Emeritus Professor of Community Practice Development, Kings College, London
I feel very honoured to become a Patron for DORPIP, which is such an exciting development, and is filling an enormous gap in local service provision.
I retired from academic work in spring 2012 after a career that started in nursing in 1964 but has focused on health visiting since 1980. After practising as a health visitor and practice teacher in Eastbourne for ten years, I completed my doctoral studies before joining the academic staff at King's College London in 1992. I led a dual qualification health visiting/district nursing programme for five years, before being appointed as Professor of Community Practice Development, after which I concentrated on Masters and Doctoral level education and research. The health visiting focus on new parents and infants is what first drew my attention to the importance of attachment and parent-infant relationships.
In 2007, I moved to Bournemouth to follow the grandchildren – who are now 13 and 15 years old – when their father moved jobs. I love the area and have acquired a small dog, who accompanies me on beautiful beach walks whenever possible! I have also become a founding Trustee of the Institute of Health Visiting and of Foundation Years Information and Research.