MICHELLE THOMPSON

Corniche Street, Khorfakkan, Sharjah UAE (T) 0505488095 ([email protected])

SUMMARY

Versatile and adaptable Service Manager, Teacher and Counsellor with over 18 years experience in developing, implementing and managing youth education and support programmes. Adept at working effectively with children, adolescents, families, young couples and groups. Motivated to help clients achieve self-sufficiency and self-fulfillment.

SKILLS

•   Qualified counselor

•   Effective team manager

•   Teaching non English speakers

•   Disadvantaged youth programmes

•   Domestic violence expertise

•   Project planning and development

•   Report writing and development

•   Employee training and development

•   Case management

•   Creative learning strategies

•   Communication and mediation

•   Trainer of trainers
•   Ability to de-escalate clients in vulnerable and emotional state

•   Excellent organisational skills

•   Group facilitation and presentation skills

•   Proficient computer skills

•   Team player and self-motivated

•   Understanding of adolescent development

•   Understanding of diverse communities

•   Classroom management

•   Working with hard-to-engage client groups

•   Multi-agency working

•   Substance misuse expertise

WORK HISTORY

JANUARY 2018 – CURRENT

HEALTH SCIENCES TEACHER – MINISTRY OF EDUCATION – UAE

·       Teaching Health Sciences lessons to cycle 3 students.

·       Lesson planning to incorporate all learning styles and abilities.

·       Covering teacher absences for cycle 2 and 3 teachers.

·       Delivering personal development sessions.

·       Invigilating and marking exams.

·       Collecting data on students behavior and grades and development

·       Liaising with Admin team and parents.

SEPTEMBER 2000-DECEMBER 2017

Service Manager St Michael’s Fellowship | South London – UK

•   Leading a multidisciplinary programme that serves large numbers of abused and neglected children and adolescents.

•   Hiring, training and supervising a team of Young Parent Practitioners.

•   Monitoring team performance, including developing performance improvement plans.

•   Teaching SRE/PSHE lessons in secondary schools and external youth organisations.

•   Writing and delivering lesson plans/workshops to adolescents in schools and prisons.

•   Managing contact centre for supervised contact visits for parents separated from their children.

•   Lecturing at Kingston University to Social Work Students

•   Achieving maximum performance scores from commissioning agency.

•   Increasing the numbers of children being removed from child protection.

•   Intervening in crisis situations to protect young parents and children.

•   Developing a peer education scheme that provides informal education to young people.

•   Directing client service with an emphasis on reducing dependency on public assistance and increasing client self-sufficiency.

•   Identifying and addressing clients’ barriers to self-sufficiency such as substance abuse and educational deficiencies.

•   Developing and implementing innovative policies and strategies to promote client self-sufficiency.

•   Connecting families with resources when children were identified as needing further assessment.

•   Educating community members about domestic violence, including its impact on children.

•   Training professionals including social workers on how to work with adolescents.

•   Counselling clients to help them to understand/overcome personal, social and behavioural issues.

•   Delivering parenting programmes to parents of young children and adolescents.

•   Spearheading and leading new team and departmental projects.

•   Cultivating relationships with potential referral agencies.

JAN 2001-JULY 2003

Volunteer Groupwork/Trainer – Women from Minorities: European Youth Centres, Hungary & Strasbourg

•   Facilitating group sessions on the rights of young minority women

•   Delivering training sessions

MARCH 2000-AUGUST 2000

Volunteer counsellor – Addaction | East London UK

•   Interviewing and assessing a number of incoming service users per week.

•   Conducting one-on-one counselling sessions per week.

•   Explaining available substance abuse treatment services to teenage clients.

•   Developing long term treatment plan goals and objectives for clients.

•   Counselling teenage clients to help them understand and overcome personal problems.

•   Leading support groups and education sessions with alcohol and drug users and their families.

FEBRUARY 1990-JULY 1997

Database officer – Baker & McKenzie | 100 New Bridge Street UK

•   Entering data into databases in a timely and accurate manner.

•   Producing monthly reports using advanced Excel spreadsheet functions.

•   Adding new material to file records and created new records.

•   Reviewing and updating client correspondence files.

FEBRUARY 1985-FEBRUARY 1990

Data entry officer – Deloitte Haskins + Sells | Blackfriars UK

•   Entering numerical data into databases in a timely and accurate manner.

•   Organising forms, making photocopies, filing records and preparing correspondence and reports.

•   Adding new material to file records and creating new records.

•   Reviewing and updating client correspondence files.

JULY 1985-FEBRUARY 1986

Clerical assistant – Property Service Agency | Lambeth UK

•   Answering and managing incoming and outgoing calls while recording accurate messages.

•   Opening and distributing incoming mail. Helping to distribute employee mail around the office.

EDUCATION

2015 M.A. Education – Roehampton University, Roehampton, London

2013 CPD: Personal Social and Health Education – Kingston University

2000 Connexions Diploma – University of Kent

1999 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling – Lambeth College, London

1985 Secondary Education Exams:-Ensham School, Tooting, London