Kiri Houghton - Hospital Manager

Kiri initially qualified as a Mental Health Nurse from the University of Chester in 2012. Since then she has gained experience in a variety of settings including acute mental health, male and female low secure, mental health rehabilitation, neuropsychiatric and community services.

Kiri has worked in a number of roles in the independent sector including ward manager, clinical nurse manager and more recently Registered Manager of a care home. During the latter role Kiri gained accreditation with the Huntington’s Disease Association.

Kiri started as Hospital Manager of Cygnet Paddocks in April 2024 and is excited at the prospect of opening a brand new service.

Katie Condliffe - Clinical Services Manager

Katie has worked in mental health services since 2005. She began her career working in women’s rehabilitation and low secure services in a range of administration and care related roles. Working within this setting inspired her to train as an occupational therapist. Throughout her career Katie has worked in a variety of settings including adult secure services, rehabilitation services, adult acute services, CAMHS in-patient services, care homes and SEN schools.

Since joining Cygnet, Katie has fulfilled various roles within the occupational therapy directorate and served as Head of Occupational Therapy at Cygnet Joyce Parker for 3 and a half years. Whilst at Joyce Parker Katie also undertook the role of national Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist for CAMHS and Eating Disorders, which is one of her proudest achievements. She subsequently transferred to Cygnet Paddocks in 2024, as Clinical Services Manager.

Outside of her direct role, Katie is currently undertaking an MSc Advancing Practice: Sensory Integration with Sheffield Hallam University and is an Advanced Sensory Integration Practitioner.

Elizabeth Braithwaite - Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist

Elizabeth trained and qualified in South Africa as a counselling psychologist with a special interest in neuropsychology.

In 2010, Elizabeth registered with the Health Professional Council of South Africa and opened a multi-cultural private practice for 7 years. The focus of Elizabeth’s therapeutic practice was Neuropsychological assessments for medico-legal work assessing the long-term consequences for Acquired Brain Injury (ABI), as well as, working with insurance compensatory claims and employment resolutions as well as fitness to work. Elizabeth also implemented medico-legal Emotional Assessments with patients who had suffered from medical negligence and severe psychological trauma.

Alongside running the medico-legal practice Elizabeth ran a counselling service within the community which worked with couples, children and adults using an integrated therapeutic approach. Elizabeth worked in several schools within the community implementing psychometric assessment for neurocognitive disorders.

In May 2018, Elizabeth registered with the Heath Care and Professional Council and has worked within a variety psychiatric setting in the community in England. Elizabeth has also worked as Lead Psychologist and Principal Clinical lead in ABI. Presentations include personality disorder, learning disabilities, addiction, adult male autism and complex neuropsychological disorders, brain injury with complex presentations. Whilst in England Elizabeth qualified in Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (ESDR) and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) assessments.

Elizabeth, also has a special interest in how trauma affects impacts on the brain and the long term consequences. She enjoys researching and studying in this area.

Rebecca Barber – Head of Occupational Therapy

Rebecca has worked for Cygnet for 8 years in both female and male services high dependency mental health rehabilitation.. Rebecca is accredited as a placement educator to have students from universities studying Occupational Therapy. She has been working with local universities and supports facilitation of career fayres in communities to building knowledge and awareness of the Occupational Therapy role.

Rebecca is level 1 sensory integration trained which offers more focused and individualised interventions for people within her care. She has also completed different forms of training such as Cygnet’s neuropsychiatry preceptorship, Motivational Interviewing, MOHOST, Equipment Assessor training, Recovery through Activity and case formulations to offer a wide range of opportunities to support individuals in her care through the OT process and Cygnet model of care. She has won Cygnet’s Occupational Therapist of the Year award in 2022 and has been nominated for other awards such as the service user choice award and staff wellbeing and development.

Shomaila Khan - Lead Physiotherapist

Shomaila joined the team at Cygnet Paddocks in 2024 and has a breadth of experience in a variety of settings, predominantly in mental health and physical disability.

Shomaila has worked in a number of roles, including assistant physiotherapist at the National institute of Rehabilitation and Medicine, Pakistan, Lead physiotherapist at PAF institute for Persons with Special Needs, and as a sports physiotherapist training athletes at National Special Olympics.

One of Shomaila’s most recent achievements was to present a paper on ‘Quality of life in people with knee arthritis’ at the 8th Asia Oceanian Conference of Physical and Rehabilitation Conference by Kunming Medical University.

Shomaila’s vast experience has developed her passion for team work with a particular interest in trauma informed, relational practice to be embedded within teams. Shomaila advocates for creating individualised Physical therapy plans with a patient centred approach.

Jack Kerr - Speech and Language Therapist

Jack qualified as a speech and language therapist in 2020; graduating from the University of Manchester and they also have a degree in English Language & Linguistics (2016). Jack has clinical experience supporting individuals with acquired communication, voice and swallowing needs across a variety of different care settings such as acute inpatient, outpatient and community home rehabilitation environments.

Before joining Cygnet, Jack worked in the NHS for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in Wrexham and Flintshire, North Wales. Jack helped establish the early supportive discharge (stroke) team, which aimed to enable an earlier safe discharge home with continued therapy to support their post-stroke recovery. Jack also held a complex community caseload role supporting individuals with progressive neurological conditions and those with long-term communication/swallowing difficulties post-stroke/brain injury.

Jack believes supporting each individual’s communicative strengths within a supportive environment, will promote communicative confidence, wellbeing and enable individuals to participate and engage in meaningful conversations. To achieve this each individual requires a tailored, person-centred therapy plan to guarantee the best therapy outcomes.

Harriet Lucking - Highly Specialist Dietitian

Harriet has almost 10 years of experience as a dietitian and has worked in a variety of specialist areas including diabetes, weight management, neurology, respiratory and nutrition support – until finding a love for neurorehab. She thoroughly enjoys seeing the impact that nutrition can have on service user’s rehab journeys.

Harriet also frequently provides guest lecturing at universities and has had her work featured in Neurorehab Times. When not at Cygnet Paddocks, Harriet extends her passion of dietetic therapy to a First Contact Dietitian role for GP surgeries in South Manchester.