Trainers

Ann White holds a BSc (Hons) in psychology and sociology, and qualified as a Social Worker in 1974. She has worked almost exclusively as a trainer and social work consultant since 1991.  Although her main expertise is in Children’s Services training, she has worked across health and social care organisations, and specialises in team building and development work. Ann has particular expertise in staff safety and Managing Challenging Behaviour training for staff working in care settings, and has developed and delivered training in this area of work. She has extensive experience of training in child development and communicating with children and young people. She has also delivered training on the Framework for Assessment, and Whole Family Assessment for adult services. Ann has particular expertise in working with service users, including young people, in the delivery of training.
Ann is qualified to NVQ Level 4 in Training and Development; her style is informal and highly participative.

 

Stephen Sweetlove. MBE, Cert.Ed. is a Fellow of the British Association of Physical Trainers and holds the Home Office, National Police Training and Centrex Trainer of Trainers Certificate (internationally accredited).  He also holds a Certificate of Education (Adult and Further Education), and Health and Safety management certificate from the Institute of Safety and Health (IOSH).
Stephen has specialised in personal safety and conflict management training on a full time basis over the last twenty years. During this time he taught personal safety to staff from the police, local authorities, health authorities, drug outreach workers, the military, special forces and VIP protection teams. He also helped to write the national police personal safety manual and co wrote the British Army personal safety/self defence manual. He was awarded the MBE for his work in promoting personal safety in the police service.
Stephen has been able to very successfully adapt his approach to the sensitive issues characterising work in the social care field, particularly in working with vulnerable adults and children. He believes that physical interventions should rarely be necessary in this setting and used only when all de-escalation and conflict management techniques have proved insufficient.

 

Dino Armagan is a professional conflict management instructor, and also holds the national Police Training Certificate. He has many year’s experience of work in promoting staff safety in both public and private social care organisations.

Dino works closely with our social work trainers in staff safety and managing challenging behaviour programmes. He specialises in conflict management, de-escalation, breakaway and restraint techniques.  As well as being practically focused, his courses are designed to be enjoyable and have a significant team building benefit.

 

Caroline Thompson holds an MA in Social Policy, and is a qualified social worker with many years experience as a practitioner in child care, Child and Family Guidance, as a Guardian as Litem and within the health service as a former non executive director of a healthcare trust.  Caroline was the part time training coordinator for the ACPC in Northamptonshire from 1995 until January 2003 since when she has worked as an independent trainer and consultant with etc.  Caroline has designed and delivered child care and child protection training with both a single and multi agency focus, and has lectured on a social work training course. She has completed the DH Training for Trainers course on the Framework for Assessment and has delivered courses to a number of local authorities. Her areas of special interest are policy and research development, representation of children’s views and addressing the needs of supervisors and managers.
During the last three years she has also worked with Dartington i, an offshoot of Dartington Social Research Unit, implementing a series of ‘common language’ practice tools developed by Michael Little.  Last year Caroline developed and delivered an induction and appraisal programme for overseas social workers in South Wales, on behalf of etc.  She continues to deliver training, develop training strategies and also undertakes some direct practice within LA child protection settings.
Caroline has recently completed an ILM ‘Educating the Educators’ course.

 

Ruth Dalzell  CQSW, DipSW.  Ruth is a highly skilled trainer and consultant with many years experience in the field of children and families work.
Until very recently she worked for National Children’s Bureau where for the past 9 years she has instigated, managed  and delivered practice development projects, consultancy contracts, policy activity, conferences, seminars and training courses and has  developed a highly regarded network for children’s services managers and planners.
She has considerable skills in project and team management, training and facilitation, communication and dissemination and writing for publication.
She has sound social work skills in field work, family placements and youth justice gained during 12 years of direct social work practice with children and families.
Ruth has a particular interest in promoting participation of children and young people in planning and service delivery, and establishing innovative and creative methods of direct work.

 

Cath Hickman holds the DiPSW, the DipHE, a First Class Honours degree in Applied Social Studies and Counselling Skills, and a Masters degree in the ethics of Social Work.

She has 14 years experience of working in Probation, Youth Justice and Youth Offending Teams. She is also a tutor on the Diploma in Social Work course at Oxford University, and on the Open University bridging course for Northamptonshire County Council. She is qualified in training trainers, and is an accredited practice teacher. She has delivered courses on behalf of etc to Youth Offending Team staff and to ISSP staff