Educational Assessment & Special Needs Team

Jess Birchall
Special Educational Needs Consultant

  • Jess is a leading Autism consultant in South West London with over 10 years’ experience. Specialising in coaching a variety of specific learning difficulties across both Primary and Secondary settings, Jess is also an integral resource in supporting teachers in facilitating continuous learning among their students. With over a decade of experience working with specific learning difficulties, her teaching style focuses strongly on engaging the students, building communication skills and working closely with parents to implement a tailored plan. Becoming Head of Autistic Spectrum Disorder and Head of Sixth Form at a specialist school for Autism, Jess prides herself on delivering exceptional support for both parents and students, guiding you every step of the way.

    You can find more information about Jess and the Autism team at www.londonautismservice.com

  • Jess is available Wednesday's 10am-12:30pm

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Allison Hamilton
Educational Psychologist

  • Allison gained her masters in Educational Psychology from University College, London. She worked for a Local Education Authority in London for eight years before moving with her family to Tokyo, where she worked independently with clients from the international community. Since her return to London, she was worked in private practice and in a secondary school. Allison is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council.

    Allison has worked with a wide range primary and secondary schools, at the level of the individual child, with groups of children and by offering consultation and training to parents, teachers and management staff. She has also worked within multidisciplinary teams, such as in CAMHS. Allison works in close partnership with a child’s parents or carers and has developed her experience of and interest in supporting young people and their families by completing courses in Systemic Family Therapy, Coaching and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. She is guided by her curiosity for each child as a unique individual with special qualities, adopting a holistic and problem-solving approach to supporting their learning and development. Allison has supported children and their families with concerns in the areas of thinking and learning, attention and concentration, social interaction, emotional regulation and well-being (including anxiety and school avoidance) and behaviour.

    Allison speaks Spanish and Portuguese and has assessed and supported many bilingual children.

  • Allison is available Tuesday 9am-6pm & Friday's 9am-1pm

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Dr. Muireann McSwiney
Educational Psychologist

  • Muireann completed her doctorate at the University of Southampton before moving to London where she has worked in CAMHS and local authorities, as well as independent schools and the private sector. Her experience thus far has included engaging in direct therapeutic and assessment work with children and families, as well as managing and coordinating mental health service development and delivery of school-, college- and community-based wellbeing interventions, working with key stakeholders throughout to ensure the highest quality of intervention. Muireann has managed teams, including in the NHS where she managed a group of mental health practitioners delivering guided self-help to clients. Muireann’s work in local authority settings has afforded her in-depth knowledge of SEN-related legislation and she has been the lead practitioner for Education, Health and Care assessments, including providing psychological advice for the purposes of SEND judicial review. Muireann has developed specialist skills in assessing specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia and dyscalculia. Muireann adopts a person-centred, collaborative approach with clients and aims to make each client’s experience a positive one, characterised by warmth and professionalism. Muireann draws upon a range of tools and approaches in her work including consultation, solution-focused brief therapy, coaching psychology, standardised assessments such as the WISC-V and the WAIS-IV. Muireann's work has largely consisted of working as part of a multidisciplinary team which has granted her insight into a wide range of systemic and organisational factors. Muireann is passionate about psychology and supporting people and organisations to use psychology to bring about meaningful, positive solutions and change. Muireann is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council.

  • Muireann will be working on Monday's afternoons, from 1pm to 4:40pm every other week. She does initial consultations online.

Dr Ana Pérez Montoya
Clinical Psychologist

  • Over 11s

    Ana is a Clinical Psychologist with 13 years of clinical experience. She is registered with the Healthcare Professions Council (HCPC).

    Ana trained in Spain as a Clinical Psychologist and worked in private settings with children, adolescents and adults. She started working for the NHS in 2016, when she joined the Emotional Disorders Team in Bedford (East London NHS Foundation Trust) and later in Harrow (Central and North West London Trust). At present she is Sub Team Lead for the Emotional Disorders Team in Harrow.

    Ana also worked as Child Well-being Practitioner Supervisor and Service Development Lead across Harrow, Brent and Hillingdon, promoting Early Intervention services in schools and CAMHS settings.

    Ana has extensive experience of working with children, young people and their families, experiencing a wide range of mental health difficulties, conducting specialised assessments and delivering CBT. She has experience of working with young people experiencing neurodevelopmental difficulties and is ADOS trained.

    Ana is very passionate about working with children and young people, and is very committed to delivering quality, evidence based Interventions.

  • Ana is available online only. Please contact us if you would like to book an appointment.