Who runs these sessions?

All of our sessions at Little Brains are overseen by Louise Keegan, Project Director. (And baby summer)

Louise doesn’t just hold the title. She is actively involved in the day to day running of the space, the design of programmes, the safeguarding oversight, and the culture of every session that takes place. Nothing runs in isolation. Whether it’s sensory play, Unmasked, carers support, or teen and 16+ groups, Louise ensures consistency, safety and alignment with our values.
Louise brings both lived experience and hands on experience to the role.

She has years of direct work supporting ASN children, young people and families, particularly those who have struggled to engage with other services. She understands complex needs, emotional regulation differences, trauma informed approaches and the reality of family life beyond theory. Her leadership is rooted in persistence, inclusion and practical understanding.

She has built Little Brains from the ground up. That means experience in safeguarding, risk assessment, policy development, volunteer coordination, programme design, partnership working and community engagement. She oversees incident reporting, ensures safeguarding procedures are followed, and maintains clear boundaries within sessions to keep everyone safe.

Louise also leads and mentors volunteers, ensuring that anyone delivering sessions understands our expectations around inclusion, respect, consistency and safety. Her oversight provides structure without creating a rigid or clinical environment. Families know that there is accountability, but also warmth.

Most importantly, Louise understands that families need more than activities. They need to feel accepted. Her experience is not just professional. It is relational. She knows how to hold space for distress, advocate when needed, and create environments where children and adults who have felt excluded can finally belong.
That combination of leadership, safeguarding oversight, lived experience and practical delivery experience is why all of our sessions sit safely and confidently under her direction.

Boys Unmasked Group Facilitator- Shay

Shay is an exceptional Boys Group leader because he brings together calm leadership, professional knowledge and powerful lived experience.

He leads with quiet strength, not ego. The boys feel safe with him because he is steady, consistent and fair. He does not talk down to them or try to dominate the room. He meets them exactly where they are. His boundaries are clear, his tone stays level and his expectations are realistic. That consistency creates safety, and safety is what allows boys to open up.

Shay has autism, Tourette’s, OCD and epilepsy, alongside other health conditions. That means he understands difference from the inside out. He does not just understand neurodivergence in theory. He lives it. For many of the boys, especially those who are neurodivergent themselves, seeing an adult who shares similar experiences and is thriving is quietly life changing. He models that autism, Tourette’s, OCD and epilepsy are not barriers to leadership, education, respect or achievement. They are part of who he is, not something that limits him.

He also holds a degree in psychology and has completed many additional courses and training. He understands behaviour, trauma, emotional regulation and development at a deep level. He recognises that behaviour is communication. He knows when a young person is overwhelmed, masking, dysregulated or simply testing boundaries. He responds thoughtfully rather than reactively.

What makes Shay truly exceptional is the combination of lived experience and professional knowledge. He can teach coping strategies because he uses them himself. He can speak about regulation because he has had to learn it. He understands frustration, sensory overload and feeling misunderstood. That authenticity builds trust and credibility.

He also models healthy masculinity in a way that feels natural. He shows the boys that you can be strong and kind at the same time. You can hold boundaries and still be gentle. You can talk about feelings without losing respect. He brings humour into the room in a way that connects rather than excludes. The boys relax around him, but they also respect him.

Most importantly, Shay sees the boys as individuals. Not problems to manage, but young people with potential. He believes in them. And they know it.

He is not just running a group. He is shaping how these boys see themselves and what they believe is possible for their own futures.

Girls Unmasked Group Facilitator - Niamh

Niamh leads our Girls Group, and she does it in a way that feels natural, safe and real.

She’s about to qualify with her Social Work degree, which means she brings proper training and knowledge with her. She understands safeguarding, trauma, neurodivergence, family systems and emotional wellbeing. But when she’s in the room, it never feels clinical. It feels human.

She has a really calm way about her. The girls don’t feel talked down to. They don’t feel analysed. They feel heard. Niamh listens properly. She remembers the small details. She notices when someone is quieter than usual. She can spot when confidence is dipping before it turns into a meltdown.

She’s steady. That’s probably the best word for her. Her boundaries are clear, but she delivers them gently. The girls know she means what she says, and that consistency builds trust. They know the space won’t suddenly feel unpredictable.

Because of her training, she understands that behaviour tells a story. She doesn’t label girls as dramatic or difficult. She helps them understand what’s happening inside them. She gives them language. She builds skills. She encourages them to back themselves.

What makes Niamh special isn’t just that she’s qualifying as a social worker. It’s that she genuinely cares. She wants the girls to grow in confidence, to understand themselves, and to feel safe being exactly who they are.

She’s not just running a group. She’s helping create a space where girls can breathe.