Aspens Specialist Support Service is a comprehensive, professional, high-quality positive behaviour support (PBS) provision for parents and carers of a young person on the autism spectrum, with learning disabilities and mental health conditions (diagnosis or no diagnosis).  We support empowerment for the young person and family, priotising engagement and trust, working in partnership with the network to deliver our Specialist Support Service.

The Aspens specialist approach

All behaviour, including challenging behaviour, happens for a reason - understanding what this is can suggest how to make sure the person has access to the things they need in other ways. PBS uses the principles and procedures from behaviour analysis to assess and support skills teaching and behaviour change. PBS bases decisions on data gathered about a person’s skills, behaviour, and needs.  A functional assessment helps to identify the reasons for a person’s behaviour and is used to create a clear and structured plan of action. 

How to access specialist support

The Specialist Support package is a costed service which includes a Behaviour and Skills Assessment, Positive Behaviour Report and Specialist sessions.

Areas we cover – West Sussex, Brighton & Hove, East Sussex and Kent (outside this area we can offer virtual support). 

Commissioned packages (12 sessions – £1854.48)

Further information on Aspens' commissioned specialist support packages

Parents/Carers Self-funded  (£820.00 - discounted) 

Further information on Aspens' parents/carers self-funded specialist support 

A package can be commissioned by a county council, education, social care, CAMHS or privately funded i.e. direct payments, PIP, DLA.

Referrals can come from a parent/carer or a professional involved with the young person. Following receipt of a referral, it may be necessary for someone to carry out a provisional needs assessment. Bespoke packages are available depending on the assessment outcome.  

Please download and complete a referral form:

Parent/Carer referral form

parentcarernewinitialenquiryformaspens_specialistsupport.docx

Commissioned referral form

professionalsnewinitialenquiryformaspens_specialistsupport.docx

Specialist support provision

The Behaviour and Skills Assessment lasts approximately 2 hours. The assessment is carried out by one of our behaviour specialists and usually takes place in the home with the parent or carer. The assessment enables us to understand different behaviours and tailor strategies for the young person's needs and skills development. The young person can be present if they can manage but it isn't essential. 

A follow-up plan is then written according to the young person’s needs. This is a working document which outlines strategies and guidance for families to apply alongside their Specialist Intervention Advisor (SIA) session. A block of sessions will be agreed in accordance with the recommendations outlined in the Behaviour Intervention Plan. A minimum of 12 sessions must be commissioned.  Some families may require a longer-term intervention. Regular reviews will take place every 6 weeks. The SIA sessions will work through the specific targets set out in the follow-up plan.

Waiting list

Due to the high demands of the specialist support service, the waiting list for a Behaviour and Skills Assessment is currently 8-10 weeks. Once the assessment is complete the child/young person is added to the waiting list for 1:1 support with SIA.  This can take up to 4-6 weeks, once the follow-up plan is complete. Funding must be in place before an individual is added to our waiting list for specialist support.

Meet the specialist support team

Penny Piggott - Regional Manager and Head of Family and Specialist Support

Penny has over 20 years experience working with ASC, children and adults. She has a background in Social Science with extended studies in Applied Behaviour Analysis.  Penny has a Masters with a distinction in Applied Behavioural Analysis from Queens University. Penny is a Positive Behaviour Support coach with BILD. Penny has delivered training to numerous schools, colleges, residential services, parents and several agencies.

“I love sharing my passion for teaching others the importance of understanding why different behaviours happen, strategies that can help and empowering individuals to make a difference.”

Lucy French – Behaviour Specialist

Lucy is one of the Behaviour Specialists in the Specialist Support team, she has been working in the team for 8 years. Lucy graduated from The University of East Anglia with a first-class honours degree in Occupational Therapy, she went on to complete a Masters in Behaviour Analysis in 2019 whilst working in the Specialist Support team.

She has lots of experience working with children, young people and young adults with Autism and additional needs. Lucy’s role in the Specialist support team is to carry out the initial behaviour and skills assessments, establish a plan and oversee and manage the tailored specialist support delivered by the Specialist Intervention Advisors in the team.

Lucy has also delivered both in-house and external training in a variety of different settings.

She meets many amazing individuals and loves supporting and empowering both them and their families. Lucy is often involved in working with wider multi-disciplinary teams to support young people to reintegrate back into the community following general hospital or inpatient stays.

Outside of work Lucy loves running, walking, spending time with friends and family, going on holiday and has recently completed a meditation course.

Chris Foster – Behaviour Specialist and Trainer

Former Air Force medic Chris joined Aspens as a Behaviour Specialist. Before this, he worked for West Sussex County Council in their homes for adults with ASC and learning disabilities. He has also worked for Autism Sussex managing a home and day centre.

Chris has an NVQ Level 4 in Adult Social Care, a City and Guilds in Paramedic Care and is a qualified PBS coach. He also has a post-grad diploma in Autism and a BA Honours in History and Religion from the Open University. Chris has also gained a level 3 award in Training and Education.

Chris likes building rapport with young people in his sessions and seeing them move on from difficult times. He continues to be impressed by the progress they make and their resilience.

As well as offering specialist support, Chris runs online training for professionals and parents and carers, covering themes such as gaming, communication and anxiety.

Away from work, Chris is a keen basketballer and coaches and plays for a men’s team. He walks, meditates, and has written and self-published a novel.

Simon Cannon – Behaviour Specialist

After 20 years in teaching (as a deputy head, acting head and head) Simon was looking for a role that allowed him to be creative, and build relationships and that had the right ethos. Being a Behaviour Specialist at Aspens fitted that brief perfectly.

Simon's post-graduate studies were at the University of Brighton where he achieved a PGCE in primary education. He describes Aspens as being like The A-Team – they go in to help where others have been unsuccessful. For Simon, empathy and deep, meaningful, active listening is key as is having an inclusive approach.

He has close relationships with many families and loves to solve problems alongside them and he remains inspired by the young people he works with.

In his spare time, Simon is a scratch DJ who loves to get the crowds fired up with his funk, soul, hip hop and rare groove mixes. In between work and play, he is a dad of two.

Rosie Lemon - Behaviour Specialist

Rosie joined Aspens as a Specialist Intervention Advisor before becoming a Behaviour Specialist and currently works both roles, writing behaviour and skills assessments and working with families and young people providing one-to-one support.

Rosie began her career in a residential home for adults (18+) with learning and physical disabilities and ASC, where she worked her way up to the Assistant Manager post. Rosie has worked in various education environments including mainstream secondary schools as a complex needs TA and within a Specialist College as a tutor, providing pastoral and behavioural support for learners.

Rosie found a new home to expand her skill set at Aspens and loves working on a one-to-one basis with families and young people to support them in finding new ways to overcome barriers.

In her own time, Rosie enjoys running, swimming and weight lifting, gardening and spending time with her family.

Caehryn Tinker – Senior Specialist Intervention Advisor

Before joining Aspens Caehryn worked on a home school programme, in a primary school autism unit and on various community art projects.

Caehryn is currently studying for a PhD at the University of Brighton in arts-based research with autistic children and young people who experience demand avoidance. They also have a Master’s degree in Autism Studies in Education from the University of Birmingham, a BA in Fine Art from the University of Sheffield, and a Fine Art Foundation from Winchester School of Art.

Caehryn is currently writing a chapter on collaborative drawing with autistic children for an academic book on drawing in healthcare settings.

Caehryn takes a flexible approach in specialist support sessions to suit individual needs, drawing on theoretical knowledge and many years’ experience of working with autistic children and young people. They particularly enjoy the opportunity to work creatively.

Caehryn is a practising artist, as well as enjoying snowboarding, skateboarding, mountain biking, tennis and surfing. They are also a member of the exhibitions and collections committee for Outside In, a charity that supports artists who face barriers to accessing the art world.

Kelsey Fazackerley – Senior Specialist Intervention Advisor

Kelsey's first role at Aspens was as a family support worker. She is now a Specialist Intervention Advisor. She previously worked in a children’s centre and a primary school nurture room, working with children with emotional difficulties.

She has qualifications in mental health first aid and is trained in suicide prevention, understanding and supporting LGBTQ+, and sensory processing on the ASC.

Kelsey particularly enjoys the variety of young people Aspens works with and the positive impact the team can have on families. She feels rewarded by seeing their achievements after they have left Aspens.

She helps young people manage their anxiety and develop flexible thinking. She wants them to understand their ASC profile and reassure them as they move through daily challenges.

In her time away from work, Kelsey enjoys rugby and football and has just started playing tennis. She likes baking, gardening, nature and spending time with the small people in her life.

Danni Jellett – Specialist Intervention Advisor

Danni is one of the team's Specialist Intervention Advisors. Alongside her four days a week working at Aspens, Danni is also a psychology student in her last year of training to become a clinical psychologist. Danni also has a counselling qualification and is part way through her Positive Behaviour Support Level 5 qualification.

Danni has always wanted to help people, she wants to be 'that someone' she didn’t have when she was at school. Now, knowing she’s made an impact, and made a difference, really fulfils her.

During her support sessions, she likes to be on the young person’s level and to build trust and bond with them. Danni makes her sessions person-centred, being creative to enable the young person to engage.

In her spare time, Danni likes gaming, swimming and spending time with her dog.

Sophia Giles - Specialist Intervention Advisor

Before joining Aspens, Sophia was a support worker for young adults with ASC and mental health conditions and worked as a teaching assistant in a primary school.  Sophia says she found it frustrating that despite a lot of hard work to provide additional support, some students didn't have all their needs met and that she's looking forward to being able to change that through working for Aspens.

Sophia recently enrolled on her final module towards a BA health and social care degree focusing on mental health, children and families.

She has three children, one of whom she says has challenging behaviour without diagnosis, providing her with an understanding of the mental, physical and emotional toll children and parents face. Sophia is excited to share and teach different strategies, life and key skills to help on a long-term and daily basis and would love to incorporate music-based therapy where appropriate.

Outside of work Sophia's biggest passion is music and she loves to sing in her spare time, which she says her children don’t always thank her for! Otherwise, she can be found at the park playing football or basketball with her boys or dancing with her daughter, who she says likes to remind her she is not TikTok ready!

Amy Gunn – Specialist Intervention Advisor

Amy graduated from the University of Northampton in 2021 with a BSc Honours degree in Psychology with Counselling. She had a passion for psychology since studying it at A Level and quickly knew it was what she wanted to have a career in. When she found out about the work that Aspens does, she chose to follow this path to begin her career. Amy also has a Level 2 qualification in Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health and is trained in Mental Health First Aid.

Amy wants to help the young people she works with realise that getting support from Aspens is a brave first step and that this is a huge part of their journey. She wants to help put them at ease and help them to manage their anxieties, learning strategies to help them deal with challenges in their daily lives and understanding more about what is it they are experiencing.

Making a difference in the lives of the children and young people Amy sees plays a huge part of what she is about. She wants to be that person that they know they can trust. Amy aims for the children and young people she works with to have fun and enjoy their sessions, and welcomes games and relaxed conversations, with an emphasis on the young person’s interests, to help them engage in the support, and feel comfortable to express themselves.

In her spare time, Amy likes to spend time with her friends and family. She likes going to the gym, relaxing with a good series and going out for meals. She also enjoys mindfulness and journaling.

Jenna Nicholson – Specialist Intervention Advisor

Jenna moved to England from Canada and is very excited to be a part of the Aspens team. Jenna graduated from university with a Bachelor of Arts Community Studies Degree; a major in Psychology, then continued her studies and received an advanced Diploma in Behavioural Interventions.

Jenna has a large background working in mental health, her first job out of secondary school was working in a rehabilitation centre. Her last job before moving to England was as a Child and Youth Care Practitioner, which was very similar to her new role as a Specialist Intervention Advisor. Jenna is excited about her new role as she has always been passionate about helping others, and feels she has great experience and knowledge to do so. Jenna has a wide background working with Children, Adolescents and Adults with Autism, neurological disorders, and a variety of other physical, cognitive and mental disorders. Jenna loves what she does, and is looking forward to continuing to do so with her Aspens team.

Jenna is the mother of a two-year-old little girl, who is her world! During her spare time, you can usually find her out on family walks or training hard in the gym. Jenna’s lifestyle always revolved around sports, fitness and her physical health. Jenna is a personal trainer when she’s not working for Aspens and is something she’s proud of.

Jess Rogers – Specialist Intervention Advisor

Jess joined Aspens as a Specialist Intervention Advisor in May 2022 and is based in Kent. Before this, Jess worked as a Nurture Lead in a SEN school, a support worker within residential housing for adults with learning disabilities, an autism specialist teaching assistant in mainstream education, and started her career working as a 1:1 teaching assistant to a young boy with ADHD and autism. Jess has grown up with family members who are neurodiverse and has used these experiences to aid her in her work today.

Jess gained a degree in Education Studies from the University of Greenwich and since then has undertaken lots of training to bolster her knowledge and support of people with autism. Jess also has a Level 3 qualification in how to support communication in verbal people with autism, positive behaviour support training, and a qualification in supporting children and young people with their mental health.

Jess enjoys making her sessions as creative as possible to make them a fun experience and not too scary. Jess will often use the young persons’ interests to lead the session whilst introducing new techniques to help them. 

Outside of work, Jess enjoys playing football for her local women’s team, watching football as well as helping with admin for the whole football club. Jess has a big family that she likes to meet up with regularly to play games together and have fun. Jess is looking forward to starting her Master’s degree in Autism.

Jenny Boyd – Specialist Intervention Advisor

Before working for Aspens Jenny had been working in schools and nurseries, but her passion had always been supporting children with additional needs and challenging behaviour. She was always aiming to move into a role which would allow her to provide the one-to-one support she wished her nursery children could have and is excited to be able to do this with Aspens. Whilst working, Jenny also achieved her degree in Childhood and Youth Studies with The Open University and completed Makaton training. She has also recently completed a Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health.

Jenny likes to make her sessions fun and creative and often comes with a game to play or a craft to do as these activities can take the pressure off when building a relationship with a young person. She likes to try and think outside the box to make her resources fun and engaging.

Outside of work, Jenny enjoys her weekly tap and ballet classes as part of her local adult dance school, and spending time with her daughter.

Dan Osborne  -  Specialist Intervention Advisor

Dan joined Aspens in October 2022 and is based in Kent. Before this, Dan worked in the education sector in various roles, specialising in SEN. He started as a teaching assistant and gained many qualifications whilst working his way up the education ladder.

Dan has always had a keen interest in mental health and psychology and loves to read books on the subject whenever he can, this is partly due to having suffered from anxiety and challenges with his mental health from a very young age.

Dan’s qualifications include ADHD/Autism/Dyslexia diplomas, a Level 3 Child Psychology Diploma, a SEN Teaching Diploma, Level 4 SEN Education Diploma, along with numerous other qualifications around the mental health and education sector.

Outside of work, Dan enjoys discovering the outdoors and exploring off-the-beaten-track places.

Music plays an important role in Dan’s life and he has taught guitar and been a successful musician.

Dan has a great understanding of neurodivergent people and always creates a positive mindset for the individual so they can feel more empowered on their journey growing up through life’s many challenges.

Jason Bennett - Specialist Intervention Advisor

Before working at Aspens Jason worked for 12 years as a humanistic psychotherapist and has a degree in person-centred, psychotherapy and counselling from Brighton University. He has spent a lot of time working with carers, addictions, depression, PTSD, Autism, general counselling and creative therapy.

In his work, Jason says he likes to "use positive motivators creatively and emotionally to work on the negatives and support solutions".

Jason has a teenage son who is autistic and says he feels he can bring his own experiences and understanding as a parent into his work at Aspens, supporting parents and siblings.

In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, watching football and supporting Manchester United.

Jason says, "I like listening to music and watching action and sci-fi films. I am a huge Star Wars fan. I am a black-belt 1^st dan in karate". 

Alex Stafford - Specialist Intervention Advisor

Alex previously worked as a Learning Support Assistant for young people with learning and physical disabilities in a mainstream secondary school.

Alex’s passion for helping others peaked at the age of 14 when she took part in work experience at a college for people with learning disabilities. Alex graduated from university in 2020 with a degree in Sociology and knew that she wanted to work in the care sector and help those who are most vulnerable in society.

Alex understands the value and importance of dedicated support and how this can help a young person as they are growing and developing. She will use her own experiences to help make a difference to the young people supported by Aspens and build good relationships with the young people she works with. Alex recognises the importance of working with young people to make the sessions as enjoyable as possible and tailoring them to their individual needs. 

In her free time, Alex likes to spend time with her friends and family and her dog Paco. She very much enjoys working out at the gym but also staying indoors and binge-watching films or TV series. She loves listening to a variety of music genres and singing very loudly and terribly in the car during long journeys!