Dr Lynette Rentoul is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist, who has worked within the University Sector and Children’s Mental Health services for over 40 years. She began work as University lecturer in Kings College London, then after qualifying as a Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist she began working in the NHS –firstly at the Cassell Hospital with adults with personality disorders, and then with children. She headed up a large CAMH psychology service in Barnet in north London for a number of years, where she developed a wide range of community services for under fives, as well as the full range of CAMH services.
She has worked in the UK, USA and Iran supporting children’s mental health services, and post disaster services. This work took her to New York in the wake of the terrorist attack on 9/11, where she worked as the Director of Children’s Services, and to Iran following the Bam earthquake. She was a member of the national working group advising the government and developing national guidelines for responding to the psychological impact of terrorism and other disasters. She has advised the British Government and British Psychological Society on post disaster responding in support of children’s mental health. Most recently, she led the Cornwall children in care psychology service. This included working with parents, carers and children who were subject to child protection planning, children in foster care and adoptive families. To support her understanding of the importance of attachment in child development and developmental psychopathology she has attended a number of national and international trainings, including: with John Bowlby, Pat Crittenden, Dan Hughes, Colwyn Trevarthen, Kim Golding and Kate Cairns.
Currently, she is the clinical advisor for CAMHS transformation, Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group, supporting the local Transformation Plan for children’s mental health services –‘Turning the Tide’.
