About NEST
NEST Clinical Services is a multidisciplinary team (MDT) offering relational, developmentally grounded clinical support to children and young people living in residential care. Our coordinated MDT model mirrors the depth and thinking of CAMHS, while being specifically designed for the pace, pressures and everyday realities of children’s homes.
All of our clinicians have previously worked in residential care, either as support workers, senior staff or managers, before qualifying into their clinical professions. This experience shapes everything we do. We understand the emotional intensity of the work andd the need for recommendations that can actually be implemented day-to-day.
Because of this, our approach is practical, collaborative and deeply attuned to the lived reality of both young people and staff teams.
Meet the Founders
Dr Laurie Preston, Clinical Psychologist
Laurie is a HCPC-registered Clinical Psychologist with experience supporting young people in the social care system, both as an embedded clinician within residential homes and within Children’s Social Care in South London. She began her post-qualification career in Social Care CAMHS, working directly alongside social workers, foster carers and residential providers to strengthen psychological thinking, trauma-informed practice and placement stability.
Clinically, Laurie works from a relational and neurodevelopmentally informed approach. She is trained in specialist assessments, including autism, ADHD and intellectual disability assessments, and has additional experience in assessing and understanding concerns relating to harmful sexual behaviour. Her practice integrates trauma understanding, systemic thinking, and attention to sensory and communication needs.
Laurie has research publications exploring interventions for foster carers, as well as a recent publication with the British Psychological Society outlining an embedded multidisciplinary model of best practice for neurodivergent young people in residential care. Her doctoral thesis explored the experiences and challenges faced by residential childcare workers, contributing to the evidence base for workforce support and reflective practice.
As Co-Director of NEST, Laurie leads on clinical governance, ensuring that NEST remains values-led, collaborative and grounded in what genuinely supports stability and emotional safety for young people and staff teams.
Claire Cooper, Occupational Therapist
Claire is a HCPC-registered Occupational Therapist with experience supporting children and young people with a wide range of needs. Her professional background includes working with children with neurodevelopmental conditoons and social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs.
Claire specialises in understanding how children process sensory information, regulate emotions, develop motor skills, and engage in learning and daily activities. Her approach is child-centred, strengths-based, and evidence-informed, ensuring that each child receives support that is tailored to their individual needs, abilities, and environment.
Claire works closely with families, schools, and other professionals to create practical strategies that can be used at home and in educational settings. Her aim is to help children build confidence, independence, and resilience, while empowering parents and professionals with the knowledge and tools to support long-term development.
At NEST Clinical Services, Claire is passionate about creating a nurturing, inclusive service where children feel understood, supported, and able to thrive. She is the Safeguarding Lead and is committed to upholding the highest standards of safeguarding practice, promoting a strong safeguarding culture across the service, and ensuring that the welfare of children and young people remains central to all clinical and organisational decision-making.
Contact us
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