Dr Asha Patel
CEO & Clinical Psychologist
On leap year day in 2016, I took a leap of faith and handed in my resignation to find Innovating Minds. My guilty pleasure is trashy TV, and I love to cross stitch.
A multi-award-winning social enterprise that is breaking barriers to offer a world where children and young people with emotional and mental health needs are supported at the earliest point possible.
CEO & Clinical Psychologist
On leap year day in 2016, I took a leap of faith and handed in my resignation to find Innovating Minds. My guilty pleasure is trashy TV, and I love to cross stitch.
Director
Director, paediatric registrar
Non-Executive Director, Education
Caroline is the Director of the Cambridge School Classics Project, part of the University of Cambridge’s Faculty of Education. In addition to the core work of running CSCP, she has an interest in the pedagogy of social justice, with a focus on the effective and inclusive teaching of narratives of sexual violence.
Previous to this she was the Classics and Religious Studies Subject Specialist at the exam board OCR, where she led on the creation of new qualifications. and worked with the Department for Education and Ofqual to develop subject specific guidelines and regulations. She also oversaw the production of supporting resources, handled publisher relationships, and devised and led the CPD for her subjects.
Caroline has taught a variety of subjects in the state sector at GCSE, AS and A Level, including Classical Civilisation, Classical Greek, Religious Studies, Philosophy and Anthropology. She also has experience teaching for the IB, as an EPQ Coordinator, and as an A Level examiner. Each summer she teaches on a Summer School, to get a small 'fix' of classroom time.
The community interest company Innovating Minds was founded on leap year day in 2016 while Dr Asha Patel (CEO & Clinical Psychologist) was working in forensic mental health services.
Her frustrations led her to create a model that lets children and young people access expert help more quickly. The community interest company has grown rapidly and the team are working across the UK with Local Authorities, Schools and National Organisations to upskill the existing workforce.
We offer a world where children and young people are educated in trauma-informed mentally healthy environments, where emotional and mental health needs are supported at the earliest point possible.
To create mentally healthy environments for children and young people.
To provide accessible psychological support.
To support those working with children & young people
We encourage autonomy and we will promote the development of ‘Innovating Minds’ by listening to the voices of our community members
We will work with
the people and systems influencing young people’s lives
We are flexible, responsive and creative
We will provide a first class, transparent & innovative service, deliver evidence-based interventions & continue to evaluate our programmes