellbeing.

Muhammed Mughal – Physiotherapist

Muhammed is from the north part of Pakistan, namely known as Azad Kashmir. He completed his degree from 2011 to 2016 from King Edward Medical University in Pakistan as doctor of physiotherapist (D.P.T.)

From 2016 to 2024, Muhammed worked as an intensive care physiotherapist in National Hospital and Medical Centre (N.H.M.C.). He worked in inpatient department as well as in community patient department.

In 2018, he was given the charge of Intensive units such as I.C.U., C.C.U., C.I.C.U. After that, he worked as a team leader and lead physiotherapist in that particular hospital settings.

He has a vast experience of working in the neurological, orthopaedic, inpatient and rehab care domain. His speciality is in the rehabilitation and chest physiotherapy domain.

Emily Lawes - Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Emily qualified in 2015 with a BSc (hons) in Speech and Language Therapy from University College London. Since qualifying, Emily has gained just under 10 years experience in the assessment and treatment of communication and swallowing difficulties in adults with neurological difficulties.

Emily has worked across acute medical wards, stroke wards, in early supported discharge team for stroke, in the community and in other brain injury rehabilitation facilities.

Emily has extensive experience in working as part of a multidisciplinary team to maximise outcomes and independence in functional and meaningful goals for patients.

Kerry Sunley - Dietician

Kerry qualified in MSc Dietetics at Teesside University and has worked in the areas of nutrition support, weight management, type 2 diabetes and coeliac disease to name a few!

Kerry is an animal lover and out of work she enjoys long walks with her dogs in the countryside and spending time with her family.