Tizard News and Events

 Are you a social sciences student at the University of Kent who wants to broaden your experience and boost your CV/employability prospects?  If you are interested in research and people with Learning Disabilities, then why not volunteer to help with one of Tizard’s research projects?  To register your interest please email Paraskevi Triantafyllopoulou (pt94@kent.ac.uk)

We are pleased to announce that the University has approved a new postgraduate programme in applied behaviour analysis. The new programme will be an integrated part of Tizard’s range of intellectual disability and autism programmes. The new programme will take its first students in September. Behavior Analyst Certification Board approval is currently being sought. Enquiries to sspssr-pg-admin@kent.ac.uk or P.McGill@kent.ac.uk
See:  http://www.kent.ac.uk/tizard/courses/postgraduate.html for details of the course content and core modules.

Tizard Centre produces new trainer pack and learner work book for the Qualifications and Credit Framework LD303 Promote Active support.

 Working with colleagues Bev Ashman and John Ockenden from United Response Julie Beadle-Brown, Lisa Richardson and Jim Mansell have recently published a trainer pack and learner workbook entitled Promote Active Support.

 In 2011 NVQs were replaced with new Diplomas and smaller Awards and Certificates for continued professional development.  The new qualifications have a flexible, ‘mix and match’ approach to meeting learning and development needs.  LD303 Promote Active Support can be used towards the award, certificate or diploma in learning disabilities care or as part of the learning disabilities pathway for the Health and Social Care Diploma at level 3.

 The learner workbook and trainer’s guide is split into four learning outcomes, covering: Understanding how active support translates values into person-centred practical action with an individual, how to interact positively with individuals to promote participation, the development and implementation of person-centred daily plans to promote participation and using person-centred records to evaluate an individual’s participation in activities. 

The trainer pack is available from Pavilion for £75:
http://www.pavpub.com/p-364-ld303-promote-active-support-trainer-pack.aspx 

The learner work book is also from Pavilion at £19.95
http://www.pavpub.com/p-365-ld303-promote-active-support-learner-workbook.aspx 

For more information on the Skills for Care Qualification and Credit Framework:
http://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/qualifications_and_training/newqualificationsQCF/newqualificationsQCF.aspx

Julie Beadle-Brown, Reader in Intellectual Development Disabilities at the Tizard Centre, has recently returned from working at La Trobe University, Australia where she is an Adjunct Associate Professor.  Julie is part of a team running a number of research projects looking at a range of issues related to the quality of services for people with intellectual disabilities in Australia, with a particular focus on person-centred approaches as well as the issue of social inclusion.  As part of a project looking at the implementation of person-centred active support and practice leadership, she trained staff from the organisations taking part in the project as well as staff from the University as trainers in person-centred active support.  Results from a recent evaluation were presented to the senior management of the organisations and a session held to help senior managers to think about what they need to do to improve the implementation of active support in their services. 

During her visit Julie also ran two days training on understanding and supporting children and adults with autism.  This was well attended by over 80 people from schools, residential and respite services, day services, and employment services as well as some family carers and researchers.

It is with great sadness that we report the death of Professor Jim Mansell on 13th March following a long illness. 

Professor Mansell founded the University’s Tizard Centre in 1983.  A respected and influential figure in the field of learning disabilities and care environments, he was appointed Commander of the Order of theBritish Empire (CBE) for services to people with intellectual disabilities.  He retired from the University in December 2010.

Among those to pay tribute to Professor Mansell were colleagues from the Tizard Centre.  Peter McGill, Co-director of the Centre commented

We have been overwhelmed with the volume and strength of feeling of those who have contacted us to express their condolences since Jim’s death.  Over the past 40 years Jim not only established and developed university teaching and research in learning disability, he also made a great difference to the lives of  disabled people and their families through his personal contact with them and his impact on policy and service change.  We will miss him greatly

Professor Mansell started his career in the field of intellectual disabilities when as a student at Cardiff University he set up a student charity and worked with other students to support people with intellectual disabilities to move out of a large long-stay hospital where conditions were very poor.  He later moved to work with Albert Kushlick setting up homes for people with severe and complex needs.  After founding the Tizard Centre, recognised as the leading UK Centre for University teaching in intellectual disability, he led an extensive programme of consultancy and his research focused on improving the quality of services for people with intellectual disabilities.  Most recently he appeared in the BBC Panorama’s exposure of abuse at a residential home for people with intellectual disabilities and autism, calling for it to be closed down.