Sonia Denton-Smith
RBCS Project Manager and Facilitator
Sonia has worked in the NHS for over 17 years, starting as a HCSW and then qualifying with a Diploma in Adult Nursing in 2010 at the University of West of England. She started her career in Neurology, but it was in 2014 when moving to Critical Care she found her true passion in nursing and gained her degree in Critical Care Specialist Practice and went on to become a Critical Care Sister.
During the Covid-19 pandemic Sonia undertook the Professional Nurse Advocacy programme, where she discovered Restorative Clinical Supervision (RCS). In 2021, she became the Project and Clinical Lead for Professional Nurse Advocacy for Gloucestershire NHS Foundation Trust. During this time, she has undertaken modules for Health and Wellbeing in the workplace and her Teaching, Coaching and Supervision Module as well as CPD in Mindfulness Practices. This has enabled her to support and develop over 50 PNAs with developing their confidence and skills to facilitate RCS to their peers. She has also co-developed a career conversation service offering coaching on career pathways and preparing for development and interviews.
Sonia is delighted to be joining FoNS as the Project Manager for the Resilience-based Clinical Supervision Programme. From her own experiences of working in highly emotional and demanding environments, Sonia recognises the huge value of having a safe space to process and understand our emotions and the impact of our work. Having this head space not only helps us focus on our own wellbeing but has positive effects for our relationships at work and our ability to continue to grow and improve.