Michelle Brown
Early Years Educator
Experience:
9 years at Sandcastle Playgroup, Mother of 2 children
Qualifications/training:
CSE 2 year Childcare course – 1984 – 1986
Child Development Course – at school
Safeguarding Children Training – Haverhill 2006/2011/2013
EYFS Training – Haverhill July 2008
Cache Level 2 Certificate in Pre-School Practice – Haverhill 2009
1st Aid Training – Feb 2009/2012
P.E.A.L. Training – Haverhill Oct 09
Makaton level 1 and 2 2011
CRB Checks – Enhanced Disclosure
EAL training – 2011
Letters and Sounds 2011
Makaton level 3 and 4
ICan Training – March 2012
SEN Target Setting for Keypersons – March 2012
Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People’s Workforce– October 2012
Asthma and Allergy (incl EpiPen) – December 2012
Working in Partnership with Parents – March 2013
Manual Handling – March 2013
1st Aid Training – Jan 2015
Staff Profile
My name is Michelle Brown (otherwise known as Shell). I am now 45 years old. I live with my partner of 25 years, Andy, and we have two children, Branham and Kiera. My eldest child, Branham is 16 years old. He has a passion for football playing as much as possible. My daughter Kiera is 13 years old and also plays football, so I spend a lot of time at the side of the football pitches.
When Branham was 4 he was diagnosed with Diabetes type one, which means he is insulin dependent for the rest of his life. This was very hard at first and a real shock to the system, learning and understanding how it all works and also how it affects our whole family. Branham coped with the changes extremely well and it showed me how resilient children are when faced with changes to their life. Although it made big changes at the time in our lives, we now see it as the ‘norm’. Our everyday routines of keeping him healthy involve checking his blood sugars four times a day, mixing insulin and then injecting, monitoring his diet and trying to spot low and high sugars. To some it may seem daunting, but to Branham, he knows no different, and to us it’s now just part of our everyday lives. You just cope, you get on with it, and I have surprised myself at how well I have coped, and like to think that I would be good support for others if faced with any problems.
Since school I have loved children, and studied childcare as part of my options. During this time I was able to work in a playgroup, which I enjoyed very much and I also studied a child development course. After leaving school I was given the opportunity to go into hairdressing, in which I qualified at Cambridge Regional College. I did this for a number of years until I had my children.
Both my children attended Sandcastles and loved their time at the playgroup. During this time I became friendly with the staff and found Janette and the team to be brilliant with children and families very warm and caring.
I finally joined Sandcastles as a volunteer in 2006, helping a few hours a week. I started my college course and qualified in 2009. I can honestly say I feel very lucky to have a job I love so much and find very rewarding.