Our Team
Meet Our Team
Joanne Hearl
Joanne is the founder of Starlight Connections, with over 25 years of experience supporting children, families and professionals. She began her career in early learning and childcare before moving into adoption and fostering, where she developed a strong passion for delivering training that equips others to support individuals who have experienced difficult early lives.
Joanne specialises in trauma-informed practice, attachment and therapeutic play, and is dedicated to helping families and professionals build understanding, confidence and meaningful connections to support some of the most vulnerable in society. Her approach is compassionate, practical and rooted in the belief that positive relationships can create lasting change.
Outside of her work, Joanne enjoys spending time with her family, baking, gardening and getting creative with crafts such as jewellery and candle making.
Claire Slocombe
Claire has been a trainer for over 20 years. She has a wealth of experience supporting professionals within education and other services to better understand and respond to the needs of children and young people. Claire works with Children in Scotland as a Children’s Views Project Officer supporting professionals to better engage with children with complex needs. Claire is also a Panel Member with Children’s Hearing Scotland making legal decisions with and for infants, children and young people. Her role is to ensure that the young person is at the heart of every decision taken.
Claire is a passionate adoptive mother who understands that developing positive, trusting relationships with children and young people is key. Outside of work Claire enjoys everything food related – cooking, eating, watching food programmes and reading recipe books. This feeds into her love of travel visiting the countries and cultures she discovers through their food.