MENTORING WEST MIDLANDS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Specialist Mentoring Staff Member
- Senior Specialist
Adrian Lett, Senior Specialist Mentor - Ade has 15 years experience in various aspects of the criminal justice and related support services. Upon leaving the Royal Navy as a young adult, he worked as a youth engagement officer in Young Offender Institutes supporting young people through their sentence as well as delivering non accredited programmes. He then worked for Prison Service HQ writing national policy and procedures as well performance managing drug services in prisons nationally. Following this he worked in prison based public protection before delivering the Thinking Skills Programme and Restorative Justice; Adrian also acted as a mentor for young people moving into the adult prison system. Prior to working for Mentoring West Midlands, Ade was the Restorative Justice Coordinator for a pilot project in Worcestershire and then worked in a specialist children's residential home; he holds a Level 3 Award in Education and Training.
Amelia Waterhouse, Genus Project, Child and Family Pathway Wkr. (Sth. Yorks and Humber) - Amelia has a year's experience in working in custody engaging in partnership delivery with Offender Management Units to work with prisoners and their families. She worked for Barnardos prior to that supporting their family interventions work and previously with young people in sports and wellbeing. Amelia holds a BA Hons in Social Policy and Criminology and had undertaken training in professional assessments.
Amie Wilson, Specialist Mentor - has over 14 years experience of working with young people from various complex backgrounds, she has specialised in working in the criminal justice arena specifically in relation to 'gangs' and youth violence; she has also managed a supported living accommodation for elderly people which she did during a three year career 'gap' and has worked for MWM delivering programme based interventions in custody . Amie holds a BA Honours in Social Care, Criminology and Criminal Justice and a level 5 Teaching Diploma; she also possesses an OCN Level 3 in Youth Work, an OCN Level 2 in mentoring and an NCFE Level 1 in Conflict Management and Mediation.
Andre Wilson, Specialist Mentor - Andre has 5 years experience working with high-risk individuals involved in gangs & serious crime in the West Midlands helping individuals reduce their involvement in this while also providing them with a different perspective to lead their life; during the same period of time he also project managed delivery of joint enterprise workshops in schools & youth offending teams all across Birmingham. He has also gained 2 years experience re-engaging hard to reach students back into education, helping develop interventions to reduce behavioural issues within this environment whilst working within alternative education. Andre holds a BA Hons Degree in Graphic Communication and a BTEC National Diploma in Design.
Administration Officer: Carol Ward, Carol has 34 years of secretarial and administrative experience. 28 years were spent with an Accessible Transport company that concentrated on providing vehicles for people with mobility problems which then helped people maintain their independence. Carol is adept at working in the background providing support to management and colleagues who are on the 'front line'; she holds a Pitman HR Assistant Diploma Level 2
, Carol has 34 years of secretarial and administrative experience. 28 years were spent with an Accessible Transport company that concentrated on providing vehicles for people with mobility problems which then helped people maintain their independence. Carol is adept at working in the background providing support to management and colleagues who are on the 'front line'; she holds a Pitman HR Assistant Diploma Level 2
IQA - Julie Zangaro, Internal Quality Assurer (IQA): Julie is a Qualified and Experienced IQA, Assessor and Trainer who specialises in Education, Training, Development and Employment. She is a skilled professional with extensive knowledge and experience of working within private and public sectors, for over 20 years. Julie started her career working within several prisons 20 years ago so comes with much frontline delivery experience in Barbering, Business Studies, Customer Service, Functional Skills, Employability. Julie has taught in Schools and Colleges from Apprenticeships to FE, and has volunteered as mentor to troubled children and teenagers coming out of care.Julie's roles are to assist and support our trainers and our robust Quality Assurance System through IQA of our NCFE accredited learning packages via learning centre delivery.
Chloe Hassall, Child and Family Pathway Wkr. (East MIds) - Chloe has over 5 years' experience working within different sectors supporting children and families within the community. During this time she has worked with children and young people with learning difficulties, disabilities and complex behaviour needs. She has worked closely with relevant agencies and professionals to gain funding and support needed within service user's homes. Chloe holds a Level 3 in Specialist Teaching and Learning and Level 3 in Art Therapy.
Chris Dyer, Director - is a 30 years' experienced professional in the criminal justice arena, and set up Mentoring West Midlands in its current format in December 2012; previously, from May 2011, it was a specialist consultancy. He is an operational deliverer 'by trade' and the former Strategic Lead Officer for Urban Street Gangs and Reducing Gang Violence for Birmingham. A professionally accredited 'high risk' mediator, mentor and experienced trainer, he holds a Level 3 Certificate in Education and Learning and Designated Safeguarding Officer status and is a qualified Care Manager and provides day to day management and leadership within the organisation. Chris leads on all external, professional staff training.
Chris finished working as an Approved Advisor of The Home Office's Ending Gang & Serious Youth Violence Peer Review Team in 2016, who he worked with for close to 4 years; he remains part of the national working group. Previously, whilst working as a senior officer for Birmingham Community Safety Partnership he had specific responsibilities for jointly leading and formulating the city's safeguarding responses to vulnerable and high risk young people, with a view to limiting their involvement in criminal gangs and organised crime; he was also part of the Multi-Agency Gang Unit management team and Vice-Chair of Birmingham Reducing Gang Violence 1 (BRGV1) the city's main tactical, partnership group. Chris' career in the criminal justice system spans 30 years, as does his operational delivery and senior management experience. He started working in the field of 'extreme emotional and behavioural difficulties', managing and delivering residential programmes for young people aged 10-22, who had committed serious sexual and violent offences. He is a former Senior Consultant for the national charity Crime Concern (Catch 22 in its current form) and his career also includes significant success in social business development, change management and creating, managing and personally delivering programmes of work for some of the country's most challenging and dangerous people.
His work was nationally recognised with a British Community Safety Award in 2001 for his work in the Low Hill Neighbourhood Safety Programme and internationally recognised in 2004, when he received the European Crime Prevention Award whilst working for Crime Concern as a senior consultant, seconded to Birmingham to run the city's Safer Neighbourhood Programme.
Daniella Deehan, Genus Project, Team Leader/Child and Family Pathway Wkr. - Daniella has 4 years experience within the prison system working with prisoners and their families to help reducing reoffending and intergenerational offending through the use of 1-1 case work and group courses. She previously worked with children subject to child in need plans and child protection plans as a support worker in contact centres and residential homes. Daniella also completed voluntary work in pupil referral units when completing her university degree; she holds a Foundation Degree in Working with Children, Young People and Families and a Level 3 in Education and Training.
Sarah Stanley, Genus Project, Child and Family Pathway Wkr. (East Midlands) - Sarah has over 9 years experience working with individuals with complex needs including domestic abuse and homelessness, many within the Criminal Justice System. She began her career in a refuge supporting women and children fleeing domestic abuse; working with the families offering 1-1 therapeutic support and delivering the Freedom Programme. This experience led Sarah to then work within the adult homeless sector within a hostel setting. Sarah then moved on to HMPPS and has spent the last 3 years working in several prisons as part of their resettlement team; in this role Sarah has predominantly worked with offenders within the Integrated Offender Management framework along with co-delivering the Foundations of Rehabilitation programme. Sarah holds a BA honours in Crimonology and an NVQ level 3 in Probation Practice.
James Mcelderry, Child and Family Pathway Wkr. (North East) - James has 7 months experience running specialist training and support programmes in custody and prior to that 6 years experience working as Team Leader in a residential children's home working with young people with learning difficulties, complex needs and presenting challenging behaviours. Before this he worked as a learning support assistant and cover support supervisor within secondary eduction. James holds a Level 3 in Education and Training, City and Guilds Diploma in Residential Childcare and Diploma in High Education in Sports, Health, Leisure and Media.
Leah Halkier, Operations Manager - Leah has worked in the Criminal Justice System for the last 7 years supporting women in custody and community who are extremely vulnerable and hard to reach and more recently men in the criminal justice system whilst with MWM. This has involved providing 1-1 support empowering service users to change behaviour by tackling entrenched habits and beliefs, a multitude of poor coping mechanisms aswell as often dealing with presenting crises. As part of this role Leah has supported service users through parole hearings and those under MAPPA arrangements, hospital orders and through court and family care proceedings. Leah played a key role in implementing and developing these support and intervention services in HMP New Hall and across the West Yorkshire area ending up as Senior Worker; and then moving into programme management with MWM. Leah holds a First Class Hons Degree in Criminology, a BTEC National Diploma in Health and Social Care and NCFE Level 3 Award in Education and Training.
Sarah Stanley, Genus Project, Child and Family Pathway Wkr. (East Midlands) - Sarah has over 9 years experience working with individuals with complex needs including domestic abuse and homelessness, many within the Criminal Justice System. She began her career in a refuge supporting women and children fleeing domestic abuse; working with the families offering 1-1 therapeutic support and delivering the Freedom Programme. This experience led Sarah to then work within the adult homeless sector within a hostel setting. Sarah then moved on to HMPPS and has spent the last 3 years working in several prisons as part of their resettlement team; in this role Sarah has predominantly worked with offenders within the Integrated Offender Management framework along with co-delivering the Foundations of Rehabilitation programme. Sarah holds a BA honours in Crimonology and an NVQ level 3 in Probation Practice.
Solomon Griffiths, Specialist Mentor - Solomon has worked in the field of mentoring for close to 12 years, starting within the 'high risk' conflict management arena and then also through prisons, schools, colleges, community organisations and more, engaging with challenging and complex individuals usually in circumstances were acute support and assistance is required. He holds a Level 3 OCN Certificate in Mediation and Mentoring Skills.
Job Titles:
- Specialist Mentoring Staff Member
- Senior Specialist
Tremayne Blair, Senior Specialist Mentor - Tremayne has over 10 years experience of developing and delivering sporting programmes to students of all ages across the East midlands; previously he worked abroad on large football camps whilst also delivering mentoring interventions and support. In this work, he has engaged with key partner agencies developing innovations in partnership with parents, carers, children and young people designed to offer more accessible, understandable and responsive care for young people with challenging disabilities; also, at his prior workplace, he was responsible for creating a specialist PE curriculum to schools that that was delivered across Nottingham and Derbyshire. Tremayne holds a BA Honours Degree in Sports Coaching and Teaching.
Yasmin Brickwood, Genus Child and Family Pathway Wkr (Sth. Yorks and Humber) and HMP Deerbolt, Family Programme - Yasmin has 10 years experience working with children and young people. Yasmin has spent the last few years working with families delivering different parenting and behaviour courses, and working alongside education settings and Children's Social Work Services to ensure the best outcomes for children and their families; this has included working on child protection case work and child in need plans. The adults that she has worked with had varying levels of need including mental health concerns and drug and alcohol support requirements. Yasmin is trained in Restorative Practice and Motivational Interviewing to support adults to make positive changes to their and their families' lives and holds a BA Honours in Supporting Young People, Children and Families and is currently completing an MSc in Psychology.