Devon County Council re-design of education and learning services – early years and childcare update: 10 October 2025
Welcome to our fourth update on the ongoing redesign of Devon’s Education and Learning Services, specifically focusing on Early Years and Childcare. We’re committed to keeping you informed and supported throughout this transition.
This week we are able to share who will be working in which locality and their contact details.
Early Years and Childcare Service – Devon County Council
Our new locality structure:
We have now appointed all the Early Years Team to their roles and have allocated them to revised locality areas based on the three localities of Devon County Council Inclusion and Learning Service.
Below is the map of the areas:
The structure of each locality team is set out below with the Early Years Section highlighted in ‘green’ and the schools section highlighted in ‘blue’.
Our teams:
North and Mid Devon
| Role | Name | Contact details | Learning community |
| Early Years Locality Service Lead | Amy Fedrick | Amy.fedrick@devon.gov.uk | North and Mid |
| Early Years Quality and Inclusion Team Lead | Nikki Phillips | Nikki.phillips@devon.gov.uk | North and Mid |
| Senior Inclusion Practitioner | Mercy Darby | Mercy.darby@devon.gov.uk | North and Mid |
| Inclusion Practitioner | Helen Dickerson | Helen.dickerson@devon.gov.uk | North and Mid |
| Inclusion Practitioner | Nicola Martin | Nicola.martin@devon.gov.uk | North and Mid |
| Inclusion Practitioner | Lindsay Kuzara | Lindsay.Kuzara@devon.gov.uk | North and Mid |
| Inclusion Practitioner | Debra Heywood | Debra.heywood@devon.gov.uk | North and Mid |
| Early Years Quality and Inclusion Partner | Sally Rice | Sally.rice@devon.gov.uk | Barnstaple Bideford Ilfracombe Braunton Torrington |
| Early Years Quality and Inclusion Partner | Sarah Innalls | Sarah.innalls@devon.gov.uk | South Molton Holsworthy Chulmleigh Crediton |
| Early Years Quality and Inclusion Partner | Sarah Murts | Sarah.murts@devon.gov.uk |
Tiverton Culm Valley |
| Early Years Sufficiency and Welfare Advisor | Liz Carroll | Liz.Carroll@devon.gov.uk | Torrington Bideford Holsworthy |
| Early Years Sufficiency and Welfare Advisor | Helen Stephenson | Helen.Stephenson@devon.gov.uk | South Molton Tiverton Culm Valley |
| Early Years Sufficiency and Welfare Advisor | Katy Vallance | Katy.Vallance@devon.gov.uk | Ilfracombe Barnstaple BrauntonChulmleigh |
| Early Years Sufficiency and Welfare Advisor | Neil Copland | Neil.copland@devon.gov.uk | Crediton |
Exeter and East Devon
| Role | Name | Contact details | Learning community |
| Early years Locality Service Lead | Katie Johnson | Katie.johnson@devon.gov.uk | Exeter and East |
| Early Years Quality and Inclusion Team Lead | Tamsin Robertson | Tamsin.robertson@devon.gov.uk | Exeter and East |
| Senior Inclusion Practitioner | Donna Lester | Donna.Lester@devon.gov.uk | Exeter and East |
| Inclusion Practitioner | Ella Rice | Ella.Rice@devon.gov.uk | Exeter and East |
| Inclusion Practitioner | Jemma Harrison | Jemma.Harrison@devon.gov.uk | Exeter and East |
| Inclusion Practitioner | Amanda Hawkins | amanda.hawkins@devon.gov.uk | Exeter and East |
| Inclusion Practitioner | Rachael Schaechter | rachael.schaechter@devon.gov.uk | Exeter and East |
| Early Years Quality and Inclusion Partner | Sarah Murts | sarah.murts@devon.gov.uk | West Exe Clyst Vale |
| Early Years Quality and Inclusion Partner | Karen Salter | karen.salter@devon.gov.uk | Beacon Central and Chestnut |
| Early Years Quality and Inclusion Partner | Julie Paddick | julie.paddick@devon.gov.uk | Axe Valley Honiton Ottery St Mary Sidmouth Exmouth |
| Early Years Sufficiency and Welfare Advisor | Kerry Thorne | kerry.thorne@devon.gov.uk | Axminster Ottery St Mary Honiton |
| Early Years Sufficiency and Welfare Advisor | Nik Wills | nik.wills@devon.gov.uk | Exmouth Sidmouth |
| Early Years Sufficiency and Welfare Advisor | Neil Copland | neil.copland@devon.gov.uk | Central and Chestnut West Exe Crediton (North and Mid) |
| Early Years Sufficiency and Welfare Advisor | Alexa Gill | alexa.gill@devon.gov.uk | Clyst Vale Beacon |
South and West Devon
| Role | Name | Contact details | Learning community |
| Early years Locality Service Lead | Samantha Chapman | Samantha.chapman@devon.gov.uk | South and West |
| Early Years Quality and Inclusion Team Lead | Sue Bolt | Sue.bolt@devon.gov.uk | South and West |
| Senior Inclusion Practitioner | Mandy Astin | Amanda.astin@devon.gov.uk | South and West |
| Inclusion Practitioner | Cara Lye | Cara.lye@devon.gov.uk | South and West |
| Inclusion Practitioner | Marie Loader | Marie.loader@devon.gov.uk | South and West |
| Inclusion Practitioner | Jacqueline Goult | Jacqueline.goult@devon.gov.uk | South and West |
| Inclusion Practitioner | Helen Barton | Helen.barton@devon.gov.uk | South and West |
| Early Years Quality and Inclusion Partner | Louise Carter | Louise.carter@devon.gov.uk | Okehampton Dawlish Newton Abbot South Dartmoor Teign Valley Teignmouth |
| Early Years Quality and Inclusion Partner | Brenda Glanville | Brenda.glanville@devon.gov.uk | Dartmouth Ivybridge Kingsbridge Totnes Tavistock |
| Early Years Sufficiency and Welfare Advisor | Beth Trantham | Beth.trantham@devon.gov.uk |
Dartmouth Ivybridge Tavistock |
| Early Years Sufficiency and Welfare Advisor | Lorna Pitts | Lorna.pitts@devon.gov.uk |
Kingsbridge Totnes Teignmouth Dawlish Okehampton |
| Early Years Sufficiency and Welfare Advisor | Sharon Gehringer | sharon.gehringer@devon.gov.uk |
Teign Valley South Dartmoor Newton Abbot |