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school of dialogue

London

Arabella Tresilian MAHons PGCE FRSA Dialogue Facilitator, Mediator & Conflict Coach: Mediation, fully-accredited by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) Dispute resolution for Employment, Workplace, Civil, Commercial & Community cases Specialist in health and social care, including mental health, autism & disabilities Download a copy of my one-page profile here: Arabella Tresilian Mediator Profile Overview ‘Arabella Tresilian is a CEDR-accredited mediator, and a conflict resolution trainer, specialising in facilitating dispute resolution and employee wellbeing in the public sector. She has twenty years’ experience as a management consultant, leader and educator, and set up the School of Dialogue to teach conflict resolution skills. Arabella mediates independently and on behalf of the Medical Mediation Foundation, Resolve West and other panels where she specialises in lending her ‘expertise by experience’ in the fields of mental health and neurodiversity. Arabella’s 70+ case history since 2016 include mediations in the fields of Judicial Review, Court of Protection, Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, Local Government, workplace, employment, community and public sector dispute resolution.’ I am an independent consultant specialising in dialogue facilitation, conflict resolution and partnership-building. My business development experience, studies in educational leadership and experience in dispute resolution combine effectively to allow me to support organisations, employees, families and individuals in finding win-win resolutions within complex scenarios. I have 20 years experience working in a strategic capacity for public, private and third sector organisations in the UK and overseas, and I have specialist consulting experience in the fields of sustainability, education and health/social care. I have also taught and managed at secondary level internationally and in the independent sector in the UK, and founded/directed a theatre company devoted to promoting the understanding of mental health and social exclusion. I am a CEDR-Accredited Mediator qualified to undertake employment, workplace, commercial, civil and community mediation. In 2017 I became a CEDR Associate with the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), joining their world-renowned training faculty. In the community setting, I am a Certificated Mediator with Resolve West (previously Bristol Mediation) resolving neighbour disputes and hate crime cases. I am also the cofounder of Equisphere Employability and a workplace mental health trainer for Bath Mind. In the healthcare setting, I am a mediator, trainer and conflict coach with the Medical Mediation Foundation. I am a Quality Improvement Coach with the Q Community (NHS Improvement & Health Foundation) and a Public & Patient Involvement advisor for the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR). I am a Member of End of Life Doula UK and have undertaken Advance Care Planning training with Living Well Dying Well. I am also a qualified Mental Health First Aid Instructor training groups to become Mental Health First Aiders in their contexts. I am a member of the Civil Mediation Council as a Member of the Association of South West Mediators. I abide by the European Code of Conduct for Mediators. I have DBS clearance and am fully insured as a mediator, trainer,educator, mentor and coach. Professional Experience & Skills Overview Facilitation and Organisational Dialogue Strategic development and team coaching in the workplace Communications and engagement for public-facing organisations Design and delivery of multi-organisational commercial partnerships Stakeholder engagement for effective policy development Conflict Intervention and Negotiation Interpersonal mediation and conflict resolution for workplace contexts Conflict coaching and mediation for highly-escalated community conflicts Brokerage of interorganisational partnerships for socio-economic benefit Leadership Design / delivery of Leadership Skills for Employability training for University of Bath Postgraduate certificate in Educational Leadership & Management (2011) Founder of three social enterprises and experienced team leader and manager International Competence Partnerships negotiator for European Green Capital 2015 Merger & Acquisition consultancy – UK/Spain Educator in vocational, business and enterprise skills – Coimbatore, India Training and Coaching Experienced teacher, trainer, mentor and coach specialising in communication Mentor to young leaders in enterprise on Future Talent programme Mental Health First Aider and specialist trainer in mental health with Mind Charity My style and my specialisms I came to the practice of Conflict Resolution and Mediation through two distinct routes. One was through doing management consulting in the public and private sectors, and coming to understand just how much stress, inefficiency and sadness arises from communication and conflict difficulties in the workplace. The other route was through being a patient, a parent of children with disabilities and a family carer, and witnessing how difficult it can be to make plans for the future when the present involves difficult discussions and many people. So I specialise in making sure that people feel comfortable with the process they undertake with me, and that it leads them towards feeling comfortable and confident about their future. I aim to be thoroughly supportive, reassuring and encouraging at all times. My professional work and personal experience in health and social care mean that I am particularly experienced in supporting people who are living with any form of illness, disability, mental health condition or life-limiting condition. I have particular personal experience of working with people who are deaf or hearing impaired, on the autism spectrum, experiencing mental illness and living with dementia or stroke. Why I love being a mediator I came to mediation through a confluence of circumstances which made me think, ‘There must be a better way for people to deal with their difficulties than to threaten legal action, or refuse to engage in communication at all!’ I realised that a great deal of my management consultancy work was really… conflict resolution. It gave me such pleasure and relief when long-held rifts within and between teams melted away after some good, authentic communication. This piqued my interest to find out more about the art of conflict resolution, and I did my first certificated training, and started practising as a community mediator. Later I qualified as a civil and employment mediator, and have been mediating ever since. It’s astonishing to witness people’s lives turn from a turmoil of distressing, intractable ‘stuckness’, to a new phase in which, for example, neighbours can conceive of greeting each other again; or work colleagues re-establish trust between each other after maybe years of mistrust, stress and non-communication. Mediation takes empathy, patience and persistence, and it is a skill I will develop and hone endlessly over years to come, but its core aspect is a belief that people really can find peace again, given the right support and a safe space to explore options for settling differences. Facilitating such processes is a real honour. Nothing beats the sight of former disputants smiling, shaking hands, or even (more often than you would think) hugging, at the end of a mediation.

the knowledge academy

Scrum Master Certification | Scrum Training in Edinburgh Home arrow Courses arrow Scrum Training arrow Scrum Master Certification arrow Edinburgh TKA Gain in-depth knowledge about various scrum master techniques and how to use them. Learn about various roles and responsibilities of scrum master and product owner. Learn about personality styles and improve your personality styles as Scrum Master.

blossoming bellies

Brittany's path led her through many experiences before focusing her work on the need for respect and humility in the amazing power, instinct, and normalcy of birth. Completing high school after her junior year with distinguished honors and a focus in visual art and writing , Brittany went on to study Literature at Temple University, graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and certificates in both writing and honors. She maintains membership with Phi Beta Kappa, a national academic honor society. Throughout college, Brittany worked for Trio Upward Bound, a national organization that prepares inner city high school students for college. In her role as tutor and counselor, she gained experience in dealing with several different ages from ninth through twelfth grade, understanding of differences in learning pace and ability, and comfort in leading group discussions and projects. Brittany went on to substitute teach for pre-school through eighth grade at Frankford Friends School, strengthening her abilities in areas including the facilitation of group activities, the development of all aspects of the person - physical, academic, spiritual, emotional, and social, and the mentoring of children of all different ages and backgrounds. In addition to her education career, Brittany has completed a mentorship training program which focuses on peaceful solutions to conflict through listening, reflection, and understanding and the development of counseling skills. She attended a Birth Works three day workshop where she gained skills and techniques helpful in facilitating childbirth classes and providing labor assistance. She has also completed birth doula training by both DONA International and Birth Arts International. Brittany is a Birth WorksTM certified childbirth educator, a DONA certified birth doula, a certified breastfeeding counselor with Nursing Mothers Alliance, and a Certified Lactation Counselor through the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice. She has also completed birth doula training with Birth Arts International. She also holds a Rebozo certification from Wise Birth Choices, L.L.C. Brittany continuously furthers her knowledge through regular attendance and facilitation at conferences, workshops, and lectures, in addition to her home studies, and her facilitation of workshops for clinical and non-clinical birth professionals. In an effort to make maternity care options available to all birthing people, Brittany volunteered her time in putting together the Philadelphia Guide to a Healthy Birth with Choices in Childbirth. Although the Philadelphia Guide is no longer in print, The National Guide is available online at www.choicesinchildbirth.org. Brittany has also been a frequent contributor to the Birth Works quarterly newsletter and wrote monthly for the e-newsletter, "Empowerment for Healthy Living," when it was published. She continues writing for the Birth Works blog. Brittany has been a guest speaker on several pregnancy, postpartum, and health-related topics at businesses around the Philadelphia area, including Martindale's Natural Market in Delaware County, Shanti Yoga Shala and Nest, both in Center City Philadelphia, and the Expectant Parents Boot Camp at The Please Touch Museum. In the spring of 2011, Brittany organized and facilitated a free community screening of the documentary, "Food, Inc." She worked with the non-profit organization WomenCare organizing an event featuring world-renowned midwife Ina May Gaskin in May 2011. Blossoming Bellies has also been featured in the July 2011 issue of herbalist Susan Weed's ezine "Wise Woman Herbal Healing with Susun Weed." In May of 2014, Brittany had the honor of being the only childbirth educator and doula serving as a panelist at the Birth Works "Ask The Experts" event held in Cherry Hill, NJ where she discussed birth options and answered community members' birth-related questions aside several distinguished birth professionals, including obstetricians, academics, pediatricians, and midwives, from the greater Philadelphia area. She was also honored to be a presenter at ICAN's (International Cesarean Awareness Network) meeting on birth education options in the Philadelphia area in January of 2015. Brittany is also the creator of two dynamic workshops focused on understanding the pelvis, the baby's movements and positioning as they descend and rotate, and preventing and working through complications that arise from malpositioning, "Creating Space: Pelvic Dynamics, Fetal Positioning, and Use of the Rebozo" for birth professionals and "Moving Through Labor" for expectant parents. She has had the honor of facilitating her workshop, "Creating Space," for obstetrical, midwifery, and nursing groups around the country. She is a guest speaker at the University of Pennsylvania for their student midwifery program and a frequent speaker at international conferences including the Birth Works International Conference in October of 2016, the ICPA Freedom for Family Wellness Summit in March of 2018, the Evidence Based Birth Conference in September of 2019, the Midwifery Forward 2020 conference, the ICEA 2020 Virtual Conference, and the Utah Doula Association Virtual Mini-Conference in 2020. She also facilitates pelvic dynamics and fetal positioning workshops for Maternity Care Coalition and PALS. She continues to facilitate workshops for conferences and private practices around the country. Blossoming Bellies began with Brittany teaching classes in her home in South Philadelphia. She still occasionally teaches classes in the coziness of her home but, after spending time teaching classes at South Philadelphia Community Acupuncture, The Nesting House on vibrant East Passyunk Avenue, and the community space Lilypad, she now teaches at the BOK building aside Justin Ohm of Ohm Chiropractic. She has also branched out to serving other areas of the city, including Mt. Airy, Fairmount, West Philly, Fishtown, and Center City. Brittany was a Birth Works facilitator at the Maternal Wellness Center in Mt. Airy and continued teaching Birth Works classes in Mt. Airy at The Nesting House (former location of the Maternal Wellness Center) and at each of their additional locations in South Philly, West Philly, and Collingswood, for several years. Her South Philadelphia series classes are now held at the BOK building in South Philadelphia, where she shares space with Dr. Justin Ohm, of Ohm Chiropractic . She brought group Birth Works classes to the Fairmount section of Philadelphia, facilitating workshops at Still Waters Holistic Health Therapies from 2010 through 2019 and to the Fishtown section of the city, teaching at City Sprouts until their close in November 2016 and at Minnow Lane on Frankford Ave through 2020. Brittany's Homebirth Preparation Class can be found at Ohm Chiropractic in South Philadelphia. Her prenatal Breastfeeding and Chestfeeding 101 classes and Infant Care classes are offered in Brewerytown at Kith + Kin and in South Philly at BOK. Check out an interview with Brittany about her philosophies and classes at Philly Baby Bump. Brittany also helps mentor and guide new doulas as they begin their journey into the birth world. Doulas often observe her classes to fulfill their certification requirements and Brittany facilitates workshops specifically for doulas and birth professionals looking to expand their knowledge and skills. In addition, she offers a full doula mentorship course for those looking for one-on-one guidance, resources, and referrals as they enter in to the greater birth community. For more information about doula mentoring and one-on-one options available, please contact Brittany. Blossoming Bellies has been recognized by CBS Philly as one of the Top Childbirth Classes in Philly and is the winner of the 2016 Love Awards for Best Lactation Consultant, the 2017 Love Awards for Best Prenatal Classes, and the 2018, 2019, and 2020 Love Awards for Best Childbirth Preparation Classes. She is also a contributor to the blog A Child Grows and the blog We Bloom in Philly and has written several feature articles for the Birth Works newsletter. Brittany is a contributor to the international best-selling book "Baby Got VBAC: An Inspiring Collection of Wisdom for Better Births After a Cesarean," writing a chapter covering the importance of movement and guidelines for using it in all births, with a focus on vaginal birth after cesarean. In addition, she is a sought-after presenter on pelvic dynamics, fetal positioning, preventing malpositioning in labor, and working through positioning issues that can lead to stalls in labor, facilitating workshops at the Birth Works International Conference, the Freedom for Family Wellness Summit hosted by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, the Evidence Based Birth Conference, and the Midwifery Forward 2020 conference as well as for midwifery and obstetrical practices, labor and delivery nurses, and midwifery students around the country. She also has collaborated with East Eagle Yoga to develop and facilitate a prenatal yoga teacher training program full of the bodily knowledge, movement awareness, and empathetic practice that is crucial to the role of a prenatal yoga instructor. Brittany also developed and facilitated the online ICEA training for birth professionals on anatomy and reproductive structure. You can check out interviews with Brittany on a few national podcasts. She was honored to be a featured guest on episode #161 of the well known podcast, The VBAC Link, where she talks all about pelvic dynamics and autonomy in birth. Check it out at The VBAC Link! She will also be featured on the Vagina Talks podcast in February 2021. Providing expecting families with information, resources, a listening ear, and love and support is at the core of Brittany's goals. In helping parents to recognize their strength as humans, role models, and advocates for the needs and wishes of themselves and their children, Brittany assists families in creating birth and parenting experiences of which they feel positive, confident, and informed. Her approach to birth and parenting focuses on building awareness of one's intuition and combining it with learned knowledge in a way that is respectful of the needs and abilities of each individual.

act fast nl

Scunthorpe

Act Fast is a well-established Independent School near Scunthorpe in North Lincolnshire. Act Fast has grown organically as the need for a high standard of provision has emerged and developed. The premise of Act Fast’s provision is that we are promoting the value of education to previously disaffected young people. what we do We operate a bespoke curriculum at Act Fast, which is both written and delivered by in house staff and is in line with the DfE Independent Schools Standards. We overtly deliver lessons in the following subject areas: Maths up to Functional Skills level 2 standard English up to Functional Skills level 2 standard Motor Vehicle Technology with the Institute of the Motor Industry up to level 2 standard PSHE (Including RSE) against a verified and recognised scheme Motocross, delivered by qualified and experienced staff Physical Education through a range of on-site and off-site activities. Art/Crafts Music Further to this, lessons in the following subject areas are delivered as embedded features of the timetabled lessons. Human and Social Understanding Aesthetic and Creative Scientific Technological British Values Our learners know if they work hard, they are awarded by riding the motorcycles here at Act Fast. This has proven to be successful, helping young adults to achieve their qualifications and have a positive attitude towards learning. Curriculum Act Fast has made a commitment to give every young person who is capable of the opportunity to reintegrate and to take a range of exams. For those subjects that Act Fast does not currently deliver, as we develop learners opportunities will increase. We are an accredited exam centre through OCR, NCFE, ABC, D of E, and when required will extend this to meet the needs of our learners. Our curriculum also enables and encourages learners to develop their interests and talents. We have a number of students here who have found their passion for music, learning how to play the guitar, as well as a large number of young, talented motorbike riders who love learning about riding, fixing and maintaining the bikes. It’s important to us to support our learners in keeping them physically and mentally healthy. We have access to: Mental Health Champions, outreach support and therapeutic counselling services, available to all our learners. We have regular sports activities within our timetable to encourage physical exercise, as well as access to local gyms and leisure centres. These activities help to prepare young people to access their community in adulthood. Hidden Curriculum Act Fast’s curriculum, throughout the range of its delivery, is heavily invested in the “Hidden Curriculum”. The Hidden Curriculum argument is that the most valuable lessons our young people receive here are to arrive on time, respect authority, follow instructions, keep regard for safety, take responsibility for their actions, behave in an acceptable standard, liaise with other people respectfully, and respect other people’s personal choices, encouraging equality and diversity. Other ways in which we promote equality and diversity include: Challenging negative attitudes amongst students. Setting clear rules regarding how people treat each other. Treating all students and staff equally and fairly. Using resources that have multicultural themes. Creating lessons that reflect and promote diversity in the classroom. Making sure that all students have equal access to participation and opportunities. Ensuring that all procedures and policies are non-discriminatory. Making sure that classroom materials never discriminate against anyone. Safeguarding protected characteristics throughout our culture and ethos. All of these things, to a greater extent than formalised subject lessons, will make them responsible, independent, resilient and above all else employable young people once they finish their school career. Act Fast has trained and qualified staff to recognise some of the barriers to learning that students face. These barriers might be due to Adverse Childhood Experiences and with knowledge and understanding of such issues Act Fast staff can help students overcome them to maximise their potentials. Referral, Application and Introduction After a referral is made to Act Fast, we invite a representative from the referring body (usually the Inclusion Officer), the learner and the learner’s parents into Act Fast for a familiarisation visit. During that visit the learner is given a tour of the facility, is introduced to key staff members and receives an explanation of the culture of Act Fast. Learners are given the opportunity to voice any concerns and any questions they have are answered. We set a high expectation on behaviour here, and partly because expectations are high, but also because more established learners mentor new arrivals, new learners very soon fall into compliance with our way of doing things. Act Fast works because our learners buy into the culture. This is the first opportunity that a young person has to involve themselves in how we operate here. Application forms must be completed prior to a young person starting at Act Fast. Once applications are complete, the referring body typically takes a few days (sometimes up to a week) to arrange their transport. Personal data will be stored and processed at this point, and details entered into our MIS system, Arbor. We insist on a Personal Learning Plan (PLP) meeting with stakeholders and the young person present within the first month. This allows any teething troubles to be voiced and solutions to be sought. Further PLP meetings are held regularly, no less frequently than once a term. At those meetings, Act Fast staff will deliver a report detailing the engagement of the young person, levels of educational attainment, attendance, general engagement, and commentary on the likelihood of a reintegration being successful. Reintegration planning must be tailored to suit the needs of the individual. Staff Investment Our staff all take part in quality training including regular CPD sessions and ongoing programmes of accreditation such as SSS online training (recently completed by all staff members). Training needs identified are acted on as soon as practical. The organisation believes and invests in the continuous professional development of its people. Our commitment to CPD is such that every member of staff has received CPD accredited training in the last 12 months. Our qualified teachers ensure pedagogical content methods are in place to deliver high standards of teaching for our young learners. We engage with our staff continuously here and know of the main pressures on them, including managing workload. We aim to support every staff member to help guide them throughout their career at Act Fast. Educational Framework It is our aim to provide an educational framework which is heavily invested in the hidden curriculum. By that, we mean that as well as lessons formalised in Maths and English for example, our young people develop an understanding of: working to a process arriving on time respecting authority abiding by the rules accepting that their first choice may not always be the right choice following instructions not expecting to leave early attending every day These are the skills whereby a young person will be employable post 16. Without these key skills, a young person is unlikely to be able to function in the workplace. We develop the hidden curriculum, embedded in everything we do, in order that our learners gain an understanding of their expectations being matched by the expectations of attendance, compliance and engagement We have a tracking system in place for our core subjects. We also use a “readiness to learn” scale, whereby a learners attitude, engagement, and involvement in their own work is measured. Bespoken When evolving Act Fast into an independent school I was very mindful that Mainstream school had not been a successful outcome for the majority if not all of our learners. It was imperative that we were bespoke and able to meet the needs of all our learners and not just the few. For this reason we created our own curriculum that is more sympathetic to our learners’ needs. Our teachers create an environment that allows our young people to focus on learning. 1:1 support as well as small group teaching (where appropriate) is in place to make teaching more effective, allowing tutors to concentrate on each individual learner’s needs. We believe in student voice here at Act Fast. Our EHCP’s (Educational Health Care plans) allow us to capture our learners’ views. It’s not only in our annual reviews that we give learner’s opportunity to be heard. For example, one young adult suggested we invested in a bigger bike here, so we put arrangements in place and made this happen. We encourage our learners to make their voices heard. Below are some examples of student voice council meetings held at Act Fast and how they shape decisions made at the school. Student Voice Meeting 040322 We have effective arrangements to identify learners who may need early help or are at risk of neglect, abuse, grooming or exploitation. We strongly promote our policies and legislation such as safeguarding, diversity and equality of our staff and learners at Act Fast. Ofsted Report 2022 Best Bits: “Act Fast school is a place where the proprietor and staff go the extra mile to support the pupils who attend. It has a unique vision of how to ‘hook’ pupils back into education, and it is successful in doing so. Act Fast has started to re-engage pupils who have experienced difficulties in their education”. “Parents believe that, finally, a school ‘gets’ their child. The wider curriculum, built around motor-cross, is a distinctive feature of the school. It motivates pupils to attend and to behave well. For those pupils who do not wish to ride the bikes, staff work with them to find alternatives. The proprietor and staff have limitless ambition for what pupils can achieve in their personal development. At the heart of this is a patient, careful building of relationships, and, in many cases, a re-building of trust between the pupil and their experience of education.” “The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has a strong understanding of the requirements of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Recently, the SENCo has started to work with a senior leader to more effectively incorporate pupils’ SEND targets from their education, health and care (EHC) plans into teachers’ planning.” “Leaders have also recently taken action to improve the school’s support for pupils’ reading. For instance, a primary specialist has been appointed with experience of teaching phonics to the weakest readers. The English lead is in the process of building a programme to encourage pupils to read widely and for enjoyment. Leaders’ wider curriculum for pupils’ personal development is, to very large extent, a strength of the school.” “The proprietor’s vision for getting young people who have had difficult experiences of school back into education is impressive. It is backed up by an innovative personal development curriculum, built on a range of activities that take place in the afternoons. These include a variety of motor vehicle-related opportunities, as well as visits out of school to a range of venues. Recently, for instance, pupils have started to be taken to a local engineering firm to participate in a scheme to broaden their career aspirations. Pupils know that there is a plan in place for them to make a suitable next step into further education or training at the end of Year 11.” Improvements: “Leaders’ PSHE curriculum includes reference to the protected characteristics and the school is a respectful community: however, coverage of the protected characteristics in the curriculum strategy is not as detailed as it could be, so pupils’ understanding is not as developed as it could be. Leaders should revisit their curriculum thinking for PSHE so that teaching of the protected characteristics is made more overt.” “The current curriculum is based on a limited set of qualifications in two subjects. For a registered special school, this lacks ambition. As a result, pupils experience a narrow curriculum, including a limited suite of qualifications. Leaders should take action to broaden and deepen their curriculum so that pupils have opportunities to study a wider range of subject content, organised coherently and cumulatively over the entire secondary and post-16 phases; and, for those who are capable, to a higher level of accreditation.” “Leaders have not taken the required action with regard to the statutory guidance for the teaching of RSHE. Consequently, parents have not been made aware of the school’s policy and their parental rights within the policy. Also, the teaching of Inspection report: Act Fast NL Ltd. RSHE is not clearly planned in the school’s curriculum. Leaders should take action to be compliant with the statutory guidance and to ensure that curriculum thinking incorporates structured RSHE teaching.”

as mentoring

Ealing Green,

Aeryn Priyanu , Employment Consultant Aeryn has always had an interest in language and communication. Starting her early career in teaching English as a foreign language, she went on to shadow a Speech and Language Therapist and this started her interest in working with people on the autism spectrum. She worked in primary schools as a Learning Support Assistant then moved on to work for the National Autistic Society in a day centre. Aeryn started off as a Support Worker, moving up to become Deputy Manager of the day service. She supported individuals in their daily life and helped them gain work experience and vocational skills. As well as working as a consultant with AS Mentoring, Aeryn works in a college for young people with autism, facilitating individuals with functional and social aspects of life, supporting students to meet their targets and maintain long life independent living skills. Photo of Alan Alan Castellaro, Employment Consultant Alan's interest in Autism began when he attended St Andrew's primary school in Chinnor, Oxfordshire, one of the first schools in the country to teach Autistic children one to one. In 2009 he volunteered on a project for Kith and Kids supporting a young man with Autism and they have remained in regular contact ever since. He then worked for 4 years with Dimensions as an Assistant Service Manager of a residential home for adults with severe physical disabilities and Autism. For the last 4 years he has worked for Ambitious About Autism starting off as a Learning Behaviour Specialist and moving up to become a Learning Support Co-ordinator, and was instrumental in helping set up Ambitious College, London's first College for young adults with Autism. He has a BA Hons in Writing and Publishing and has a rich and varied employment history to draw upon. Photo of Alice Alice Mitra-Hall, Employment Consultant Alice previously worked for The National Autistic Society where she ran a Day Centre and facilitated a weekly social group. During this time Alice supported adults on the spectrum to develop their independent living and social skills, as well as supporting service users to apply for and attend college and work schemes, CV writing and interview practice. Alice has a BA Hons degree in Psychology and has also worked in a number of schools supporting teenagers with autism and has provided specialist individualised support for a family for over 10 years. Photo of Amira Amira Hassan, Employment Consultant Amira has been a mentor at AS Mentoring for 4 years. Amira has a variety of clients for both workplace and job-seeking support. After completing her PhD in Neuroscience from Imperial College London, Amira decided to be involved with AS Mentoring full time and is currently managing the Workshops Programme, overseeing the development and online delivery of workshops and group events throughout the year. Amira is warm and friendly, providing individual, autism-specific support and advice. Photo of Anna Anna Roads, Employment Consultant Anna spent 24 years in the investment management sector, working in sales, marketing, product development and client relationships for a number of blue chip firms including Lazards, Fidelity and Goldman Sachs. She developed successful business relationships with large corporates, consultancies and public sector organisations. In her leadership roles, she also enjoyed coaching and developing careers for younger team members. These are skills and contacts she brings to ASM clients. Over the past 6 years she has developed a number of voluntary roles; relaunched the local NAS branch as Chair (2011-2015), served on a local parents special needs forum (2012-2014), been elected a parent governor at a special needs school and worked as a volunteer mentor on a Research Autism Project. Her focus has been on education and now employment, both as a parent of a young person with ASC and through the influence of autistic colleagues she has served with before. Before joining the City, she gained a law degree from Cambridge University, an MBA from Cranfield Business School and qualified as a solicitor. Photo of Charlotte Charlotte Leighton, Employment Consultant Charlotte specialises in providing workplace support for individuals as well as working with organisations to provide autism specific support and advice. This experience has been honed through her work at ASM and her previous role as an Employment Support worker and trainer at The National Autistic Society. Charlotte has subsequently worked for HAIL in Haringey for two years managing social enterprises staffed entirely of employees with autism and learning disabilities. She has also worked as an Appropriate Adult supporting vulnerable individuals whilst in police custody. For the past ten years Charlotte has confidently designed and delivered social skills groups and workshops for adults with autism. As well as working for ASM she is also employed part-time for Resources for Autism in Barnet managing their adult services. Charlotte is able to support individuals emotionally as well practically as she holds certificates in Person Centered counselling and a diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. David Perkins, Director David was Head of Services at Prospects, the National Autistic Society's specialist employment service, from 2007 – 2013; he left in June 2013 to set up AS Mentoring. He has extensive experience of supporting people with an ASC into employment across the UK and abroad, and of providing a wide range of training, assessment and consultancy services to employers and other organisations in the UK, Europe and the US. He has worked continuously with people with autism since the early 1980s. David has spent the bulk of his working life in the voluntary sector and prior to the NAS spent many years running a group of specialist adventure playgrounds in London for over 1200 disabled children, (some 30% of whom were autistic). He has a BSc (Hons) in Operational Research from Lancaster University. Photo of Emma Emma Hills, Employment Consultant Emma has been teaching psychology and health related subjects to adults since 2009 with the majority of her work focusing on providing social purpose education in the community to hard-to-reach groups, including those with disabilities. Much of her work focuses on supporting learners through transition and has led her to develop herself as a coach as well as an educator. More recently she has found herself key-working with learners with disabilities in a transition college as well as training and supervising the staff who support them. Emma mentors and tutors a diverse range of learners including learners on the autism spectrum in her continuing work in the community. Emma works part-time as an Employment Consultant with ASM and finds her knowledge and experience gained from facilitating community courses such as 'confidence building', 'communication skills' or 'interviewing skills' compliments the role well. She has a BSc Hons Psychology, PG-dip Social research, PGCE in post-compulsory education and is a registered health and social care trainer as well as a full member of the Association for Coaching. Emma is also currently studying for an MA in Education: Culture and Identity, at Goldsmith university. Photo of Eve Eve Riches, Employment Consultant Eve Riches is an employment consultant for AS Mentoring, where she provides one to one support and workshop creation and delivery. Eve has a background in teaching Psychology and has been involved in mentoring for her whole career. She has a lifetime of lived experience of neurodiversity. Outside of ASM, Eve works as a life coach and mentor. Photo of Gurleen Gené Wyrley-Birch, Employment Consultant Gené is committed to raising awareness and understanding of ASC to improve social inclusion, acceptance and understanding; to making a real difference to the lives of people on the autism spectrum and in broader society. Over the past 12 years, while caring for and advocating for her son, Gené has developed an in-depth knowledge and understanding of autism as well as related challenges including ADHD, PDA, Social Communication Disorder and Sensory Processing Disorder. She has a creative, positive and flexible approach and is determined to combined her personal and professional experiences to help clients into work and successfully retain their jobs. Throughout her previous roles in both Investment Banking at JP Morgan and UBS Warburg and Commercial Conferencing, Gené had an active role in recruiting, training and mentoring new team members. Gené has worked across many sectors, including Finance, Pharmaceuticals, Defence, Utilities, Aviation and Telecommunication. Gené Holds a BA degree in Industrial & Organisational Sociology and Industrial & Organisational Psychology from the University of Cape Town. Photo of Gurleen Georgia Thursting, Employment Consultant Georgia has worked with autistic adults and children in a variety of settings including education, play and social settings for the past year. As a support worker with Resources for Autism, she continues to support her clients in achieving their personal and work goals and loves to get creative with her approach. Georgia also works for Share Community in Battersea as a music tutor/ therapist, building the confidence of adults through music and artistic expression. She also enjoys planning and delivering online workshops for adults with Autism, focusing on well-being, physical health and emotional expression through music making. Outside of her work in Autism, is a trained musician, singer/ guitarist and enjoys performing at events across the UK. Photo of Gurleen Gurleen Manku, Regional Employment Consultant Gurleen has 18 years' experience of autism. She has a sibling on the spectrum, and has previously worked in primary education for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN), and has been a SEN Secondary School Govenor. In 2015 Gurleen volunteered at Autism West Midlands to support adults with autism to find employment. She then worked for Enable, Shropshire Council as a Job Coach in various workplaces supporting adults with autism and learning disabilities. Gurleen is highly experienced in delivering Pre-employment support, mentoring and Workplace support at AS Mentoring across the West Midlands since 2015. Gurleen holds a BSc in Business Psychology and is a member of the British Psychological Society, within the Division of Occupational Psychology. She has also completed her Masters in Occupational Psychology. Photo of Gurleen Mahlia Amatina, Employment Consultant Diagnosed with autism as an adult, Mahlia has first-hand experience of the challenges that can arise from a range of workplace settings, but more importantly; how to overcome these. Outside of AS Mentoring, Mahlia works as a visual artist, where she raises awareness and understanding of neurodiversity through different art forms. With a special interest in autism and work, Mahlia is keen to combine lived workplace experience with her mentoring skills as an employment consultant to support clients. Photo of Helen Mark Blake, Employment Consultant Mark has a broad range of experience across social care with several client groups and in varied settings. Following an arts degree he spent a couple of years on voluntary projects with disabled adults living independently, and with homeless men in an emergency night shelter in central London with subsequent paid roles including community support work with disabled adults moving back into the community following long periods in residential hospitals. Mark has also spent time as a residential care worker in adolescent residential units. The last 30 years has seen a focus on Adults and Children with Disabilities in a both a Day Service and Residential Home setting. As a Manager of services in these fields Mark has increasingly focused his support to children and adults on the autistic spectrum and has become keenly aware of the challenges faced by them and their families in achieving independence and realizing their potential. It is this interest that has led to an involvement in a mentoring role with AS mentoring and employment. Photo of Helen Mike Leat, Employment Consultant Mike comes from a background in advocacy, design and communication. Through his own business he previously ran an Easy Read design service which employed people with a learning disability and autism. In 2015 he co-produced a DVD on Autism and Mental Health for the Autism Partnership Board in Surrey. Mike previously worked for The National Autistic Society Assist service providing one to one support/mentoring sessions, and facilitating social and support groups for autistic adults. After completing an undergraduate module in autism with The Open University, Mike went on to complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Autism and Asperger syndrome. Mike also works with a project called ‘Autism by Experience’ which is a team of mostly autistic adults providing Understanding Autism training to staff in a variety of roles including health and social care. Photo of Laura Lauren Moore, Employment Consultant Lauren has a number of years experience of supporting people with autism as well as additional needs. Her main influence for working with people on the spectrum is her younger sibling who was diagnosed with autism at a young age. Over the past decade she has worked in a school specifically of young people with social, emotional and mental health difficulties, starting as a Teaching Assistant and then working as the Intervention Co-ordinator for the secondary department. Lauren also worked in a specialist autism college as a Learning and Behaviour Specialist, moving up to become a Learning Support Co-ordinator. She studied History at undergraduate level and has more recently graduated with a Masters in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in July 2018. Photo of Rachel Rachel Pearson, Senior Regional Employment Consultant Following a successful 13-year career in the City Rachel moved into HR and Business Consultancy specialising in organisation restructuring projects involving (often large scale) job review, recruitment and redundancy programmes. She has extensive experience of working with SME employers and large organisations in the public and private sectors around all aspects of the employment relationship. Rachel previously volunteered with the National Autistic Society's Prospects Team and she now works as an employment consultant specialising in supporting people with an ASC to find and retain work. She also works with the NAS's Employment Training and Adult Services Teams supporting students and employees, and providing advice and guidance to employers. With a close family member on the autistic spectrum, Rachel also volunteers with her local NAS branch in Surrey. She holds an MSc in Human Resource Management and is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development. Photo of Siobhan Siobhan Pauley, Employment Consultant Siobhan has first-hand experience of supporting someone with Asperger’s Syndrome and ADHD as her son has moved through various life transitions, experiencing the hurdles faced by people on the autistic spectrum. She spent 30 years working within Human Resources of a large financial institution attaining her MCIPD status, where she became the company’s Reasonable Adjustment Officer. It was her responsibility to ensure that employees with disabilities were able to receive the right workplace accommodations to enable them to access various roles in the company. This has given her considerable insight to enable her to support our clients. Following a career move, Siobhan is setting up AS Mentoring services in and around Poole, Dorset- as well as working part time to support an individual with profound learning difficulties within an independent living service.