Dr Silva, who has worked for the Trust for the past 18 years, is part of the team that helps children who may not be developing as quickly as they should (such as in their language or learning skills) and is heavily involved in adoption, fostering and child protection services. Sadly, many of the children that Nicholas works with have been abused or neglected.
Nicholas said: "My job is to help children reach their full potential. It's a very intense role, and can involve a lot of hard work, but the payoff when you see a child thrive at school, or with their foster or adoptive parents is simply fantastic. You really feel like you can help make a difference to their life.
"For children who need protection, we work very closely with local organisations such as the Sutton and Merton councils and NHS Sutton and Merton (the local primary care trust), and that's a very important part of the work that we do.
"My working day revolves around several themes. I have my clinics where I see up to three children a day, and these involve spending up to an hour with each child. These clinics can be about dealing with a number of issues, either from a child protection point of view or from a developmental aspect.
"I also attend child protection meetings with the local councils. I am part of the panel that helps to approve adoptive parents, and help to come up with long term plans for children in care. I also do a lot of work making sure that we match children with the right foster or adoptive families.
"One of the best things about my job is seeing the positive impact when parents, especially those who cannot have their own children, take a child into their home. In fact, I'd like to encourage any members of staff who are interested in getting involved to contact their local authority. There is always a need for good foster and adoptive parents, and even being a respite carer who looks after a child for a few days a month can be very rewarding."
