Walking alongside children and families, to grow confidence, build capabilities, and strengthen meaningful connections.
Every child deserves to feel seen, supported and capable. Through strengths-based, evidence-informed practice and the Walking Alongside Framework, I provide personalised early childhood support that follows the child’s individual strengths, interests and needs.
Through play, relationships, connection and opportunities to explore alongside ponies, children are supported to build confidence, develop capabilities and participate meaningfully in the world around them. Families are valued as important partners throughout the journey, with support designed to walk alongside rather than lead the way.
THE THREE PILLARS OF MY PRACTICE
D
GROWING CONFIDENCE
Creating opportunities for children, families and practitioners to recognise strengths, build self-belief and move forward with growing confidence.
D
BUILDING
CAPABILITY
Building capability through practical strategies, meaningful experiences and evidence-informed approaches that strengthen skills, learning and reflective practice.
D
STRENGTHENING CONNECTIONS
Nurturing meaningful connections between children, families and practitioners, recognising that confidence, learning and growth are strengthened through relationships.
HOW I CAN SUPPORT YOU
EARLY CHILDHOOD SUPPORT
Supporting children to grow confidence, build capability and participate meaningfully through strengths-based, play-based and relationship-focused practice, with opportunities to learn, explore and connect alongside ponies.
FAMILY
PARTNERSHIP
Partnering with families to understand and build on their child’s strengths, explore what may be getting in the way, and develop practical, personalised strategies that support everyday life.
EQUINE PRACTICE
MENTORING
Walking alongside equine practitioners and facilitators to strengthen practice, build reflective confidence and thoughtfully develop safe, responsive and relationship-focused equine-supported experiences.
The Walking Alongside Philosophy
Walking Alongside is more than the name of my framework—it is the philosophy that guides every relationship, partnership and decision.
It means beginning with strengths, listening with intention and working alongside rather than prescribing a pathway. Through meaningful relationships, reflective practice and genuine collaboration, we create opportunities for confidence to grow, capability to develop and connections to strengthen.
Evidence-Informed Practice
Grounded in contemporary research and over 25 years of early childhood experience, my practice brings together evidence-informed approaches, practical strategies, reflective thinking and genuine partnerships to grow confidence, build capability and strengthen connections.
Meet Dianna
With more than 30 years in early childhood education, I have worked alongside children, families, educators and services across a wide range of settings.
My passion lies in creating meaningful, strengths-based partnerships that support children and families to grow in confidence, build capability and strengthen connection.
Through Early Childhood Support, Family Partnership, Equine Practice Mentoring and the Walking Alongside Framework, my work is grounded in genuine relationships, evidence-informed practice, reflective thinking and collaboration.
Play, connection and opportunities to explore alongside ponies are thoughtfully woven into my work, creating experiences that respond to individual strengths, interests and needs.
At the heart of my practice is a simple belief: when we recognise strengths, value relationships and walk alongside one another, we create meaningful opportunities for confidence to grow, capability to develop and connections to strengthen.
WHO I WALK ALONGSIDE
Tailored support for the whole early childhood community.
FOR CHILDREN
Individualised early childhood support built around strengths, interests, relationships and meaningful participation.
FOR FAMILIES
Practical, collaborative support that recognises families as important partners in their child’s learning, development and wellbeing.
FOR EQUINE PRACTITIONERS
Mentoring, reflection and professional learning that strengthen confidence, capability and thoughtful equine-supported practice.
Let's Work Together
Whether you're seeking support for a child, looking for guidance as a family, strengthening professional practice or building capability within your service, I'd love to work alongside you.