Carla Bartlett, Director of Speech and Language Therapy, said “I am delighted to have appointed Jo, Pippa, Sonya and Caragh to the new Clinical Lead SLT positions. This will not only bring more direction and focus to the support we offer but it also demonstrates that Cygnet can offer a career pathway for our SLTs as our service continues to grow.
“With such great experience and loyalty to the organisation, I am confident that the SLT service will continue to advance and demonstrate evidence based practice for person centred pathways that will benefit all individuals in our care. I do hope that you will enjoy reading the bio’s and quotes as much as I did and that you will agree, we really have a strong team that will deliver high quality and sustainable care”.
Joanne Steenkamp – Clinical Lead SLT for Social Care
Joanne (Jo) Steenkamp is a registered Speech and Language Therapist and Dysphagia Trained Practitioner who has worked in a range of community, educational, residential and inpatient settings both in the NHS and private sector for individuals with autism, learning disabilities and mental health needs.
Jo is passionate about person-centred planning and the promoting of independence through the use of multi-agency working, accessible information, co-production, training and supporting an inclusive communication environment. Through her role as Clinical Lead SLT for Social Care, Jo will continue to empower and support our staff and service users to maximise their potential and achieve the highest quality and most effective care possible.
“I am excited to take up my new role and feel privileged to lead the dynamic team of SLT’s in Social Care. The empowerment of our staff and service users is at the heart of all we do and our focus is on providing the best support and care possible.” Joanne Steenkamp, Clinical Lead SLT for Social Care
Pippa Joseph – Clinical Lead SLT for Neuropsychiatry
Pippa has extensive experience of working in the private and independent sector offering clinical input to community and inpatient settings for individuals with acquired brain injuries, progressive neurological conditions and associated mental health difficulties. Pippa first joined Cygnet in 2014 and is currently based at Cygnet Lodge and Cygnet Grange. During the course of her time with Cygnet, Pippa has observed and supported the growth of the Neuropsychiatry service line by being involved in all national clinical forums, commissioning functions and strategic planning events.
Pippa also has widespread knowledge and working experience in the field of adult learning disabilities and autism, offering a transferable and versatile skill set. As well as being passionate about the importance of communication and eating, drinking and swallowing needs, Pippa is keen to ensure the wider workforce are empowered and upskilled to meet the complex needs of the neuropsychiatric population.
“I am really looking forward to further developing the SLT pathway in the Neuropsychiatry services, working with other professionals in this specialism and embedding high quality and sustainable care for service users.”Pippa Joseph, Clinical Lead for Neuropsychiatry
Sonya Masih – Clinical Lead SLT for Mental Health (Mental Health, Older Adults and CAMHS)
Sonya Masih began her career as a Speech and Language Therapist in 2011 and proceeded to work across a variety of settings in both the private and independent sector. During this time, Sonya gained experience of working with a range of client groups which included learning disabilities, autism, PMLD, brain injury, neurological conditions and mental health. Sonya first joined Cygnet in 2013, working within the learning disabilities service line and was successfully appointed to support the opening of Cygnet Heathers.
In 2018, Sonya combined her role at Cygnet with an NHS position working on acute medical and surgical wards, returning to her substantive post in 2019. Sonya is enthusiastic in providing holistic care and supporting individuals through their care pathway, from admission to discharge, and looks forwards to empowering others in sharing the same vision. More recently, Sonya has played a key role in the development of the Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) framework for Mental Health with Health Education England (HEE).
“As a Clinical lead, I am looking forward to supporting the Speech and Language Therapy service to develop and provide a high quality service across Mental Health, CAMHS and our Older Adults services. I am excited to support and develop staff to achieve their potential which in turn will enable them to deliver the best possible care and treatment.”Sonya Masih, Clinical Lead for Mental Health
Caragh Allbright – Clinical Lead SLT for Learning Disability and Autism (Healthcare)
Caragh first started her career as a Speech and Language Therapist working in the court system supporting those with mental health needs and learning disabilities to understand and engage in the court process, ensuring a fair and equal trial; this grounded Caragh’s knowledge of those being managed through legal processes, under police detention and also the Ministry of Justice. Since 2013 Caragh has worked in the private healthcare system helping those with learning disabilities and Autistic Spectrum Disorders and has gained a strong portfolio of skills and knowledge.
Caragh is skilled in autism diagnostics and will routinely provide collaborative assessments across a range of service lines. Caragh has been instrumental in promoting SLT student placements within Cygnet and will strive to advance this practice across all service lines in order to positively influence our future workforce; Caragh has a strong focus for innovation, research and establishing good practice.
“I am very grateful for this new and exciting opportunity that Cygnet has offered to me. I am is looking forward to continuing to develop and embed excellent SLT practice across LD and ASD sites in the Healthcare Directorate.” Caragh Allbright, Clinical Lead for Learning Disability and Autism (Healthcare)