Meet The Team

Kim Benn

I trained as a State Registered Nurse way back in 1978 specialising in Paediatrics and Intensive Care Nursing. After returning from Maternity leave I  found myself working and loving Special Care Baby Unit. I undertook ‘The Intensive Care of the Newborn Course’ and spent many happy years in this environment. As a (very) mature student I decided to study for a Midwifery degree in Cambridge and worked at The Rosie hospital flag ship transitional care ward where I combined my love of premature babies and postnatal care.

While at The Rosie Hospital, in my role as a midwife, I had been involved with Joanna Hawthorne and the Brazelton Centre UK by helping trainees access appropriate newborn babies who would benefit from either the NBAS or NBO. After retiring in 2012 the most sensible thing to do was to apply for a post at the Brazelton Centre UK which was moving to new offices in the centre of Cambridge. I now work part time and am responsible for evaluating, providing feedback and certifying all new NBO trainees.

I also enjoy being part of the Brazelton team as we exhibit and spread the NBO/NBAS word at various conferences all-round the country.
It has been wonderful to witness how the Brazelton Centre UK has evolved over the years building up to the brilliant team we have today with so much more to look forward to.

Madeleine Cassidy

Being the Chief Executive Officer of the Brazelton Centre UK is like a dream come true and it’s a privilege to lead such an amazing organisation with such a talented team. Prior to joining the charity in October 2017, I was Chief Executive Officer of a UK based disability charity for 12 years.

I transitioned into the Voluntary Sector in 2004 and my background lies in Brand Marketing, as a Senior Marketing Manager for household food brands (Danepak Bacon and SPAM), working specifically in campaign planning, television advertising and new product development and research.  I am a graduate of University College Dublin, where I studied Social Science and have a post-graduate Diploma in Marketing and a Masters Degree in Voluntary Sector Management from Cass Business School, City University of London.

I am very passionate about the charity sector; especially small, local organisations.  I am a trustee of the Small Charities Coalition and  have held numerous trustee roles previously. When not working, I am a busy mum of three daughters and my passions include travel and photography.

Tiffany Kerr

Tiffany Kerr is the Brazelton Centre UK’s Training Manager. She organises all the logistics for the Brazelton Centre UK’s NBO and NBAS courses across the UK and internationally.

Her role includes managing all enquiries from all of the Centre’s NHS, public and private healthcare clients. She manages the Centre’s training schedule and administration for all the courses provided.

Sarah Lam

With a special interest in the parent-infant relationship before birth and in the first months of life I have enjoyed a variety of rich experiences and roles in my working life so far!

My professional background is midwifery and I have many fond memories of my training in London. As well as delivering babies, I enjoyed placements in the neonatal unit, the perinatal mental health team and on a maternity helpline. When my training was completed I moved to Cambridge and enjoyed working at The Rosie Maternity Hospital.

I was privileged following my time in midwifery to be involved in carrying out a research study at Cambridge University studying brain-to-brain neural synchrony between infants and adults and how this supports early learning. We were delighted to have the paper published (in 2017) in the PNAS Journal.

After a short interlude working in a local nursery, I joined the Brazelton Centre UK in 2016 and was thrilled to learn all about baby behaviour (I wish i’d known all about it as a midwife!). As well as certifying in the NBO, in my first year I had the opportunity to organise the 20th anniversary celebrations of the centre which included a large conference with many influential speakers.

My role now at the centre is focused on marketing and communications to tell the world about how baby’s communicate and the difference the NBO and NBAS make to professional practice. I greatly enjoy this role as it really appeals to my creative side, especially having the opportunity to lead on a re-brand of the charity, design and produce new leaflets and a new website.

Outside of work I am privileged to run a very busy church playgroup each week which keeps me in the loop with all the latest parent talk! I love to spend time with my dogs and enjoy nothing more than the occasional trip to Asia with my husband (who is from that side of the world).

Jennifer Lawrenson

As a Science and Psychology enthusiast, I hold a Bachelor of Science degree and completed additional study into the science behind mental health.

Alongside my studies, I undertook several long-term volunteer positions for hospitals and children’s charities.

I started volunteering for The Brazelton Centre UK at the beginning of 2018. Shortly after, I formally joined the team and began assisting our Training Manager with coordinating our NBO and NBAS training courses.

I am currently studying for a MA with the Open University, which will provide further knowledge and skills to utilise in our organisation.

I enjoy being a part of a dedicated team, who have welcomed me and given me so much insight into Newborn behaviour and development.

Susana Nicolau

Discovering my passion for children’s development, significant relationships and learning processes, I finished my MSc in Educational Psychology in 2009.

I worked in Portugal as a Registered Psychologist between 2009 and 2014.

In 2015 I came to Cambridge and started volunteering at the Brazelton Centre UK.

Soon after, I collaborated on research projects at this charity and also at the University of Cambridge, namely at the Faculty of Education and at the Baby-LINC Lab.

Later in 2016 I was invited to stay at the Brazelton Centre UK and lead on research. Since then I have worked in several other areas, including antenatal sessions with parents, volunteer management and course development.

I am trained in the NBAS, NBO and Touchpoints, and with these tools I have deepened my knowledge of infant behaviour and development.
As I am interested in helping the Centre to grow in the right direction, I am currently studying Charity and Social Enterprise Management at the Anglia Ruskin University.

I feel really privileged to be part of a brilliant and friendly team that is helping practitioners and families all over the UK to see each baby as a unique little person who is able to teach us a lot.

Lita Thomas

Having worked for Commercial Enterprises over the years in various accounting roles, working for the Brazelton Centre UK and its charitable cause is a breath of fresh air.

Some of my previous roles include: Credit Controller for Unwins Seeds (which made me a keen gardener!); Credit Controller for a consulting firm that included the opportunity to go to GCHQ as a Defence Contracts Officer and Credit Controller for a printing firm.

I have also worked in Sales, which was an experience, and most recently, I was a Purchase Ledger and BUPA administrator at a firm which played out a human soap opera!

I have two grown up children, one of whom has recently come back home to stay.