Clinicians from different disciplines, one shared approach

I’m Linsey, a Specialist Therapeutic Social Worker with experience across Local Authorities, CAMHS and trauma services. Side by Side Support is my vision to bring together clinicians from diverse professional backgrounds — including social work; clinical psychology; occupational therapy; speech and language; psychotherapy; nursing; family support; creative practitioners and education specialists — who share a client-centred, collaborative approach.

We offer specialist assessments, including for autism, ADHD and trauma, alongside therapeutic services for children, young people, adults and families impacted by developmental trauma. We are here to support people with care experience, adoption, kinship care and family changes. We understand that every journey is unique and we offer compassionate support, in an open and creative way, tailored to your needs.

Our practice is based at Huntbridge Hall, Matlock, Derbyshire. We also have clinics in Liverpool and Sheffield.

We all have significant personal and professional experience of neurodivergence and developmental trauma. We place the child’s needs at the centre of our work and believe it is essential to collaborate with parents and carers in an authentic, non-judgemental way. Parents and carers are generally the experts on their child and family, and we recognise they are doing their best with the resources they have. For this reason, we work in partnership to ensure the best outcomes for families.

Knowledge about relational trauma and therapeutic parenting is often shared with foster parents and adopters; we believe it should also be accessible to birth families, kinship carers, and professionals. By sharing this understanding, we can help everyone involved develop greater empathy, stronger relationships, and a deeper understanding of their experiences.

Many factors can challenge a child, alongside relational trauma. At Side by Side Support, we strive to understand the whole picture so that we can develop a personalised plan of support for each child and family. We work closely with families to identify when assessment or diagnosis may be beneficial, holding a neuro-affirming approach that values each child’s unique strengths as well as understanding the challenges they face. Our commitment to shared values and clinical excellence ensures that every client receives the highest standard of care.

We strongly believe in the importance of understanding a child and their family in the context of their previous experiences, but also in relation to their current, wider system. So, in working with children who are unable to live with their birth parents, we feel it is important to work closely with the professional network, including their social worker and education team, to ensure the best possible outcomes.