Sally is a qualified educational psychologist and holds a teaching qualification. Prior to starting Curo Salus she was a Principal Psychologist working within a local authority. It was in this post that she developed an interest and in depth knowledge of the world of residential child care. She became aware of the poor educational experiences and outcomes for the children in care and the lack of therapeutic support to help the children process their experiences of trauma and loss.

Her aim in starting Curo Salus was to create therapeutic environments for children, in which there would be high quality care, education and therapy.

Curo Salus officially opened in 2005 and is registered with the Care Inspectorate and the Registrar of Independent Schools to provide care and education to children aged five to 18.

Under Dolan’s leadership, the Curo Salus team deploys a model of practice based on attachment and trauma theory and is informed by current research findings in developmental psychology and neuroscience.

Curo Salus today operates its own school as well as six care homes, working with children to alleviate problem behaviours and help them regain trust in adults. It employs 200 people and collaborates with 17 local authorities in carrying out its mission.