Alban Education are delighted to be running, ‘Healthy and Toxic relationships & Empowering young people,’ in partnership with Links Multi Academy Trust during the Autumn 2025-26 term.

This session will take place on Tuesday, 7th October 2025 from 4pm to 5.30pm at Sandringham School.

Understanding what a  healthy relationship is can be very confusing to young people especially since it can look different for different people and can evolve over time. There are many nuances involved, and the idea of a “healthy relationship” can vary depending on personal values, culture, and past experiences. But at its core, a healthy relationship should promote well-being, growth, respect, and mutual happiness.

Empowering our young people to understand the dynamics of healthy and toxic relationships is essential for their personal development, mental well-being, and future happiness. Through education, communication, emotional intelligence, and support, we can guide them toward forming healthy, respectful relationships while also equipping them with the tools to recognize and escape toxic environments when necessary.

Meet the facilitators

Links Academy Trust

Fiona Haynes, Outreach Manager

Fiona’s career started in television where she was employed by Yorkshire Television as a video editor for 15 years. She worked for the News, Documentary and Drama Departments.

Following a move to Hertfordshire in 1998, Fiona changed career to work in schools. She was employed by Sandringham School supporting the Media Department, then moved to the Links Academy teaching Media and managing the network. Since then, she has set up and managed an Inclusion Centre within a school in Hemel Hempstead, worked for the Local Authority as an Integration Officer and now manages the Outreach Team at the Links Academy supporting secondary schools across Welwyn, Hatfield, Hertsmere, St Albans and Harpenden with managing behaviour.

Tracy Backhouse, Higher Level Outreach Worker

Tracy Backhouse began her career in HR leading on several programmes at British Telecom, namely their Graduate Recruitment programme, Fastrack leadership programme and BT’s Apprenticeship programme where she also completed her MSc in HR Management and gained her CIPD.

After 15 years with BT, Tracy joined a Law firm as their HR Business Partner managing a team of 18 across offices in St Albans and the City where she was responsible for developing and delivering HR initiatives in line with the firms’ objectives. Alongside this, Tracy designed and introduced a staff mental health programme, to support employee’s well-being.

Tracy began studying for her diploma in Psychotherapeutic counselling in 2019 accruing over 100 clinical hours as a bereavement counsellor for the charity Cruse, whom she still volunteers for on a weekly basis.

Tracy joined Links Academy in January 2022, working on site at Hixberry as Pastoral Leader with responsibility for behaviour and as a Deputy DSL for safeguarding. In April 2023, Tracy joined Fiona in the Outreach team supporting young people who are experiencing social, emotional, mental health and behaviour difficulties across Secondary schools in St Albans and Harpenden. This includes:

• 1-1 support
• Group work
• Staff training
• Reintegration support
• Managed move support
• Signposting and advice & strategies