The Crisis Team
Bill Marsden
Paula Richards
Bill Marsden (back to top
of page)
Bill has been working for P.I.P. for five years. His previous experience
was in independent training to second and third sector organisations nationally,
around working with young people in care, fostering and adoption, HIV issues
for young people and Working with the Police.
Prior to this he worked "too many years" (his own words) in industrial
marketing and sales!
On joining P.I.P., using his promotional and marketing expertise, Bill created a robust Befriender Scheme with developmental grant funding from the Nationwide Foundation. Once the Scheme was installed, Bill took on the Developmental Trainer role for people with a learning disability around Citizenship, Assertiveness, and Working with the Police with major funding from Connexions (Birmingham and Solihull), Baily Thomas Charitable Fund and West Midlands Police Authority.
With the Governmental aim to close all Long Stay Hospitals for patients
with a learning disability by 2010 - ("A Healthier Future") P.I.P.
was commissioned by Eastern and Northern PCT) to provide advocacy support
for a large group of patients being provided Supported Living in the community.
Following P.I.P.'s previous experience in supporting resettlement patients,
Bill has taken up the challenge to work as Resettlement Advocate working
alongside patients, families and professionals to ensure as smooth a transition
as possible.
Bill's current role includes Crisis Advocacy, supporting advocacy partners with learning disabilities in every day issues - housing, care provision, care plans, visits to solicitors, doctors appointments, legal proceedings, debts, money management etc.
Bill can be contacted here: bill@peopleinpartnership.org
Paula Richards (back to
top of page)
I have been working for People in Partnership for three years this summer.
I enjoy my work as a crisis advocate as I am passionate about supporting
people who have learning difficulties to have their voices heard.
I worked for Birmingham Social Services for fifteen years. Eight years with
children services, and with adult services for a further four years and
spent three years in training services.
My role is to support people to achieve their goals in life and to help communicate their wants and needs to the people supporting or giving them a service.
Paula can be contacted here: paula@peopleinpartnership.org
The Family Team
Helen Watson
Michaela Jackson
Lesley Dixon
Helen Watson (back to top of page)
I have been an independent Advocate at P.I.P. since January 2003. I specifically work with parents with a learning disability who are involved in child protection proceedings and parenting assessment.
My professional background is 20 years experience of working for Birmingham City Council, in various roles, but mostly in the field of child protection.
The reason I chose to become an advocate for parents with a learning disability is because I could see that this vulnerable group of society were seriously disadvantaged by the system and a disproportionately high number of them were having their children removed from their care.
I do not consider my role to be one of campaigning for all learning disabled parents to retain the care of their children, as clearly this is not my judgement to make and in many instances sadly this is not in the best interest of the child. My role is however, to ensure that the parents have received all possible appropriate support to assist them to care for their child and to empower them as parents, also that any assessment of the parent has been specific to their individual needs. I am also responsible for ensuring that the parents' views are considered throughout the process and that everything is clearly explained to them.
Helen can be contacted here: helen@peopleinpartnership.org
Michaela Jackson (back to top of page)
I am a Follow-On Family Advocacy Worker and have been employed by P.I.P. for almost 4 years. I work with parents with learning disabilities that have completed care/court proceedings. I support parents to understand the decisions made about their children and ensure that the care packages suggested by the local authority are maintained. I also support parents to look at alternatives to pregnancy and make life choices that will benefit them in the future.
Michaela can be contacted here: michaela@peopleinpartnership.org
Lesley Dixon (back to top of page)
Bio to follow
Lesley can be contacted here: lesley@peopleinpartnership.org
The Resettlement Team
Bill Marsden (back to top of page)
The Training Team
Barbara Gibbs
June Lees
Barbara Gibbs (back
to top of page)
(Training Coordinator)
The majority of my roles required me in part to organise and deliver various workshops and training and within this I ensured that access needs were met by adapting the training/workshop materials as required for the different audiences.
Skills that I have learned and developed over the years enable me to put together and deliver bespoke training packs with and for people with a learning disability.
My role here at People in Partnership (P.I.P.) is to put training packs together as requested by those requiring them, work with people with a learning disability on the training packs and to deliver the training. I also assist in the overal development of P.I.P.'s training programme which includes marketing and fund raising.
As a disabled person, I firmly believe in disabled people being given every opportunity to develop skills and knowledge that will help them to move nearer their goals and lead independent and productive lives.
Barbara can be contacted here: barbara@peopleinpartnership.org
June Lees (back to top of page)
Bio to follow
June can be contacted here: june@peopleinpartnership.org
People in Partnership, Southside, 249 Ladypool Road, Sparkbrook Birmingham B12 8LF