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 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 and with so much more to look forward to.

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

Sarah is always on the lookout for stories or feedback from parents and professionals about the NBO so do get in touch if you have something inspiring to share!

Inge Nickell

I joined the Brazelton Centre as Director in 2021 but have been a trainer since 2009. I am certified in the NBAS, NBO and the Touchpoints Model.

I have worked as a Registered nurse (1995) and Health visitor (2000) with a special interest in perinatal health. I also have a Masters in Infant Mental Health at the Tavistock Clinic, London.

Since becoming a Health Visitor I have felt passionate about the emotional wellbeing of babies and their parents. My focus has been about the importance of the earliest relationship between the baby and their caregiver both through direct clinical work with families but also through training professionals working with infants and their families.

Some other achievements have been:

• Lead for health in a collaborative initiative between Public Health – Health Visiting and Action for Children (UK children’s charity) to lead an approach which aimed to address the health needs in the community.
• Champion for perinatal maternal and infant mental health in Devon, supporting development of pathways, collaborative working and delivering training to the Public Health Nursing team across Devon.
• Setup a NBO Centre in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2019 and have delivered training to a variety of professionals across Denmark since 2014.
• In cooperation with Aarhus University, Faculty of Health, participated as an NBO trainer in a RCT study in Early contact – presence and relationship 2016-2018) This study is using the NBO as an intervention in comparison groups.

I live in Devon with my husband, two dogs and cat. I have two adult children.

Samita Patkar

Samita Patkar is the Brazelton Centre UK’s Operational Manager.

Her role is mainly to implement the right processes and practices for the centre. It also includes managing finances,  improving performance, resources planning and securing compliance. She will also support the Director in formulating strategy and governance for the centre.

Prior to joining Brazelton, she worked  in financial services industry and has extensive experience in operations and delivering change projects. She is passionate about being instrumental in  setting up Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in her previous organisation.

Joana Taylor Tavares

Joana is the Brazelton Centre UK’s Research and Development Manager. She will be co-ordinating efforts to further demonstrate the efficacy and effectiveness of the NBO and NBAS and foster partnerships and collaborations. If you are using or thinking of using the NBO or NBAS for research please do get in touch.

Joana was awarded a PhD by the University of Cambridge in neuroscience, and has also worked at the National Institutes of Health, USA. Joana’s research background includes both mental health and child development and she hopes to be able to combine the two in helping the charity in its mission to support the very early days of infant development, parent infant relationships, and promote associated mental health benefits.

Isabel Villena