Agnes Bleach

Before becoming a Research Assistant at the University of Sussex, I spent over three years working as an Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP), delivering one-to-one Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to children and young people in schools. Alongside supporting pupils directly, I worked closely with parents, carers and school staff to help create mentally healthy school environments. Those experiences taught me the importance of building strong relationships across the whole school community and gave me a real appreciation for the challenges and rewards of working within education.

My work as a research assistant has continued to centre on children and young people's mental health, including my work on the Whole School and College Approach toolkit. Through this work, I have explored how mental health and wellbeing can be embedded across all areas of the school setting and have enjoyed contributing to research that supports real change in education.

Growing up with dyslexia and dyscalculia, I experienced first-hand some of the inequalities that can exist within education and often felt alone in navigating them. Those experiences continue to shape my determination to contribute to a more inclusive education system where every child feels valued, understood and able to reach their potential. Having also seen the immense pressures faced by school staff throughout my clinical work, I feel just as strongly about supporting the wellbeing of educators and creating work environments where they feel empowered, valued and able to flourish.