Louise Thomas

Where are you from?
Wigan - home of the pie barm!

Where did you study/ work previously?
I was a primary school teacher in Manchester for 12 years.

What is a typical day at MTS like for you?
Each day is as different and unique as the clients we support. Whether I'm assisting my client with hydrotherapy, providing support with dressing, engaging in daily living activities, or promoting community involvement, my work-life adapts to each person's individual needs.

What’s the best thing about your role?
I love helping people and witnessing their progress as they take steps forward and achieve their goals. Celebrating these successes with them and knowing that I played a role in facilitating their journey brings me great satisfaction.

What do you consider is your biggest achievement within your role?
Making the leap from teaching to this new role pushed me out of my comfort zone and I feel brave having done that! It has allowed me to transfer my skills in a meaningful way and use my experience to support others.

In my specialist tutor role, I support children and young people with additional needs by planning and delivering tailored support to help to overcome any barriers to learning. I work with clients who have a range of needs, including: specific learning differences, mental health concerns, autism, and physical or sensory impairments. The support I offer looks different for everyone and can range from direct tuition to supporting students to develop independence in identifying their own preferred learning approaches. I am very fortunate to work with a fantastic team of Occupational Therapists within broader multi-disciplinary teams whose assessments and strategies feed in directly to identified teaching approaches. I feel so lucky to be able to build confidence in my students, see them grow – both academically and emotionally - and share in their success!