Social Worker, Wakefield
Maggie Sykes, RNLD PGC AS
Operational Manager Autism & Learning Disability Service
Maggie has worked in the field of learning disabilities for over 20 years as a RNLD. During this time she has worked in a variety of settings mostly working with people with challenging behaviour and mental health problems; however her particular interest lies in developing quality services for people with Autism & Aspergers Syndrome.
Since joining Autism Care UK she has established quality action groups for Accreditation, developed teaching packages relevant to Autism and Aspergers Syndrome including Person Centered Planning & the care planning process. Maggie is also involved with the Autism Accreditation process, in the form of Team Leader, reviewing other services who wish to be involved in the Accreditation programme.
Particular achievements include presenting a workshop at a conference on PCP & Autism with Paradigm, successfully completing a Post Graduate certificate in Aspergers Syndrome at Sheffield Hallam University, undertaking a PGC in Autism and delivering a poster presentation at the 2nd International World conference on Autism in Cape Town, South Africa.
Nick Hamilton
Community Services Manager
Nick is a trained Social Worker who has worked within private and local authority of social care settings over the last 16 years. He has focused much of his work to support and manage services for people with autism.
He joined Autism Care UK in September 2006 to oversee the work of its Community Services (Day Services, Outreach and Supported Living Services). The excitement of running a quality service, and having direct responsibility for ensuring people are offered appropriate opportunities is in contrast to his previous role. Nick left Autism Accreditation, an arms length department of the NAS to work with us.
In his role as an Autism Accreditation Advisor Nick supported the development of many aspects of autism specific practice in a wide range of services, both with educational and adult sectors. These included large, medium and small ASD specific organisations, and generic providers for learning disability services. Part of this role gave opportunities to conduct regular external reviews of such services to ensure that they met agreed national standards of good practice. This national viewpoint of autism services is a useful addition to Autism Care UK.
Nick also managed an autism specific residential and day service for a private sector organisation for a number of years. During this time he oversaw the achievement of Investors in People and a change in ownership, gained Autism Accreditation, and developed a focus on supporting lifestyles.
Personal experiences of living with foster brothers with learning disabilities, and part time work through his studies has given a strong focus on maximising choice and equality of opportunities.
Dr Waseem Alladin
Head of Psychology & Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Dr Waseem Alladin BA Hons (Lond), RMN, MPhil (Lond), DipClinPsychol (BPS), SoE (Counselling Psychology) (BPS), AFBPsS (Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society), PsyD (Doctor of Psychology, Hull), C.Psychol (Chartered Psychologist)
Currently Head of Psychology & Consultant Clinical Psychologist for Autism Care UK Ltd
Dr Waseem Alladin, originally from Malaysia, is an NHS consultant chartered clinical & counselling psychologist. He is a consultant forensic and clinical neuropsychologist and currently works part-time for Humber Mental Health NHS Trust in the field of forensic psychology and also the Clinical Director, Centre for Work Stress Management/Cognitive Neuropsychology Therapy - a recognised independent NHS Provider Organisation.
Dr Alladin has over 20 years postgraduate experience in the NHS including heading up two psychology departments and several specialities. He helped set up and was the lead consultant for the chronic pain management service for Eastern Hull PCT and has been honorary fellow and lecturer in clinical psychology at the School of Medicine, Hull University. More recently he provided services for an NHS forensic learning disabilities service and a forensic specialist children and adolescents service. He is a specialist in a number of areas including cognitive therapy, clinical hypnosis, transcultural medicine, post traumatic stress disorder and work stress. He has also trained in mindfulness meditation and is interested in integrating spirituality and psychotherapy when appropriate to his clients' needs.
As a warm and caring professional, he is often an invited speaker at national and international conferences and at mental health charities. Recently, he ran an invited workshop at the British Psychological Society's Quinquennial Conference at Manchester University and also presented a paper on 'Integrating Spirituality & Psychotherapy'. He was also an invited presenter to a recent BPS North East of England Branch Conference on Autism and Asperger, speaking on 'Cognitive Therapy and Aspergers Syndrome'. He is also the founding Editor-in-Chief of Counselling Psychology Quarterly: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, entering its 20th year of publication.
Heath Farm
Scopwick
Burgess Care
Leamington Spa
Three Rivers Healthcare
South Wales
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