Meet a Member: Colette Nuttall, Physiotherapist and SI Practitioner
By Colette Nuttall, 26 September 2019
Colette Nuttall, Physiotherapist and SI Practitioner
Physiotherapist at a not-for-profit physio-led organisation promoting good physical and mental health
“Hello, I'm Colette, a physiotherapist living in Manchester, UK.
Prevention has always been important to me, and a number of years ago I set up a charity to encourage people in my community to be more physically active for better physical and mental health. I soon realised that many of the children in the schools I was working with found being physically active a challenge because of sensory difficulties and that, to support them, I needed to expand my learning and skills. I began studying SI Module 1 but didn’t really plan on taking my learning any further. Once I started, though, I couldn’t wait to learn more.
It was a completely new way of looking at things, that made my head hurt a lot (and still does!) but transformed my thinking and practice. I’ve just recently finished SI Module 3 and I’m really excited to begin my journey as an ASI practitioner. I’m learning so much that impacts my work every day.
My original goal around prevention has taken a different turn, but I feel that I’m working so much more effectively now. Of course, being physically active is still a huge part of my work, but I have a much broader view of what it is I’m working to prevent. We run a programme with 2-5-year-olds and their families (in local schools and Sure Start centres) where we play games and talk about how movement supports the children’s development. Working from an SI perspective has added to these sessions, making them more meaningful to the children and their families.
We’ve also recently been awarded a grant to work with families during the first 1,001 days of a child’s life. I’m really excited to be able to incorporate my SI knowledge to support families during this precious time and begin prevention at the earliest possible point. I still feel like I’ve got so much to learn and so I’m looking forward to continuing my learning journey with SI Module 4 next year."
