Our People
Management Team
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Chris Hughes
Trust Secretary
Chris has spent most of his career with young people, ranging from tutoring at a Cambridge college to running the Associated Examining Board.
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Richard Fernie
Trustees Chairman
Richard has a wealth of business experience running large subsidiaries of public limited companies and well as developing and subsequently selling his own business.
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Alan Thorpe
Finance Director
Alan is a qualified accountant with a range of commercial experience. He acts as the Trust’s financial director in addition to his trustee duties.
Supervisors
All counsellors’ activities are regularly reviewed by Trust-appointed supervisors, John Wheeler and Raphael Lopez de Soto who are themselves highly experienced counsellors with an excellent understanding of working standards and compliance within the profession.
They are supported by our administrator, Lisa Edwards, who maintains all necessary records and arranges review meetings with our schools on a regular basis.
Counsellors
All Valley Trust counsellors are trained and accredited to the standards set by The British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP). They work within the BACP’s ethical framework and adhere to their Code of Conduct. All our counsellors have their Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) clearance through the Trust and have their own Indemnity Insurance.
The Trust provides a comprehensive package of resources and support to every counsellor working on its behalf in schools. This includes regular one-to-one and group supervision sessions with experienced and qualified supervisors. In addition, the Trust offers opportunities for ongoing training and development, both in house and through other providers, e.g. Surrey Children’s Services, Common Assessment Framework training, and Safeguarding Training.
Our counsellors come from a wide range of counselling and psychotherapeutic theoretical backgrounds and all have considerable experience of working with children and young people. Each brings a range of valuable additional skills to their work from relevant settings, including teaching and education, health, and play therapy, and they utilise these skills within our Core Framework.
Board of Trustees
Our Board of Trustees bring a range of valuable skills, experience and expertise to their role. They meet quarterly and receive regular thorough reporting as to the finances and governance of the charity, and ensure that we are fulfilling our objectives in every respect.
- Bruce Pearce CQSW is our longest-serving Trustee, and started the Trust in 1985. His wide-ranging career including setting up services in Surrey such as the County Court Divorce Welfare service, the Family and in Court Conciliation service, and he was a founder member of the National Family Conciliation Council.
- Mark Verity CQSW works for CAFCASS, which is the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service. It is accountable to DCSF (Department for Children, Schools and Families) and supports children who are involved either directly or indirectly in family court proceedings.
- Alan Thorpe FCA is a qualified accountant again with a range of commercial experience. He acts as the Trust’s financial director in addition to his trustee duties.
- Richard Fernie BSc FRSA is a business advisor and is involved in change management and company development.
- Joan Thompson BA is a qualified counsellor and an experienced tutor of the subject.
