Assessors

Before completing her degree in English and History and Theory of Art at The University of Kent at Canterbury and her PGCE at Christ Church College, Norma worked in research and personnel management. Since being in the educational sector, she has worked in a range of environments, including teaching foreign students and adults learning English as a second language, Year 6 pupils in mainstream school, of whom a high proportion had special educational needs, and lecturing at GCSE and A level in FE to adults and students with severe and complex disabilities.  For six years, she taught at a specialist school for pupils with severe dyslexia and associated conditions of dyspraxia, ASD, ADHD. 

Norma was the Dyslexia Adviser and also Specialist Tutor at the University of Kent at Canterbury. She was also Head of the Dyslexia Unit at a Sixth Form College where her responsibilities included diagnostic testing for pupils with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs), mentoring students with Asperger’s Syndrome and other disorders, and overseeing Sixth form transfers to FE/HE institutions.  Norma also ran staff development days and workshops for parents, and was involved in the LADS trials for Hull University involving the evaluation and monitoring of a computerised SpLDs screening program, for students aged 16+, and later a further project involving the analysis of control groups for a computer screening program for adult dyslexics in Higher Education.

Prior to setting up and running Iona Kent and South East, Norma assessed disabled students in HE for numerous London Universities, including the University of Westminster, Imperial College, Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music and The Open University. Norma was also a Quality Assurance Group (QAG) Auditor for other Assessment Centres.

Norma founded the DSA Forum SE in 2005 for students, parents, teachers and other professionals and DSA stakeholders supporting disabled students in education. The inauguration of the DSA Forum SE bi-annual Educational Conference followed in 2008, working with AimHigher, local Schools, FE and HE providers and other organisations such as National Autistic Society (AS); Rethink and Mind Mental Health Charities; RNIB/Action for the Blind; Dyslexia East Kent Support (DEKs); Working with Dyslexia and The Professional Association of Teachers of Students with Specific Learning Difficulties (PATOSS). 

Norma regularly provides educational assistance and guidance and her time and expertise, pro-bono, within the education domain. Input includes interview panels for disability staff; DSA talks in schools, colleges and organisations and consultancy on Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) for specialist support and strategies, assistive technology and software strategies. Where necessary, assessments for students with no DSA funding have been provided.

James is the Head of Student Services & Accessibility at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, where he also undertakes assessments for Iona Kent and South East. James has made a significant impact on the provision for disabled students at Trinity Laban, gaining specific expertise in supporting visually impaired musicians and students with Asperger’s.

Prior to working at Trinity Laban, James worked for Mencap as a Health and Safety Officer / Tutor and delivered disability awareness training to external organisations. He has also worked as a private tutor for children with Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism. James has an MA in Philosophy from the Open University and is also a keen musician.

Elizabeth read English and History at University College Dublin. Following this, she took a graduate Diploma in Business Studies at Rosse College in Dublin. She then moved to London and worked as a Courses Convenor for Birkbeck College. She qualified as a teacher of Information Technology and taught courses in the subject for a few years. Following this she qualified as a member of the Institute of Personnel and Development and moved into personnel/HR managerial roles, initially working for private sector companies, including Reuters Limited and the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank. Elizabeth then returned to work within education in HR roles within the HE sector, including a number of years as Deputy Director of HR at St George’s, University of London. She was a Director on the Board of Trustees for SAUL (Superannuation Arrangements for University of London) for several years, advising on employment matters. Elizabeth is also a trained mediator and continues to use these skills in aspects of her current work.

She changed career direction some years ago and trained as a counsellor and mental health practitioner while at the same time moving into the areas of counselling, mental health support and disability advice within further and higher education. More recently she qualified as a specialist teacher and assessor. She also works on a freelance basis in the areas of DSA assessing, mentoring and provision of consultancy advice in regard to disability practice and legislation within both the FE and HE sectors. She has a particular interest in the way that accessing education can promote greater practical and emotional independence for students with mental health difficulties and other disabilities.

Before going on to Higher Education, Jonathan enjoyed time spent travelling and working his way around Europe and Australia. He had the opportunity to assist with UNICEF and VSO work in Ethiopia, as a teaching assistant for local children helping with sport and other activities and also experience and involvement in other charitable work such as water pump installation projects and the ‘Food Run’ in Addis Ababa – the ‘Food Run’ involved nightly delivering of food parcels to homeless children and young people.

After returning to the UK Jonathan studied Business & Marketing at CCCU. He moved to London to work in marketing and corporate training where his responsibilities included travelling to the USA to negotiate contracts with new and existing clients.  Jonathan continued to work in the corporate world in London, which gained him valuable experience and many skills but did not offer personal satisfaction.

When offered redundancy, he took the opportunity to restructure and change the direction of his career.  Jonathan is an accredited Needs Assessor carrying out assessments for the Iona Assessment Centre; he also carried out assessments for the RNIB/Action for Blind People DSA Centre where he completed training for the assessment of students with visual impairment. Ongoing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses and DSA-related training includes Psychometric Testing; ASD/Asperger’s Syndrome and Mental Health.  Jonathan has proved to be a valued member of the Iona team.

Dr Lynne Regan graduated through the Open University with a BA (Honours) in Humanities with English Language and continued her studies with the Open University obtaining a Diploma in English Language Studies, Advanced Diploma in Child Development and Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Studies in Education, before going on to complete a Masters Degree in Education and a BSc (Honours) in Psychology, as well as a Certificate in Health Sciences which included modules on Diabetes Care and the Autistic Spectrum. Lynne also completed a Masters Degree in Higher Education at the University of Kent in 2017. In 2022, Lynne graduated with a Doctorate in Education (EdD) with research Investigating the experiences of transgender students in higher education. Lynne joined Iona in 2009 and in the course of her work as an Assessor, has specialised in physical disability, including assessments of students with Cystic Fibrosis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Cerebral Palsy and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, as well as assessments of students with various Specific Learning Difficulties and students with mental health and Autistic Spectrum conditions. Alongside working part-time as an Assessor for Iona Kent and South East, Lynne also works in Higher Education as Disability Adviser and Student Support Administration Manager. Lynne is a graduate member of the British Psychological Society and Accredited Member of the National Association of Disability Practitioners.

Siobhan McGhee has over 15 years of professional experience supporting learners working primarily, but not exclusively, within further and higher education. Siobhan started supporting students on a one-to-one basis, developing their skills on the job, and is currently a Disability Adviser at the University of Kent.

Siobhan's background and personal interests are in the arts. Being creative is fundamental to how they work. Their Degree and MA in Art has opened up many exciting opportunities, which all have disability at their heart. Siobhan has personal experience of being in receipt of DSA through its many phases as a lifelong learner. They have personally experienced the positive impact that receiving DSA has, which has lead them down the path of supporting learners. Siobhan is passionate about equality and believes strongly in the motto "Nihil de nobis, sine nobis" Nothing About Us Without Us!

Rachel graduated from the University of Brighton as a teacher in 2011 and has since taught across the primary age range. She has taught children with a range of special educational needs, always striving to remove barriers to learning and liaising closely with parents and outside agencies.

Rachel feels strongly that education should be fully inclusive and accessible for all and enjoys supporting students with pursuing their studies, interests and independence, working as a needs assessor with Iona on a freelance basis.

Sarah joined Iona in February 2020 as a part time Administrative Assistant whilst completing her BA (Hons) English and American Literature at University of Kent. Having graduated in July 2020, Sarah then went on to complete an MA in the same subject, graduating in November 2021.

After becoming a full time Office Administrator in September 2021, Sarah began training as a Needs Assessor in January 2022 and is currently building a portfolio of assessments to become fully qualified. As a former student in receipt of Disabled Students’ Allowance, Sarah has first-hand experience of the DSA process as well as knowledge and experience of several of the support strategies put in place for students. This experience also allows Sarah to engage with students she is assisting on an empathetic level.

Sally has worked for almost 20 years as a specialist tutor in higher education, supporting students with SpLDs, Autism and mental health issues. She is a trained counsellor with a background in person-centred counselling, CBT and Compassion-Focussed Therapy.

Sally is also an International Consultant and Teacher Trainer for the British Council, advising on neurodiversity and inclusive learning strategies as well as trauma-informed training for school counsellors in post-conflict Iraq. She has been a plenary speaker at many international teaching conferences, written inclusive teaching course material for OUP and the British Council and run teacher training courses all over the world.

Emily joined Iona in December 2018 as Assistant Centre Manager. She is a qualified, chartered library and information professional with 15 years’ experience in supporting students in the education sector, primarily in further and higher education and latterly in the independent sector.

Emily’s experience encompasses leadership and advocacy; strategy, planning and management; customer focus, service design and marketing; IT and communication. Her background has provided her with library and information professional expertise in the following areas: organising knowledge and information; knowledge and information management; using and exploiting knowledge and information; research skills; information governance and compliance; records management and archiving.

In addition to the above qualifications, Emily holds City and Guilds 7302 Level 3 Certificate in Delivering Learning: an Introduction, NCFE Level 2 Certificate in Conflict Management and BCS Qualifications ITQ and ECDL.

Emily volunteers in the role of Trustee and Secretary of the PTA of her children’s school. She is also a Professional Registration Mentor for CILIP: The library and information association and has recently joined the Kent sub-region committee in a media role.

Augusta is an experienced administrator and a qualified children’s rights lawyer. She has been a dedicated member of Iona’s staff team since September 2017. She is currently training as an assessor and expanding Iona’s presence across the Greater London area. Augusta is a qualified and practising lawyer who specialises in working with children and young adults across different areas of law, including education law, and working with children and young adults with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

Augusta has a passion for supporting others and is experienced in supporting students in the education sector. She previously worked as an Outreach and Recruitment Ambassador at the University of Kent and as a Youth Advocate at Just for Kids Law supporting students at risk of school exclusion and helping others to secure or review their Education, Health and Care Plans.

Augusta works part-time as the Head of the Children’s Rights Advice Service at Article 39, a children’s rights advocacy charity. Her expertise spans advocacy, communication, service design and delivery. She enjoys playing volleyball and spending time outdoors.

Sarah first joined Iona in 2011 as the Assessment Co-ordinator. Sarah is originally from a research science and quality audit background.

As well as holding a BSc (Hons) in Analytical Science, Sarah holds many diplomas including an HNC for Applied Biology, a General Certificate in Occupational Health & Safety (NEBOSH) Managing Safety Certificate (IOSH); Lean Sigma Yellow Belt, BCS ECDL Extra (IQT) Level 2 and Pitman Training Qualifications in Microsoft Office Plus. In addition, Sarah holds Diplomas in Secretarial, Medical Secretarial; Legal Secretarial; Executive PA; Business IT with HR; Accounting Technician and Office Management.

Before joining Iona, Sarah worked for GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in Quality Assurance. Over a period of eighteen years, Sarah rose to become Senior Quality Officer for the company. During that time, she was a T&G Union Safety Representative and also a founder member of the onsite Ergonomic Improvement Team, carrying out Risk Assessments for COSHH, Manual Handling and General Operations and helping in improvement initiatives for workplace design and lifting technology implementation.

After leaving GSK, Sarah acted as PA to the Managing Director for a computer repair company. It was there she acquired extensive technical knowledge and understanding of computers and technical problems and was able to advise customers repair options and costs.

Since joining Iona in December 2011, Sarah has obtained in-house accreditation in quality assurance, has attended DSA-related training sessions, which include extensive AT training and has been involved in the organisation of several Iona events. As a committed life-long learner, Sarah has continued with her studies and research to gain an understanding of the medical conditions, physical and learning difficulties faced by students in Higher Education. Sarah has also undertaken funded reviews and study needs assessments, while completing her Assessor Training, before she left Iona in April 2020.

Sarah returned to her PA role at the computer repair business, expanding her knowledge and experience of repairs, as well as administrative, safety, HR and book-keeping duties. Additionally, she has continued learning, doing courses relating to computer repairs, various personal interest topics via the OU’s Open Learn platform and most recently, a Level 2 Counselling course before starting a Health Coach Diploma with the College of Naturopathic Medicine.

Sarah is now updating her Assessor Training with Iona and refreshing her knowledge of assistive software and DSA support options and guidance.

Kim graduated in BSc (Hons) Psychology from the Southampton Institute in 2004. Following this she went on to complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Mental Health Advice Work which qualified her to deliver low intensity cognitive behavioural therapy-based interventions as Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner. In this role, she provided mental health support to a diverse population with a wide range of backgrounds.

Kim went on to work in universities as a Mental Health Adviser, providing support, advice and brief interventions, putting in place reasonable adjustments for students and assisting with, applications for Disabled Students Allowance. She also carries out screenings for, and supports students with, Autistic Spectrum Conditions and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

She is an accredited member of the University Mental Health Adviser Network. As a Mental Health Adviser and in other student support roles, she has also supported students with a wide range of disabilities, ensuring they have the support needed to flourish whilst at university.

In 2019, she graduated in MSc Sport and Exercise Psychology from Staffordshire University, with her thesis focusing on the impact of powerlifting on the mental health of women. During her masters studies, Kim was in receipt of Disabled Students Allowance so has first-hand experience of the process from the student perspective.

After completing her BSc (Hons) Sports Science, focusing on Biomechanics, Physiology and Anatomy, Anna moved into Project Management staying within the scientific arena. Building on her career within this field, she became accountable for Research and Development projects on both a European and Global basis. Anna then moved into Freelance Project Management and Business Management where her involvement with Iona began. 

Since joining Iona on a freelance basis, Anna has completed DSA Needs Assessor training as well as working with Iona on a corporate level streamlining business processes and creating documentation, including the Assessor and Office Staff Training Programmes and Manual. 

With a personal interest in British Sign Language, Anna chose to specialise within the Deaf and Hard of Hearing domain and completed her Post Grad in Interpreting and Translation, graduating in January 2014. Anna qualified as a Lip-speaker in 2017. Present work involves providing interpreting and translation support to Deaf students at University and College level and also for Deaf professionals within the workplace with experience across a range of domains including education, media, film, banking, social services, Deaf awareness and on-the-job training. Anna has additionally had the pleasure of working on Deaf short films, written and directed by up and coming Deaf talent. When Anna isn’t working she has a passion for travel, planning trips around destinations such as China, Ethiopia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cuba and Europe with her sights on Cambodia and India in the near future, incorporating visits to local Deaf schools. With her exposure to such a wide and diverse range of environments and subjects, Anna has a solid understanding and awareness of Deaf students’ needs. 

Sue took a degree in Mathematics at Edinburgh University and worked for some years in the Financial Sector of the City of London before moving to Kent. For a while she taught EFL before moving into the educational sector as secretary, and latterly administrator, in a specialist school for children with SpLDs. In the course of her work, she has prepared many books, papers and reports on dyslexic people, as well as working with them every day, and she has a thorough knowledge of the problems they encounter.

Petra is a highly experienced case worker/administrator and has worked across government departments including Department for Work and Pensions, Ministry of Justice and Department for Education, administrating state benefits, civil court procedures and dealing with complaints and claims for compensation. She has a background in policy development for family court proceedings and as an Accessible Communication Manager for HM Court & Tribunal Service.

Since 2012 Petra has worked in the DSA sector as an Administrator/Caseworker in Assessment Centres, dealing with daily administrative tasks and high-level queries.

Sarah first joined Iona in 2011 as the Assessment Co-ordinator. Sarah is originally from a research science and quality audit background.

As well as holding a BSc (Hons) in Analytical Science, Sarah holds many diplomas including an HNC for Applied Biology, a General Certificate in Occupational Health & Safety (NEBOSH) Managing Safety Certificate (IOSH); Lean Sigma Yellow Belt, BCS ECDL Extra (IQT) Level 2 and Pitman Training Qualifications in Microsoft Office Plus. In addition, Sarah holds Diplomas in Secretarial, Medical Secretarial; Legal Secretarial; Executive PA; Business IT with HR; Accounting Technician and Office Management.

Before joining Iona, Sarah worked for GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in Quality Assurance. Over a period of eighteen years, Sarah rose to become Senior Quality Officer for the company. During that time, she was a T&G Union Safety Representative and also a founder member of the onsite Ergonomic Improvement Team, carrying out Risk Assessments for COSHH, Manual Handling and General Operations and helping in improvement initiatives for workplace design and lifting technology implementation.

After leaving GSK, Sarah acted as PA to the Managing Director for a computer repair company. It was there she acquired extensive technical knowledge and understanding of computers and technical problems and was able to advise customers repair options and costs.

Since joining Iona in December 2011, Sarah has obtained in-house accreditation in quality assurance, has attended DSA-related training sessions, which include extensive AT training and has been involved in the organisation of several Iona events. As a committed life-long learner, Sarah has continued with her studies and research to gain an understanding of the medical conditions, physical and learning difficulties faced by students in Higher Education. Sarah has also undertaken funded reviews and study needs assessments, while completing her Assessor Training, before she left Iona in April 2020.

Sarah returned to her PA role at the computer repair business, expanding her knowledge and experience of repairs, as well as administrative, safety, HR and book-keeping duties. Additionally, she has continued learning, doing courses relating to computer repairs, various personal interest topics via the OU’s Open Learn platform and most recently, a Level 2 Counselling course before starting a Health Coach Diploma with the College of Naturopathic Medicine.

Sarah is now updating her Assessor Training with Iona and refreshing her knowledge of assistive software and DSA support options and guidance.