Meet Laura, our Team Lead of the Criminal Justice Northumbria team, who has recently been promoted to her role!
Tell us a bit about yourself – your hobbies and interests etc.
I love nothing more than socialising with friends, weekends away, eating out and hot holidays abroad. I adore the gym and definitely live an active lifestyle; my favourites are gym classes such as LBT and sports such as Badminton. I used to horse ride for around 8 years and this is something I’d love to get back into at some point! I used to live for the weekend and a night out but as time goes on, I’ve learned to appreciate the quiet side of life too (sometimes at least!)
How long have you worked at Changing Lives, and what roles have you had in your time? Tell us a bit more about your roles.
I’ve now worked in Changing Lives for 4 years; it’ll be 4 years exactly at the end of October. I graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2019 with a 2.1 in Social Policy and Criminology. After this, I moved home to the North East and became determined to gain some volunteering experience in the world of Criminal Justice. I began volunteering with NEPACS as a Courts Project Volunteer. My main tasks included liaising with Probation and Court staff to ascertain which cases would likely receive a custodial sentence and offering support, guidance and information to families and offenders. This experience supported me to land my first job in Changing Lives, in Women’s Criminal Justice as a CFO3 Case Worker and Diversion Worker. This dual role required me to become extremely organised; CFO3 was a ETE contract through which I supported women on Probation to engage in courses, while the through the Diversion role, I received referrals from Northumbria Police; I was then required to identify any support needs and provide onward support/signposting if needed. In 2021, I became a full time CFO3 Case Worker.
In the same year, I progressed to the position of Specialist Outreach Coach on the Northumbria CRS Programme. Receiving referrals from Probation I was required to support women to progress in all areas of their lives, including accommodation, emotional wellbeing and finances. The Team conducts one to one appointments usually based within our Women’s Hub’s, however, can conduct outreach appointments if needed to engage women. I was also required to manage the Sunderland Women’s Hub; the Team work out of 6 Hubs in the Northumbria area. Hub Lead responsibilities include delivering group sessions, arranging joint case management with Probation Officers, arranging for external delivery in the Hub and ensuring the Hub is stocked with snacks and donations. In 2024, I was promoted to Team Lead, after the post became available due to Maternity Leave.
"I feel like my confidence has grown hugely over the 4 years, looking back I barely recognise the girl who started in 2020!"
What does your new role entail?
My new role as Team Lead requires me to support the brilliant Service Manager Dawn Harrison, manage members of the fantastic staff Team, support the onboarding of new staff, oversee the 6 Women’s Hub’s we have in the Northumbria area, ensure contractual targets are met, liaise with Probation and external providers to continue to maintain strong working relationships and engage in the recruitment/selection process for new staff. I also hold a reduced caseload, so my aforementioned responsibilities regarding the women we support still remain. It certainly keeps things interesting and no two days are the same!
How does your role differ from your former role now you hold more responsibility?
My current role really takes me back to the days of my first dual role as CFO3 and Diversion Case Worker. Due to a reduced staff capacity, I am required to hold a caseload at present, which again means I have to be extremely organised to complete both roles to a high standard. I am thoroughly enjoying taking on managerial tasks and more responsibility; in particular I have loved training newer members of staff and take great pleasure in seeing them grow and develop within the Specialist Outreach Coach role.
I am now responsible for the wellbeing and development of the staff I manage, as well as supporting the successful delivery of the CRS Contract. Alongside, this, I remain responsible for the wellbeing of the women we support; something which I remain passionate about. Over the years I have been fortunate to support a wide range of women, some of which have shown their gratitude through beautiful thank you gifts and cards. Just knowing that you’ve impacted someone’s life in a positive way is a feeling I wish I could bottle.
How do you feel you had to develop professionally (and personally) in order to secure your new role?
Initially my confidence held me back from progressing to a managerial role; when the Team Lead role first came around in 2022, I decided not to apply despite encouragement from my Manager Dawn. Throughout my time in Changing Lives, my line managers have always filled me with confidence in my own ability. Dawn has been instrumental in allowing me the space and time to grow in my roles, while always encouraging me to believe in myself and see my potential. Dawn also hugely encourages self-development and I have been extremely lucky to engage in fantastic opportunities outside of work, such as attending the Clinks Conference in 2023, completing an Adult Education Award in 2021 and attending events at Northumbria University. I feel like my confidence has grown hugely over the 4 years, looking back I barely recognise the girl who started in 2020! I owe this to the support of Dawn and in more recent years, Area Manager Lisa Boyack, who has supported me in following my passion for improving diversity within the Criminal Justice System. When the opportunity to progress to Team Lead came around due to maternity leave, I finally felt ready to go for it. And I’m so glad that I did!
Personally, I am extremely fortunate to have a huge support network around me, including a supportive boyfriend, friends and family. My late Grandad was a huge inspiration to me, who from the beginning gave me confidence to believe in my own ability. His progression within his own Police career has always inspired me and I know he would be proud to see me progressing in my own career. I’ve learned to develop strict boundaries, which I need to rely on when dealing with particularly traumatic safeguarding’s/situations. It’s so important to be able to switch off from work to avoid burnout, as the job we do is a hard one. I also try to get to the gym 3 times a week and definitely lead an active lifestyle; I find this really helps to ground me.
I’m extremely proud of my growth within Changing Lives and I’m proud to work for an organisation who makes a real difference in peoples lives.
