At Outcomes First Group, our clinical approach is rooted in trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming principles. We create therapeutic environments that nurture well-being, celebrate individual strengths and interests, and prepare young people for their best possible futures.
Our Clinical Team
Sarah Carpenter – Clinical Director
Sarah is a dually Registered Consultant Clinical & Forensic Psychologist. She has extensive clinical and leadership experience working across the NHS and Independent Healthcare sectors within local, regional and national roles. She has worked for over 25 years across brain injury, learning disability, neurodiversity, mental health and forensic services. This includes secure hospitals, rehabilitation services, care homes and community services.
Sarah’s expertise includes clinical leadership, governance, service development, workforce development, and strategic implementation of trauma informed neurodiversity affirming models of care. Sarah has extensive experience of working collaboratively with operational, clinical and external stakeholders to deliver high-quality, person-centred services and sustainable positive change across complex environments.
Sarah initially joined OFG in 2019, heading up the adult services across Options. She returned to OFG in March 2026 as the Clinical Director for Options.
Sarah’s passion is working with autistic people and those who are important to them to achieve excellent outcomes.
Dr Leanne Johnson – Director of Behaviour Culture
Leanne obtained her BSc in Psychology from the University of Liverpool and then worked as a Residential Educator in a specialist school before completing her Post Graduate Certificate in Education at Warwick University and working as a Special Needs Teacher. She went on to gained experience as an Assistant Psychologist within an inpatient unit for women who had experienced complex and developmental trauma.
Leanne has worked with individuals with complex and developmental trauma within NHS services and various residential settings, education settings and within fostering and adoption services. She is passionate about supporting those working with young people in their recovery of trauma, in particular with care experienced young people.
Lucy Shortt – Head of Speech and Language Therapy
Lucy is a highly experienced speech and language therapist with over 30 years of clinical experience. She has been an integral part of the Outcomes First Group since 2016, supporting both children and adults with complex needs. Lucy prioritises empowering individuals’ support networks to ensure consistent and high-quality approaches are used.
As part of her role within OFG, Lucy works closely with Speech and Language Therapists across the Group, supporting the development of clinically led approaches including AAD, TIP and Wellbeing, while championing staff wellbeing and collaborative practice.
Shirley Tudor – Head of Occupational Therapy
Shirley is Head of Occupational Therapy at Outcomes First Group and brings more than 21 years of clinical experience across a range of settings in South Africa. She holds a Master’s degree in Advancing Practice, specialising in paediatric occupational therapy, learning disabilities and sensory integration.
An Advanced Sensory Integration Practitioner, Shirley has a particular interest in autism-related sensory differences and is passionate about supporting individuals to access meaningful and fulfilling everyday experiences. She is also a strong advocate for clinical supervision and the ongoing development of the occupational therapy profession.
Within OFG, Shirley leads the development of occupational therapy provision across the Group, promoting evidence-informed and best practice approaches to support positive outcomes for the individuals and teams she works alongside.
Dr Katie Caddick-Eardley – Head of Psychological Practice
Katie began her career in education as a teacher before training as an Educational Psychologist, specialising in social, emotional and mental health development. Since joining Outcomes First Group in 2012, she has held a number of senior roles, including Senior Educational Psychologist and, from 2020, Wellbeing and Clinical Locality Lead.
As Head of Psychological Practice, Katie brings extensive experience in supporting therapeutic and educational approaches across the Group. She is passionate about promoting psychologically informed practice, strengthening multidisciplinary working and supporting positive outcomes for the individuals and teams she works with.
Trauma Informed Practice
Our Trauma-Informed Practice strategy acknowledges the impact of trauma, particularly educational trauma, and focuses on healing through consistent, relational support. TIP enhances both outcomes for young people and the well-being of the teams who support them.
Our approach is centred around the 3 C’s: Connect, Co-Regulate, Co-Reflect. This structured model helps colleagues understand how early experiences shape internal worlds and survival behaviours. By prioritising relationships first, we can meet underlying needs thoughtfully and compassionately, rather than reacting to behaviour in isolation.
TIP creates a shared language and consistent framework for teams, fostering safety, trust, and long-term resilience for young people.
Find out moreNeurodiversity Strategy: Ask Accept Develop
Our AAD strategy supports autistic young people by recognising their uniqueness and valuing their contributions. It moves away from a deficit model and towards breaking down barriers and building the skills that matter most to each individual.
We teach in ways that affirm identity, reduce stress, and create inclusive learning environments that truly meet the needs of every learner.
Both strategies are grounded in research and are evidence informed ways of working with individuals.
Find out moreParents, Carers, and Families
We understand the crucial role families play. We support parents and carers with empathy, recognising that many have faced emotional or traumatic journeys to reach this point. We aim to work in true partnership—valuing every voice, encouraging open communication, and fostering strong collaboration to achieve the best outcomes for each child.
Driving Innovation Through Research and Development and Practice and Standards
To ensure we remain at the forefront of best practice, we’ve established a dedicated Research, Innovation, and Development Board. Chaired by Professor Barry Carpenter and supported by renowned experts including Professor Francesca Happé and Professor Mary-Louise Hemmeter, the board oversees inquiry projects and promotes evidence-informed practice across education and clinical services.
We also have a dedicated Practice and Standards Team across all professional clinical disciplines, e.g. OT, SaLT and Psychological Practice. Our Clinical Governance processes ensure quality assurance and continuous improvement alongside Clinical Operations.
This work ensures our strategies remain dynamic, responsive, and grounded in what works best for young people.
On-Site Clinical Teams
Our multidisciplinary clinical teams include Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Psychotherapists, Therapy Assistants, and Assistant Psychologists. Led by Clinical Directors and supported by Regional Clinical Leads, our teams work seamlessly with education colleagues to provide integrated care.
We conduct standardised assessments and create individualised plans and tools such as communication profiles, sensory overviews, and Understanding Me documents, ensuring each young person receives tailored support. We monitor progress using clinical outcome measures.
Clinical Pyramid
Our Clinical Pyramid model ensures young people receive the right level of clinical support at the right time. It provides a graduated framework of therapeutic support that adapts to each individual’s strengths, needs, and traits. This enables truly personalised, coordinated, and impactful support across our services. The Pyramid focuses on ensuring the everyday environment is the most impactful for individuals to help them thrive and progress towards achieving their potential. Some individuals may receive group interventions and some may receive individual for a specified period of time.