Consulting Team

Alison joined SUMS in 2019 with significant experience in both the National Health Service and the Higher Education sector.

As a Consultant Clinical Psychologist in the NHS for 12 years, Alison gained significant experience and insight into the NHS and managing people and change as well a leading various strategic multi-disciplinary, multi-agency projects.

As Deputy Academic Registrar and Head of Student Wellbeing at Newcastle University for six years, Alison created and led student-focussed, preventative and responsive services. She is experienced in driving change based on strong theoretical models of how to engage and motivate staff within the change process. One of Alison’s teams was the winner of the Times Higher Outstanding Support for Students award in 2015. Within the organisation, Alison led the Prevent strategy as part of her portfolio whilst at Newcastle.

As Director of Services at Trinity College Dublin Alison had an extensive portfolio which included: academic registry, mental health, counselling, peer mentoring, disability, Trinity Sport, including the sports estate, management and running of a Day Nursery, and a GP practice. Alison forms extremely strong relationships with colleagues, staff and students and drove forward change whilst bringing staff with her. She created a more cohesive Student Services which was able to respond to student need, including the first cross-area mental health post (working with the GP practice, the counselling service and the disability service). Alison was also responsible for creating an innovative partnership with the Business School where Student Services worked alongside Trinity Business School staff to create and provide a credit-bearing module on wellbeing in the workplace.

An innovative and strategic thinker who can utilise staff and Institutional strengths whilst using her underpinning psychological knowledge to engage all partners in a shared vision.