My Background
My professional interpreting career officially began in 2009, after joining the UCLAN BSL/English Interpreting course. By that point, I had already been working within education as a Communication Support Worker for several years and as anyone who has entered the profession via that route knows, it is a steep learning curve! Supervision wasn't as prevalent then, but I did have access to a close and supportive peer network who I could speak to when I needed advice, guidance or support.
A few years later I began freelancing; I still didn't have access to Supervision, but I was fortunate enough to find myself supported by Deaf friends and colleagues, as well as a number of experienced and competent interpreters who I could freely contact if I had a dilemma, or I wanted to bounce an idea off... If I needed some advice, or for someone to give me a solution... Sometimes, all I needed was a soapbox to stand on so that I could rant for a few minutes... and I felt endless gratitude that I had people who I trusted to hold space for me to do that. They were all gifts and although I didn't realise it at the time, they held me and my professional practice safely - supporting me through the tricky bits, and holding me accountable when I needed it.
​I was fortunate to have those networks whilst in the early part of my career, but I also recognise that not everyone has that same privilege. Part of what makes professional supervision such a powerful tool in supporting our work, is that it removes the element of serendipity from our career trajectory - everyone can continue to learn within a safe environment, even after their professional training has come to an end.
Much of my ethos is underpinned by the belief that all practice professionals have the right to a professional support network that is fair and objective; putting their development and well-being at the heart of each supervision session.