The M.A.S.T (Multi-Agency Support Team) professionals work together to deliver support for students, families and staff within school.  This can take the form of specific interventions, advice and guidance, signposting, professional development etc.

Through referrals from school staff, the M.A.S.T professionals will collaborate to deliver our B.E.A.M programme.  This is a multi-disciplinary approach including working with our families, staff in school and some wider professionals to identify barriers and work towards reducing them to allow students and families to thrive with the right support from the right people.

The B.E.A.M (Be Everything And More) Programme is a new initiative from West Lancashire Community High School.  The Programme has been designed to provide a holistic ‘wrap-around’ care plan that is centred around the student and their family to ensure they have the best support and care to overcome any barriers and allow them to thrive into adulthood.

 

‘A future where students and families thrive without barriers, supported by collaborative, person‑centred practice that champions equity, integrity, and meaningful change.’

 

    

Our Vision

Our vision is a system where every student and family feels heard, valued, and empowered, with barriers reduced and opportunities made accessible through inclusive, collaborative, and accountable practice.

We will strive to create and embed a culture of trust, integrity, and mutual respect, where lived experience informs meaningful action from the team. Inequalities will be actively challenged, and our students are prepared for successful adulthood, lifelong learning, and positive futures.

Our Ethical Values

    • Person-centred
    • Integrity
    • Transparency
    • Mutual Respect
    • Honesty
    • Solution focused
    • Accountability
    • Confidentiality

Our Principles

  • Being agents of change and advocates for all our stakeholders.
  • Working together to reduce inequalities and actively seeking ways to reduce barriers.
  • Being aware of and validating lived experiences.
  • Working together in the best interests of all stakeholders.
  • Accountability for all by taking responsibility for our actions, challenging ourselves, openly sharing information to protect our stakeholders.
  • Supporting our students to be prepared for adulthood and be ready for learning.
  • Being collaborative in our thinking and approaches to supporting all stakeholders.

Our Team

The programme is supported by a team of professionals with specialist knowledge in a range of areas who will work together to provide the wrap-around care that has been identified.

Judith Cookson - Highly Specialist OT

I am a highly experienced Occupational Therapist with over 40 years of clinical practice across the NHS, social care, charity, and the private sector. Since qualifying in 1985, I have specialised in children and young people’s occupational therapy, working with children and young people aged 0 - 19 years with a wide range of developmental, physical, sensory, and functional needs. My experience includes both acute and community settings, and I currently provide assessments, interventions, and practical recommendations to support participation and independence at home, school, and in the community.  I have also worked within youth justice services as part of a multidisciplinary healthcare team and have previous experience in adult mental health, wheelchair services, and disabled living centres.

My specialist interests and postgraduate training focus is on supporting children and young people with: -

  • Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC). 
  • Sensory Processing Differences. 
  • Interoception Challenges. 
  • Feeding Challenges.
  • Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD / Dyspraxia). 
  • Functional Skills Affecting Participation in daily activities, education, and independence. 

I have a professional interest in: -

  • Staff development, mentoring and training.
  • Student education.

I am committed to providing evidence-based practice and maintain up-to-date knowledge through ongoing professional development.

Professional Memberships and Registration 

  • Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
  • Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT).
  • Member of the RCOT Community - Children, Young People and Families. 
  • Member of the National Handwriting Association. 
  • Affiliate Member of Sensory Integration Education. 

Angela McMahon - High Specialist OT

I am a highly experienced Occupational Therapist with over  25 years of clinical practice, having worked across the NHS, and private sectors.  Since qualifying in 2004, I have developed extensive expertise in assessing and supporting children and young people, specialising in children & young people’s occupational therapy since 1998.   My experience spans both hospital ward and community settings, working with children and young people aged 0 to19 years presenting with a wide range of developmental, physical, sensory, and functional needs.    I currently work part-time at WLCHS, providing comprehensive occupational therapy assessments, intervention, and tailored recommendations to support participation in everyday activities at home, school, and within the wider community.  I also work part-time as a Clinical Lead in Neonatal and Early Years within the Neonatal Unit at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.   I have also gained valuable experience working within acute, secure unit settings, stroke rehabilitation, hand therapy and community mental health services.   

 My specialist interests and postgraduate training focus is on supporting children and young people with: -

  • Neonatal and Early Years
  • Family Integrated Care (Flcare).
  • Sensory Beginnings.
  • Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC). 
  • Sensory Processing Differences. 
  • Interoception Challenges. 
  • Feeding Challenges.
  • Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD / Dyspraxia). 
  • Functional Skills Affecting Participation in daily activities, education, and independence. 
  • Specialist seating
  • Yoga Teacher (British Wheel of Yoga).

I have a professional interest in: -

  • Neonatal and Early Years.
  • Yoga, Mindfulness and Brain breaks.
  • Staff development, mentoring and training.
  • Family and student education.

I am committed to delivering evidence-based practice and regularly update my knowledge and clinical skills through ongoing continuing professional development (CPD) to ensure that my assessment and intervention approaches reflect current research and best practice. 

Professional Memberships and Registration 

  • Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
  • Member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT).
  • Member of the RCOT Community - Children, Young People and Families. 
  • Member of Family Integrated Care (FIcare)
  • Affiliate Member of Sensory Integration Education. 

Alison Fielding - Highly Specialist SaLT

I am a highly experienced Speech and Language Therapist with over 30 years of clinical practice having worked in the NHS, charity, education and private sectors. I qualified in 1989 initially working with adults and children but later specialising in children and young people with speech, language and communication needs. I currently work at WLCHS, providing comprehensive Speech and Language Therapy assessments, intervention, and tailored recommendations to support communication in everyday activities at home, school, and within the wider community.

My specialist interests and postgraduate training focus is on supporting children and young people in the following areas: -

  • Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC). 
  • Social awareness and social communication.
  • Self-advocacy.
  • Developmental Language Disorder.
  • Speech sound disorders.
  • Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

I have a professional interest in: -

  • Staff development, mentoring and training.
  • Student education.

I am committed to delivering evidence-based practice and regularly update my knowledge and clinical skills through ongoing continuing professional development (CPD) to ensure that my assessment and intervention approaches reflect current research and best practice. 

 Professional Memberships and Registration 

  • Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
  • Member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
  • Member of the Association of Speech and Language Therapists in independent practice
  • Member of the National Autistic Society 

Kaylie Fazackerley - Physiotherapist

I am a Physiotherapist working across community settings to support children and young people aged 0 - 19 years with a wide range of developmental, neurological, musculoskeletal, and physical needs.  Since qualifying in 2025, I have gained experience delivering evidence-based assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation programmes that promote mobility, independence, and participation in everyday activities.  I work closely with children, families, schools, and multidisciplinary teams to develop personalised interventions that support physical development and functional outcomes at home, in education, and within the wider community.  My specialist interests include neurodevelopmental conditions, cerebral palsy and other neurological conditions, developmental delay, hypermobility, musculoskeletal conditions and injuries, gross motor difficulties, and challenges with balance, coordination, and functional mobility.  I am particularly passionate about supporting children and young people to achieve meaningful goals and maximise their independence and participation.

I also have a strong interest in:  -

  • Staff development,
  • Education and Training
  • Promoting inclusion for children and young people.

I am committed to providing high-quality, evidence-based physiotherapy and regularly engage in continuing professional development to ensure my practice reflects current research and best practice.

Professional Registration and Memberships

  • Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
  • Member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP)
  • Member of the Association of Paediatric Chartered Physiotherapists (APCP)
  • Member of the Association of Paediatric Chartered Physiotherapists for People with Learning Disabilities (ACPPLD)

Our Contacts

  • Family Support and Welfare – Emma Thomson Lake

(thomson@westlancs.lancs.sch.uk)

  • Mental Health Senior Lead – Dave Mullen

(mullen@westlancs.lancs.sch.uk)

  • Highly Specialised Occupational Therapist – Judith Cookson

(ot@westlancs.lancs.sch.uk)

  • Highly Specialised Occupational Therapist – Angela McMahon

           (ot2@westlancs.lancs.sch.uk)

  • Highly Specialised Speech and Language Therapist – Alison Fielding

(salt@westlancs.lancs.sch.uk)

  • Physiotherapist – Kaylie Fazackerley

(physio@westlancs.lancs.sch.uk)

  • MOVE and Moving and Handling – Louise Holcroft

(holcroft@westlancs.lancs.sch.uk)

All of the above in-house specialists will meet regularly to focus on our students and families with the greatest needs and devise a BEAM Plan that outlines the wrap-around care needed. 

We value our partnerships with our families and recognise that looking after our wonderfully diverse young people, can be challenging at times.  Often with nowhere to turn and overwhelmed with information, our families often ‘cope’.  We aim to provide a safety net of support that will allow families to be families and ensure the right support addresses the right needs.

The whole process works on mutual consent and building a string foundation of trust.  The B.E.A.M programme will allow us to be intermediaries with our partner agencies in Social Care or within the NHS.  We can become interpreters by jargon-busting information that can be overwhelming for young people and their families.  We can shine a light on agencies and information ensuring we signpost people to the right destinations.

Through the in-house specialists, we can identify needs.  These will often be wide and varied and based on individual and familial circumstances.

Speech, language and communication needs both in school and in the home.

Potential areas of support

  • Support with fine and gross motor skill development.
  • Support to identify mobility needs including sourcing appropriate equipment.
  • Support with speech, language and communication needs.
  • Support with expressive and receptive communication needs.
  • Support to access appropriate communication technology.
  • Support and signposting with housing and finance needs.
  • Support with low to high level mental health needs.
  • Functional and sensory needs assessments.
  • Support with health needs and health professionals.
  • Support to access social services or early help services for respite or direct payments.
  • Access to appropriate equipment in a timely manner.
  • Support with transitional information for P19 students.
  • Support with Emotional Based School Avoidance.
  • Support with behavioural presentations.

 

The list above is a snapshot of some of the barriers our young people and their families face daily.

We know that very often the thought of or the process of asking for support can be very overwhelming.  The B.E.A.M Programme aims to try and make the process of seeking advice and support easier and a collaboration.  Any member of the team will be willing to chat informally and discuss you needs and see how we can help you.