PARADIGM UK - Key Persons
Damian spent his early career managing in different sectors and industries. He finally found Social Care in 2013.
Starting as a support worker for a Learning Disabilities Charity, Damian found that this is where his heart and skills belong! Being able to make a difference is what matters, empowering a voice and enabling independence as he works alongside people who needed support, families and teams is something that just feel natural to Damian.
David's central interest is in working with other people, organisations and social networks, locally and globally, to promote the development of 21st Century communities which are both sustainable (that is, living in harmony with our planet) and include everyone as equal citizens.
The previous CEO of Three Cs, a London-based social care organisation, Jo Clare believes it is possible to create an environment in which everyone, including the most profoundly disabled people, can discover and use their strengths and abilities to make valued contributions to society, to their own lives and the lives of others.
Kamila recently joined the Paradigm team and is our ‘go to' person to support the efficient running of our work. Kamila brings her passion for life, her love of organisation, desire to learn and eye for detail to our small team.
As a Brazilian woman, with Portuguese as her first language, she even accepted the challenge of creating one of our resources in Welsh!
Katie has worked with people with learning disabilities for 30 years and is passionate about supporting people to live a life that makes the most sense to them.
As a Partners in Policymaking graduate, Katie is a firm believer in working in partnership with the supported person, their families and wider circles of support.
She is skilled at creatively planning with people to support them to take up their rightful place in their community.
Laura Broughton, works as an Associate for Paradigm, an Expert by Experience with Choice Support, and for the Care Quality Commission (CQC) since 2010. In her work, Laura contributes to inspections of learning disability service, age-related or mental health support.
I'm a parent, sibling, cousin and aunt and have lived my life alongside people with learning disabilities working for change. I've retired from full time work which has included advocacy, mediation and person centred planning. I love working with families to change expectations and find practical ways to thrive. I'm passionate about using Supported Decision Making to enable everyone to have gloriously messy lives that never give up on opportunities to lean, grow and try something new.
My name is Michelle McDermott.
I work alongside Sally at Paradigm to co-deliver training on things like The Reach Standards. I love telling people about The Reach Standards so that they can improve their how they work and the service they provide. I also love engaging with all the participants.
I also work at Thera Trust as the Co-Chair alongside Sally. I like the role because I love chairing meetings. I am the one with the lived experience and the learning disability so I can share my experiences, skills and knowledge.
I am a parent, an artist and a recovering economist. All my training prepared me for something unexpected and parenting was it. Complex and amazing already, my life changed and became enriched by our son Rowland. He is a high support needs autistic person with severe learning disabilities and is non-verbal and he has the most infectious laugh and sense of joy I have come across.
Sally is the driving force and passion behind the work of Paradigm, including: The Reach Standards Practical Guide, The Gr8 Support Movement, Individual Life Designs, Planning Together Events and most recently The Gr8 Chat & Brew.
Sally Warren is Paradigm's Managing Director and it is her experience, creativity and passion that infuses all of our work:
Sammy is an Expert by Experience; a woman who loves life and who has, in recent years, truly grabbed her rights to live a good life!
Sammy works with Paradigm as a Co-Faciliator on our Reach Support for LIVING courses.
I am a co - director of Getta Life with Julie Smith. Getta Life supports people with learning disabilities to live in their own homes, many of whom have had traumatic pasts and have what would be considered to be ‘complex needs'.
Sue has worked in the voluntary sector since leaving school, in voluntary and paid roles. Sue is currently the Managing Director of the Aldingbourne Trust, a West Sussex based organisation which supports people who have a learning disability with jobs, education, arts, training, homes, leisure and friendships. Sue likes change, challenge and shaping creative solutions.
Tim has worked with people with a learning disability for 30 years, as a support worker in a village community, as a supporter to a People First group, an advocate, as a Person Centred Planning Co-ordinator and now as a Special Projects Manager. As the years go by the job titles get more cumbersome, but the focus of his work remains the same!
Tony, from ‘Glowyerownway' has worked with people with learning disabilities for over 15 years, most recently as CEO of the Elfrida Society, where he facilitated the co-production of an inclusive wellbeing strategy for the organisation.