CHILD EMPOWERMENT AND WELLBEING STATEMENT

By choosing to work with me know that.....

YOUR CHILD'S WELLBEING IS MY NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.

I AM A STRANGER. I DO NOT EXPECT YOUR CHILD TO IMMEDIATELY WARM TO ME OR TO SUBMIT TO MY REQUESTS.

I NEVER WANT YOU TO APOLOGISE FOR YOUR CHILD, THEIR BEHAVIOUR OR WHAT THEY MAY SAY.

I WILL GIVE YOUR CHILD CHOICES.

I WILL ACCOMMODATE AND EMBRACE YOUR CHILD'S SPECIFIC OR SPECIAL NEEDS.

I WILL NOT TOUCH YOUR CHILD WITHOUT CONSENT.

I WILL ADAPT THE SESSION TO MEET YOUR CHILD WHERE THEY ARE AT ON THE DAY.

I WILL PROMOTE AND ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO HAVE AUTONOMY OVER THEIR OWN BODIES.

I WILL ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO SAY NO TO THINGS THAT MAKE THEM UNCOMFORTABLE OR UNEASY.

I WILL NOT TOLERATE YOUR CHILD BEING THREATENED IF THEY DON'T SMILE OR LOOK AT THE CAMERA.

I WILL ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO CONTRIBUTE IDEAS AND HAVE INPUT DURING THE SESSION.

I WILL NOT FORCE YOUR CHILD TO GIVE PHYSICAL AFFECTION TO OTHERS.

IF YOUR CHILD BECOMES UPSET I WILL PAUSE THE SESSION SO THEIR NEEDS CAN BE MET.

I WILL NOT CONTINUE WITH ANYTHING THAT IS CAUSING YOUR CHILD ANGST OR DISTRESS.

I WANT YOUR CHILD TO BE THEMSELVES, HAVE A VOICE AND FEEL EMPOWERED.

Any adult in society has an important role when it comes to our interactions with children, both our own and other people's.

I am a mother of a headstrong, fiery daughter and a softer and more gentle son. But more than that I am an ex-specialist investigator.

For 15 years I worked as a police officer, the last seven years of which as a detective working with child and adult victims of sexual, physical, emotional and mental abuse. I have seen firsthand what happens when children are groomed. When their voices are silenced. When they cannot be themselves. When they are taught to ignore their gut feelings and distrust their instincts. When they are told they must give affection and be polite.

As an investigator part of my challenge was to overcome all this. To establish boundaries and gain trust. To give them a voice and hold space for them to tell their stories, no matter how harrowing or confronting they were.

I may have now left the police force behind but the training I completed and the things I saw and heard have forever shaped who I am and how I relate to young people.

I am intensely proud of the work I did and I bring this skillset and life experience to my photography business.