The examples of my work outlined below are intended to give you a flavour of more recent projects :

JUNE 1st 2010.

As of July 5th 2010 I will be working as a Development Consultant with the National Development Team for Inclusion (www.ndti.org.uk) on the Older Peoples programme. Initially I will be working with the team for 3 days per week, rising to 4 days per week from 1st September 2010. Please contact me directly for more information on this work and/or if you have any other enquiries.

2010.

 I am currently continuing (as an NDTi Associate - see below) to work on the development of a Toolkit (age discrimination and age equality) for NHS and Local Authorities.

From late January onwards I will be running Action Learning Sets for Futures at Knightstone, which will continue into the early summer.

I have also been approached to run service user empowerment and involvement training for Supporting People providers in Bournemouth, during the early summer of 2010.

My work on environmental and sustainable development issues with TENP (see below) continues, as does my work with the Alliance (Herefordshire).

I am becoming ever more interested in issues and ideas relating to inter (multi) generational working and am hoping to develop these areas of interest into something more tangible, as the year progresses.

And, I still sell photographs through our website: www.thestudioatpenrallt.co.uk  and/or directly from the Studio.

2009

In July 2009, following an assessment centre and formal interview, I became a member of the Affiliate Pool of the Audit Commission, (www.auditcommission.gov.uk) .

I have also been appointed as an Associate Consultant with the NAtional Development Team for Inclusion, NDTi (www.ndti.org.uk) and will be working with NDTi on issues and policies relating to older people and ageing, as well as other aspects of inclusion and equality.

During 2009 I am continuing in my role as Coordinator of The Environmental Network for Pembrokeshire (www.tenp.org.uk) and am becoming more involved in working with organisations dedicated to addressing issues relating to the environment and to sustainable development. I have produced environment and sustainable development guidance briefings, and have been involved with advising groups around issues such as the development of Transition Towns and responses to Local Development Plans.

I continue to work as an independent Assessor for the Alliance, a Herefordshire based membership organisation of third sector health and social care providers (www.allianceherefordshire.org.uk).This work involves me as part of a team of people assessing organisations for accreditation to be included on a Register of Approved Providers, a major quality, policy and practice initiative. The benefits for organisations are that they gain an independent and well informed overview of the quality of the providers and the services that they are providing. involved in Quality Asurance work, and am running Action Learning Sets for frontline housing staff.I am currently engaged as an independent assessor for the Alliance, a Herefordshire based membership organisation of third sector health and social care providers (for further information on the Alliance see www.allianceherefordshire.org.uk).

This work involves me as part of a team of people assessing organisations for accreditation to be included on a Register of Approved Providers, a major quality, policy and practice initiative. The benefits for organisations are that they gain an independent and well informed overview of the quality of the providers and the services that they are providing.

In February of 2009, I completed the sheltered housing review for Notting Hill Housing Trust and delivered a comprehensive report, with a range of recommendations, and which has been adopted as a part of the organisation's 5 year strategy for working with older people. This review was very well received by residents and staff alike.

2008

I 2008 I delivered a Diversity consultancy day for medical staff of Northumbria Healthcare Foundation NHS Trust, a number of service user empowerment and involvement training days for Futures at Knightstone, and developed further work around service user issues.

I am also ran two series of Action Learning Sets (focussed around Value Based Practice) with front line staff of Futures at Knightstone.

In May 2008 I began working with Notting Hill Housing Trust, undertaking a review of the sheltered housing provided by the organisation, a piece of work on which I am scheduled to report by the end of December(this was extended into 2009, by mutual agreement.)

My work with the Alliance continued:

Helen Horton, Chief Executive of the Alliance says : " Marc has brought an abundance of knowledge and skills to this task, and his encouraging style of working fits well with the distinct ethos of the acquA accreditation, which combines learning and development with rigorous objective assessment."

2007

Saw the completion of a three year, whole service, Working with Diversity training and action planning programme for Solent Mind. (This work is undertaken as a TUKLO ORENDA Associate).

The aim of this programme was to initially raise questions, ideas and awareness about the impact of discrimination upon all people involved in the work of Solent Mind, and then to endeavour to improve services, practices, attitudes and understanding of the value of taking a diversity centred approach to that work. 

This (Solent MIND) programme was concluded in April 2007 - a brief report and suggested action plan was provided to the CEO and the Board. Participant feedback (predominantly positive) was constantly reviewed and the programme adapted accordingly.

Richard Barritt, Chief Executive, Solent Mind, says : "With Marc you get not only a wealth of knowledge and experience of social care and housing across all needs groups, unique credibility with staff and service users, a reflective and exploratory training style, but poetry too." 

2006

Over the summer of 2006 I worked with Futures at Knightstone Housing Association to run a series of training events for the supported housing department, on service user involvement and empowerment. This programme aims to raise levels of awareness for practicioners, extend and improve upon exisiting initiatives that the organisation has undertaken, and to develop further actions that will progress the work of the Asssociation in this regard. I have a wealth of experience and knowledge in this area of work and am skilled at engaging with service user groups, as well as in developing empathy and understanding amongst staff teams (at all levels).

Paula Rowe, who commissioned this work, says : " Marc recently developed and delivered a bespoke training programme for Futures at Knightstone, who provide housing and/or support to vulnerable people, to further our work on empowering and involving our service users. This training was very well received and has helped us to sharpen our day to day practice as well as contributing to our longer term aims and objectives. we particularly appreciated Marc's responsiveness and empathy to staff, and his ability to adapt the programme as it went along. He produced a briefing report for our department at the end of the the programme and this has fed into a report on empowering and involving clients in Futures, and will be the basis of our future strategy."

During late 2005 and into 2006 I  worked as a researcher for rethink, (working in collaboration with Vanilla ), the major mental health charity, interviewing commissioners, across the country about various aspects of rethink's work. This work has helped rethink to build  a profile of what commissioners want and need now, and also what they will be looking for in the future - aiding rethink to plan and prepare for current and future activity.

Rachel Whale of Vanilla Freelance : " It is wonderful to be able to draw upon Marc's skills and experiences within any project. I particularly valued his research expertise when recently conducting commissioner attitude assessment within the mental health field. When working at a distance and to a demanding timescale it was reassuring to know that Marc would communicate well with all involved and that he would deliver quality results on time. Marc's attitude also means he is a pleasure to work with - always bringing positive thinking and a bit of humour."

ASSOCIATE CONSULTANCY AND TRUSTEE STATUS :

I am an Associate of TUKLO ORENDA, a London based consultancy group who specialise in consultancy and training services relating to working with diversity.

I am also an approved consultant working with ROCC (see www.rocc.org.uk)

I was a  Trustee of Pembrokeshire Mind for 4 years, up until Novemebr 2009.

My extensive experience of being a Trustee as well as working to various Boards myself, means that I have an excellent grasp of the issues facing charitable Trustees/Directors and the ability to empathise with their needs and values, and to focus their thinking on the necessary targets and imperatives.

I am the Company Secretary for Astral Productions (an independent film company).