The Founder

Manara Practice Group is founded by Noha Ahmed, an experienced social work practitioner and educator working at the intersection of teaching, mental health, and community systems.

Noha holds a Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) and a Master of Secondary Teaching, both from the University of Sydney. She brings a depth of experience across child protection, complex child and adolescent case management, program development, and direct practice with young people, alongside leadership roles focused on strengthening practice at both individual and system levels.

Most recently, Noha worked as a Clinical Lead at headspace National, where she led complex responses within school and community settings, including high-impact critical incidents and suicide postvention. In this role, she supported clinical governance processes, guided multidisciplinary teams, and contributed to building workforce capability in navigating risk, complexity, and uncertainty.

As a second-generation Arab, Muslim Australian, Noha brings a deep commitment to culturally responsive practice. She understands the importance of context, identity, and community in shaping both experience and support, and works thoughtfully across diverse settings.

Manara Practice Group was established to create the kind of reflective, evidence-informed, and relationally grounded space that practitioners need, but do not always have access to.

At its core, the work is driven by a clear intention: to support the people behind the practice.