Sally Linsell

About Me

I'm an experienced Registered Career Development Professional with an unusually varied route into this work: fifteen years as a midwife, over a decade running a construction business, and time spent supporting young people with complex needs in a special school setting, before training formally in careers guidance. That mix shapes how I work. I'm comfortable in stakeholder conversations, I understand what it takes to run a business, and I know how to build trust quickly with people who are anxious, guarded or simply unsure what comes next. I currently lead careers provision across a multi-academy trust, with senior responsibility for Gatsby Benchmark delivery, destination tracking and CEIAG strategy across two secondary schools and sixth forms serving around 3,000 students. I hold a Level 7 qualification in Careers Leadership and a PGCert in Careers Development and Coaching, both with Distinction, and I'm currently completing an Executive MBA. I also write and curate CPD content for the CDI's national newsletter as a Project Associate, drawing on what I see working (and not working) on the ground. What I care about most is making good careers guidance accessible rather than expensive - absolutely possible with a bit of creativity! Some of the most effective work I've led has cost almost nothing: citywide EAL careers events built through local partnerships, destination tracking systems that catch NEET risk early, work experience programmes built from scratch with no existing infrastructure to lean on. I've supported schools through Ofsted improvement and worked closely with Enterprise Advisers and local Careers Hubs to make sure provision reaches the students who need it most. Alongside my trust role, I'm now opening up capacity for consultancy and freelance work, not only with career guidance but also supporting schools, trusts and organisations with Gatsby Benchmark audits, careers strategy, staff training and CPD design. I work flexibly and am happy to travel, so if you're looking for someone who can strengthen your careers provision with both strategic oversight and practical delivery, I'd love to hear from you. Please get in touch via email to discuss how I can help.