Author of the BUSS® Model and Accredited BUSS® Consultant
Consultant Occupational Therapist and Play Therapist
My first training was as an Occupational Therapist and after three years of working in adult mental health services in York and Leeds, I’ve spent the rest of my career working in CAMHS teams in England and in Scotland. I’ve been fortunate to be part of great multidisciplinary teams in a variety of settings and specialisms, including Tier 2, 3 and 4 CAMHS services, collaborations between CAMHS and education (Behaviour and Education Support Teams), Neurodevelopmental Assessment teams, and eating disorder teams. When I was working in Fife CAMHS (2005-2013), we were given the chance to develop a specialist CAMHS / Social Work team working with children who were looked after and their foster carers – the Springfield Project. It was during this time that I developed the BUSS® Model.
BUSS® Model Ltd was set up as a partnership with the Oakdale Centre in 2019. I retired from the NHS after 35 years (October 2023) and now spend all my time working to develop BUSS®. I feel really privileged to be part of such a brilliant team of skilled practitioners from different backgrounds and look forward to continuing to work with families, develop the clinical model, training, LEAPlets, BUSS® in Education and research over many years to come.
Qualifications:
Core Clinical and Therapy Trainings:
Continuing Professional Development:
Professional Memberships:
Working Days:
Publications:
Improving Sensory Processing in Traumatised Children (2016) was written for parents, carers and professionals to introduce them to the BUSS® Model and help them to think about whether this way of working might be helpful to their child.
Building Sensorimotor Systems in Children with Developmental Trauma: A Model for Practice (2020), is a more detailed look at the model and its application, really designed for people who are going to train further in the model.
There is more information about these books here.
Lloyd, S (2023) An Innovative Approach to working with children who have experienced developmental Trauma. An Introduction to the Building Underdeveloped Sensorimotor Systems (BUSS®) Model. Adoption and Fostering, Vol 47 (2)
https://doi.org/10.1177/03085759231174902
Jones, N., Smith, D., Wrench., K and Lloyd, S (accepted for publication May 2024) Two Service Evaluations of LEAPlets – an Early Years Programme for Children in Foster Care and Adoption, based on the BUSS® (Building Underdeveloped Sensorimotor Systems) Model. To be published in Adoption and Fostering.
closeHead of Clinical Services and Accredited BUSS® Consultant
Therapeutic Social Worker & Art Psychotherapist
I have worked with children in care and adoption since 1996. This has included working: in residential care; as a short breaks foster carer; as a child protection social worker and a therapeutic social worker in CAMHS; and eventually managing a local authority Therapeutic Social Work Team. This was where I first came across Sarah’s innovative work and commissioned her to train and supervise some of the team in developing the BUSS® model into our practice. It proved to be a pivotal moment both in my career and understanding of the impact of trauma, but also in the work of the team. BUSS® came to underpin the psychological therapies we had previously been offering in isolation without fully considering the importance of bodily regulation.
I was delighted to take up the post as Head of Clinical Services for BUSS® in 2020. I’m now involved in service development, training, work with children and families and supervision of BUSS® practitioners in training and post accreditation.
I also have a passion for therapeutic life story work and, when I’m not at Springfield, I can be found training social workers, therapists, adoptive parents and carers in TSLW or offering supervision.
Qualifications:
Professional Memberships:
Working Days:
Accredited BUSS® Consultant
Therapeutic Social Worker
I have worked with children, young people and families for many years, beginning my career in youth work before working in children’s residential homes. It was here that I became increasingly interested in children’s mental health, attachment related behaviours and the impact of complex developmental trauma.
Since that time I have worked as a Social Work Advanced Practitioner within child protection teams and as a Senior Therapeutic Social Worker, whereby I undertook a wide range of therapeutic interventions with Children who were Looked After or subject to Child Protection Plans. It was within that team that I met Sarah and was lucky enough to be one of the first practitioners to be trained in the BUSS® Model.
The BUSS® Model transformed my understanding of developmental trauma and has significantly enhanced my practice. I thoroughly enjoy being involved in direct work with children and their families, as well as being involved in the training and supervision of BUSS® Practitioners in clinical training.
Qualifications:
Professional memberships:
Working Days:
Accredited BUSS® Practitioner,
Adoption Support Social Worker
I have been working with children and families since 2009 across many different settings. I started off working in residential children’s homes with teenagers before qualifying as a Social Worker, I worked in children’s homes predominantly with teenagers. Prior to this I completed a degree in health related exercise and fitness, developing an interest in how the body moves and the benefits of physical activity for children and adults.
I currently work in a regional adoption agency, where I value the importance and impact of BUSS® with the children and young people I work with. The opportunity to get involved in the training and delivering of BUSS® has therefore been amazing for me. I always look forward to meeting new children and families to support them on their BUSS® journey and to continue my own development as a practitioner.
Qualifications:
Professional Memberships:
Accredited BUSS® Practitioner,
Specialist Occupational Therapist
I have worked with young people and their families since 2006 years in various CAMHS teams.
I have a special interest in the Sensory Processing Approach and have offered assessments and interventions using various models. I’m also a Certified Practitioner in Ayres Sensory Integration Therapy. This has given me a profound understanding of the sensory processing challenges associated with developmental trauma and their impact on children’s daily life.
I developed my interest in the BUSS® Model through my NHS work with Sarah Lloyd while working towards BUSS® accreditation as well as being part of a special interest BUSS® group.
Qualifications:
Professional Membership:
Working Days:
Accredited BUSS® Practitioner,
Occupational Therapist
I have enjoyed supporting children across different settings since completing my undergraduate degree in 2016.
I currently work as an Occupational Therapist within an adoption agency, whereby I have been delighted to have the opportunity to learn and develop my skills in the BUSS® Model. BUSS® is an approach in which I value hugely when supporting children and young people who have unfortunately experienced early adversity. One of my roles working within the adoption agency has centred around developing and facilitating preschool LEAPlets BUSS® groups for children and families across the region. It has been wonderful seeing the groups develop and grow over the past few years, and seeing the benefits of BUSS® at an early stage in the children’s lives.
I am thrilled to be working as part of the BUSS® team, delivering the BUSS® intervention directly with families. It’s a joy working alongside families to support the development of their child’s sensorimotor systems through play and their loving relationships.
Qualifications:
Professional Memberships:
Working Days:
Accredited BUSS® Practitioner,
Art Psychotherapist
I’ve predominantly worked in Fostering since 2008, supporting children’s Foster Carers, and other key ‘network’ relationships like Teachers, and Social Workers. I’ve also worked for many years with complex trauma in Adult Mental Health, mainly within a residential Therapeutic Community setting, and prior to this an Inpatient Psychiatric Service.
Like many who ‘discover’ BUSS®, the potential to make a lasting and meaningful difference to children’s lives, to hopefully shrink some of the impact of early trauma well before they become adults, is both exciting and a genuine privilege.
Qualifications:
Professional Memberships:
Working Days:
Accredited BUSS® Practitioner,
Social Worker
I have worked with children and families since 2010, initially as a nursery nurse and then as a qualified social worker. I have 8 years experience of adoption social work, in both family finding and prospective adopter assessment roles before joining this team.
I have always been motivated by helping children to fulfil their potential, and my career in the adoption field has led me to become passionate about understanding and supporting children who have experienced developmental trauma. Outside of social work I am interested in movement, and teach aerial hoop classes – it is a privilege to watch my students develop their strength, control, and confidence. BUSS® feels like a wonderful blend of the two!
Qualifications:
Professional Memberships:
Working Days:
Accredited BUSS® Practitioner,
Child & Family Therapist
I am a PTUK qualified Non Directive Play Therapist holding professional registration with BACP. I have worked with children and young people for 20 years. Some of this time was spent helping primary aged children break down barriers to learning within an educational context. This consisted of delivering sessions to groups of young people to help tackle difficulties such as self-esteem, confidence, bullying and friendship. I also spent a number of years working with Looked After Children who display extremely challenging behaviour and experience social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. It was in this job that I began to be very interested in attachment and developmental trauma.
I currently work as a Play Therapist, supporting children and young people to improve their mental health and wellbeing and also support families and consult with schools about difficulties experienced by their pupils. I deliver NVR to Parent Groups and to individual families and am also a Certified Theraplay® Practitioner. I am really excited to be part of the BUSS® Team and look forward to using these skills to further help children and families.
Qualifications:
Professional Membership:
Accredited BUSS® Practitioner,
Play Therapist
Since completing my Psychology degree in 2011, I have had various roles working in mental health with both children and adults. Initially, working as a family time supervisor – supervising contact between children in care and their families, before moving on to support children with additional needs in education. During this time I also facilitated art/drama and movement classes for adults with mental health conditions as a mental health practitioner. However, my passion for supporting children led me to train to become a Play Therapist in 2019. I’ve gained invaluable experience of working with adoptive and foster families and it has been a privilege to provide support for children who have unfortunately experienced adversity in their early lives.
I’m thrilled to be part of the BUSS® team, to be able to empower families to gradually build their child’s foundation sensorimotor systems as well as nurturing their relationships using the BUSS® Model. I work with children and their parents/carers and also lead the Leeds LEAPlets group.
Qualifications:
Working Days:
Accredited BUSS® Practitioner,
Occupational Therapist
I have worked as an Occupational Therapist since 2004, working across Paediatric settings in Halifax and Leeds in Child Development, Neonatal care, Neuro Rehabilitation and Neurodevelopmental care.
In 2021 I moved to work for Adoption Services in Leeds where I was given the opportunity to develop my skills in the BUSS® Model. I was thrilled to join the BUSS® team working within this approach that I value so highly in supporting children and young people who have experienced developmental trauma.
Part of my role within adoption has centred around developing and facilitating the preschool BUSS® group LEAPlets for children and families across the region. Seeing the benefits of BUSS® over the past few years through
developing the groups and the individual work with children and families makes me excited to be able to deliver BUSS® at an early stage in the children’s lives, but also to adolescents and their families.
Qualifications:
Professional Memberships:
Working Day:
Accredited BUSS® Practitioner,
Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist and Integrative Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist
I qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 1993 and have worked with children and families across a range of NHS, school, community and charity settings. Extensive post-graduate training has enabled me to work with young people with physical, sensory, and neurodiverse conditions as well as those who have experienced trauma, living within the care system and adoption. I am co-director at Leap Children’s Therapy, a private occupational therapy practice in Buckinghamshire and have 6 years experience of working in a therapeutic adoption support service.
Passionate about emotional and mental wellbeing, I qualified as a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist in 2019 and qualified as an Accredited BUSS® Practitioner in 2023. I offer BUSS® with children, young people and families from my current base in High Wycombe.
Qualifications:
Professional Memberships:
BUSS® in Education Practitioner,
Specialist Teacher
After a decade working in the business world, I trained to become a teacher in my 30s and have loved working with children ever since. I now work in education as a trainer, supervisor and coach. After adopting our daughter I became much more interested in supporting schools to increase their understanding of the impact of early trauma and adversity and the benefits of a relational approach. This led me to work with Social Care and a local authority Virtual School for a number of years. I have had many years experience learning about and living with the impact of trauma on development and on relationships and learning. I am passionate about sharing this knowledge with as many colleagues as possible to improve the educational outcomes and lives of all children, including our most vulnerable. I work with schools, school leaders, governors, social workers, foster carers and adopters, Educational Psychologists and SEND teams nationwide.
After working alongside the BUSS® team to deliver LEAPlets in my role with Calderdale Virtual School, I am thrilled to have started working with the team as a BUSS® in Education Practitioner developing our offer to schools.
Qualifications:
BUSS® Practitioner in Training,
Play Therapist
I have worked with children and families since 2010 in a variety of roles and settings including education, social care and advocacy. I completed an Undergraduate and Postgraduate degree in Childhood Studies, giving me a thorough understanding of child development. Whilst studying for my Masters, I trained as a Forest School Leader and have four years experience running Forest School sessions and outdoor groups with children aged 2 – 18, both in mainstream and specialist provision.
In 2020 I went back to university again to qualify as a Play Therapist, registered with the British Association of Play Therapists (BAPT). Since qualifying I have been working as a Play Therapist, mostly with children who have experienced developmental trauma and their families. I first ‘discovered’ BUSS® during my Play Therapy training and I am thrilled to be a part of the team.
Qualifications:
Professional Membership:
Working Days:
BUSS® Practitioner in Training,
Social Worker
I am a qualified Social Worker with over 20 years experience of working therapeutically with children and families. Most recently I have worked in the area of Gender Identity Development and prior to this worked in the Leeds CAMHS team in a variety of different roles. This included the Eating Disorders Team, general CAMHS team and as a CAMHS Inpatient Social Worker.
I am really excited to be part of the BUSS® team where there is such a great opportunity to make a tangible difference to young people’s lives where they have experienced early trauma.
Qualifications:
Professional Membership:
Working Days:
BUSS® Parent Mentor
I’m an adoptive parent who has worked with BUSS® delivering training, working to support families and training practitioners. I’ve seen huge physical and emotional differences in my own daughter as a result of working with the BUSS® model, and I’ve been privileged enough to see the huge impact that the BUSS® Model has made on other families too. Having jointly run a training and consultancy business for many years, I’m really excited to now be Head of Training and Development here at BUSS®.
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BUSS® Parent Mentor
I’m an adoptive parent to two. I first heard about BUSS® through our play therapist. It made so much sense! It has made a huge difference to my daughter, both with her bodily and emotional regulation. Now I support families through monthly parent mentor groups. I’m also involved in the delivery of training and supervision of trainees and accredited practitioners.
closeBUSS® Parent Mentor
BUSS® Parent Mentor
Director, BUSS Model Ltd
A group of colleagues and I founded The Oakdale Centre in 1998. Since then, the centre has provided a multi-disciplinary psychological therapies service across the age range.
I met Sarah a couple of years after that when she approached us with a view to developing her private practice at the Centre. I was immediately drawn to her warmth, authenticity, curiosity and the care and compassion she showed her clients. She is a gifted and knowledgeable clinician and highly regarded as such in her field.
Sarah and her family then returned to Scotland and we met up again when she came back to Yorkshire and told me about the work she had been doing on what is now known as the BUSS® Model. I read her first book and listened to her talk passionately about what she had discovered.
We soon agreed to work together and I was honoured when she asked whether the Oakdale Centre might collaborate with her to extend the reach of the BUSS® Model by setting up programmes to train practitioners and work with young people and their families.
I feel fortunate to be involved in this ground-breaking initiative that is profoundly improving the well-being of children with developmental trauma.
My role in BUSS® is to provide the corporate infrastructure and organisation structures required to support Sarah in the roll-out the BUSS® Model.
This role is an absolute joy and I feel privileged to be part of this exciting venture.
closeConsultant Psychologist
I’m the Clinical Director at the Oakdale Centre. My key role as Clinical Lead is to support the clinical work of practitioners, ensuring high-quality assessments and evidence-based interventions are provided. I am also Safeguarding Lead.
Professionally, I am a Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Systemic Practitioner and EMDR Therapist and registered with the Health Professionals Council. My background is largely within child and family mental health, neuro-developmental disorders and learning disabilities. My roles prior to Oakdale included being Clinical Lead for services across London, Leeds and South Gloucestershire providing Positive Behaviour Support to families where the home placement is at risk of breakdown due to challenging behaviour.
Part of my role at the Oakdale Centre is to provide clinical support and leadership to the Adoption Support Service which provides specialist assessments and therapeutic interventions to young people who are adopted and their families. Here, my specialist interests include the neuroscience of developmental trauma and the impact of early adverse events on the developing brain.
As such, I have been delighted to be involved with the BUSS® programme and the wonderful work of Sarah Lloyd. I have first hand experience of the positive outcomes following a BUSS® assessment and treatment plan. My role in supporting the implementation of the BUSS® Model has included providing support to ensure the model is continually evaluated using feedback from both professionals and parents as well as supporting the development and quality of the BUSS® training offered to professionals.
closeBusiness Development
I am a Director of BUSS® Model Limited and the Oakdale Group.
In the course of a career largely spent leading psychological therapy services on behalf of the NHS, I have developed an ever greater appreciation of the value of both prevention and early intervention – the critical importance of addressing issues quickly, before they can worsen and amplify.
This conviction led to my interest in BUSS®, and after attending a seminar on the BUSS® methodology; witnessing the critical difference the model makes to the development, growth and potential of children who have experienced adversity early in their lives, I was delighted to be invited to become a Director of BUSS® Model in 2019 and hope to contribute to its growth and development over the coming years.
closeOperations Director
Head of Finance
Professional Memberships:
Head of Training and Development
I’m an adoptive parent who has worked with BUSS® for several years in delivering training, working to support families and training practitioners. I’ve seen huge physical and emotional differences in my own daughter as a result of using the BUSS model, and I’ve been privileged enough to see the huge impact that the BUSS® Model has made on other families too. Having jointly run a training and consultancy business for many years, I’m really excited to now be Head of Training and Development here at BUSS®.
We offer training in the BUSS® Model for individuals and organisations interested in developing their skills in this area. There are two main routes for this, the first is for practitioners who are going to use BUSS® with children and families they are working with. The second is a BUSS® in early years groupwork training, which can either be delivered as a programme that is run by education colleagues in schools, or practitioners working therapeutically with children and families in adoption and fostering services.
My role is to develop and support our training services and client relationships across the UK. Our hope is to make BUSS® accessible nationwide and grow our multi-disciplinary team of highly skilled BUSS® practitioners as well as supporting organisations in becoming self sufficient in using the BUSS® Model themselves.
Qualifications
BUSS® Model Administrator
I first joined the BUSS® Team at the Oakdale Centre in December 2020. During this time I have provided administrative support to both the clinical and training arms of BUSS®, supporting families through the BUSS® programme, as well as helping to develop and prepare materials for clinical work and training events.
It has been an honour to see BUSS® grow at such an incredible pace. The hard work and dedication of the BUSS® Practitioners and the commitment of all of the staff at Oakdale is truly inspiring and I am grateful to be part of such a passionate team. It is rewarding to see the impact on children and young people on their journey through the BUSS® programme, alongside the feedback from their parents / carers, teachers and social workers about their progress.
closeBUSS® Model Senior Administration Officer
I joined the BUSS® team in September 2022 – I’m very excited to be part of this team where the practitioners are all so enthusiastic and experienced.
I have previously worked in the banking sector for over 20 years, then I moved to the Therapeutic Social Work Team in Leeds as their senior admin officer. The work in that team was much more rewarding – working as part of a team supporting children who are looked after or on a child protection plan. I was lucky enough to have worked there with Katie Wrench for nearly 17 years.
I met Sarah Lloyd when she joined the Therapeutic Team to share the BUSS® Model with the workers and could see the benefits of this work with children and families. This interest has led me to want to be part of this BUSS® team.
My role as a senior administration officer in the team will be to help and support the team and to respond to social workers and families helping them through the referral process.
closeBUSS® Model Administrator
I joined BUSS® Model in July 2024, as part of the Administration Team. I previously worked in the Financial Services sector. I’m looking forward to growing and increasing my knowledge in all things BUSS®. My main role as administrator will be supporting the practitioners with administration tasks and providing the best level of service to clients as possible, whilst helping them through the referral process.
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