I have worked as part of the Community Partners Team to provide advice and guidance to disabled young people, their families, disabled adults and Job Centre Plus staff to develop personalised packages to support customers with long-term health needs, to overcome the disability employment gap and their movement towards employment. I also led on promotion of the 'Disability Confident' Scheme refresh initiative over an 8-month period for different teams across the district, to secure an increased number of sign-ups of new employers to this important national scheme. This refresh allowed for a 381% increase on the initial number of employers signed up. This in turn, helped to promote more inclusive recruitment, selection and employment retention practices to support more disabled people into employment.

• 2004 – to date: Designed and delivered a number of disability equality training workshops to education and training settings in order that they might construct, implement and review their individual Accessibility Plans provided on a consultancy basis.• 2002 – 2013: Had day-to-day team leadership responsibility for the SEN Coordination Team in the delivery of the SEN Statutory Assessment procedures and the processing of new and amendments of all existing Statements of SEN.• 2004 – 2016: Project managed the identification of funding, set up and expansion of the council’s independent travel training service (YILTS). Submitted a number of bids to promote the work of this service and won a national award in 2010 and 2013. YILTS was also recognised as a model of good practice by the Department for Education in 2013 in supporting disabled young people with their transitions into adult life. • 2010 – 2016: Co-chaired the SEN Officers’ Regional Group (Yorkshire & the Humber) and worked to establish a revised Terms of Reference in sharing good practice, advice and networking support for SEN Caseworkers and Managers drawn from across the region.• 2009 – 2015: Led on the set up and chairing of the Staff Equalities Reference (SEE) Group to raise awareness of council staff and undertake engagement events to gather staff views on relevant and upcoming council policies, procedures and practices. The feedback from these events where fed back to senior management to affect positive changes in council practice. The SEE Group gave a number of pieces of evidence which supported the council in achieving ‘Excellence’ in the Equalities Framework for Local Government (EFLG) Award. • 2004 – 2013: Worked as the SEN Appeals Officer when preparing and defending cases at Tribunal.• 2010 – to date: Provided Independent SEND Expert advice and recommendations to a variety of local authorities across the Yorkshire & Humber region on a consultancy basis.

• Led on x 2 region-wide engagement events with representatives from Disabled persons’ User-Led Organisations across the North East of England, to acquire views on key areas of interest to a range of central government departments covering education, employment, housing, transport and community involvement. Feedback reports with recommendations from these engagement events were submitted to relevant departments for comment / implementation.• Wrote and submitted a number of Advice Notes to different government departments in response to key consultation documents covering Assisted Dying, Disabled Jurors access to Jury Service, Transitions into adult life and access to Pre-vocational study and Community Involvement. • Supported other network advisors in running engagement events and preparing feedback reports to central government departments. • 2007 – 2009: Worked as the Acting Deputy Chair supporting the Acting Chair in setting the Network meeting agendas, chairing meetings and working groups and supporting the Office for Disability Issues' Secretariat with the delivery of this Non-Departmental Public Body’s remit of engagement with groups of disabled people to inform any advice-giving to government departments.

I was responsible for x 7 projects who had secrured funding from the European Social Fund (Schedule 2); to pay for staff, building leases, ICT, equipment and resources, etc. Each of these projects provided different types of community education and support services for a range of groups including secondary school children experiencing mental health issues / depression, asylum seekers and female sex workers. This work involved my monitoring of evidence relating to starters, daily attendees and completer signatures, financial expenditure against funding secured and succession planning for each project beyond the initial one year funding allocation.

This was a one-year secondment from the Humberside Partnership to set up and develop a Health Action Zone (HAZ) network hub for all disability interest and support groups in operation across the Hull & East Riding region's 3rd sector. As Chief Officer, I was responsible for developing a Business Plan, appoint and manage staff and work to develop the sharing of resources and expertise, promote the 'Social Model of Disability' across the community and try to secure succession funding beyond the first 1.5 year HAZ funding allocation to maintain this network hub.

I was responsible for staffing the careers office 'drop in' advice and information desk for young people and young adults who were seeking careers advice and guidance, course routes and funding to progress their career plan and transitiions. I undertook these duties twice a week. I also worked on the 'drop in' duty desk at the Hull FE College providing similar support and advice once a week and at local secondary schools once per week. I was responsible for producing written Careers Action Plans and relevant occupational / course study information per student seen. I also undertook careers education sessions for small groups of students in FE with additional needs in terms of their job preparation and application / interview presentation skills development.

After completing my probationary year's work placement training and achieving my Post Graduate Diploma in Careers Guidance (Part II); I had responsibility for a caseload of between 80 to 150 students placed in Year groups 9 -11 in 5 secondary schools across Cardiff, in providing careers guidance interviews regarding the development and promotion of multi-transferable skills, providing occupational and suitable further and higher education course routes and funding information. Each student interviewed then had a Careers Action Plan with supporting occupations and course information produced and issued within a 2 week deadline from the point of interviewing that student. I was also responsible for running careers education lessons for students in these secondary and sixth form schools regarding multi-transferable skills development, application preparation and job interview presentation skills and preparation and submission of UCAS applications and in particular, the construction of their 'Personal Statements'. I was also involved in setting up and running visits for Sixth Form students to local / regional Institutes of Higher Education covering particular occupational sectors such as Medicine, Dentistry, Archiatecture and Games Design.I then progressed through training and the development of my careers guidance skills and advice giving for students with special educational needs and disabilities in supporting their career progression and training on into suitable FE / HE courses and supported employment. Along with the production of Careers Action Plans with updates and occupational / course route/s information, I was also involved in completing and submitting Further Education Funding Council for Wales funding applications for SEND students who were seeking placement at Independent Speciliast Placement settings.

I was responsible for manual and electronic filing in relation to personnel records for employees working across the Liverpool City Council's Social Services' Directorate. I also supported with the arrangement of Occupational Health assessments and staff welfare visits for staff who were on extended sick leave. I also provided advice and answered queries from staff who contacted the HR, or Staff Welfare Sections via telephone or via letter.