Team Biogs

Gail has worked with people who have an intellectual disability for 39 years during which time she has gained experience of working in both Health and Social Care settings.

Gail began her career working on a child psychology assessment unit in a long stay hospital and was later involved in supporting adults into community settings. In 1990, she was part of a team who opened a Community Resource Base providing sessional activities for people living in the community, either in residential care or with family carers.

In 1991, Gail managed a Social Services Special Care Unit for people with profound and multiple disabilities, before going on to lead a specialist Challenging Behaviour Unit. She spent the next five years developing a successful Behavioural Outreach Service. Gail has experience of reviewing ‘Out of County’ placements and of joint working with the Learning Skills Council.

For many years Gail was a member of the Inclusive Communication Essex (ICE) project promoting alternative communication methods for people with learning disabilities. This was an Essex County Council partnership with North and South Essex Primary Care Trusts.

In 1999, Gail gained both a Diploma in Applied Behaviour Analysis at the Tizard Centre and a Diploma in Public Sector management.

For the last four years Gail has worked for Consensus developing the Positive Behaviour Intervention Team supporting residential and supported living services, and also Community Resource Centres across the country.

Wendy has worked in the LD sector for over 30 years, beginning her career in the medically orientated culture of care, delivered within large NHS hospitals and now works as a Behaviour Practitioner for Consensus, covering the south east region.

She has worked in a variety of settings covering day centres, community LD teams, and specialist schools and colleges.

When new staff attend her Positive Behaviour Support workshop, they experience what life for our clients was like 30 years ago, by watching ‘Silent Minority’- a documentary made in 1981 at two large hospitals in the South of England.

Wendy says this powerful documentary reminds us that we may change the environments where people live, but until we change peoples values and attitudes about what this vulnerable client group are asking for and need, they will continue to remain a silent minority.

Wendy’s interests are Positive Behaviour Support, autism, social stories and visual scheduling.

She is a Specialist Nurse Practitioner in autism and has completed the Graduate Diploma in Applied Behavioural Analysis at the Tizard Centre.

Tay has been a practitioner within the learning disability, autism, challenging behaviour fields for over 23 years. His experience includes working with children, adults and those transitioning between these age groups.

Tay has worked across various settings including day services, residential and outreach teams, within the local authority, education and private sectors.

He joined Consensus in January 2009, as a member of the Positive Behaviour Intervention Team.

Stephen graduated in 2004 with a degree in Experimental Psychology. This led him to working within the NHS as an Assistant Psychologist and later as a Trainee Psychologist. During this time he worked specialised in adult mental health and older adult specialist support.

Stephen has worked in the field of learning disabilities and challenging behaviour since 2007. He has worked both as a senior support worker and joined Consensus as a Behaviour Practitioner in 2010.

Stephen is currently studying for his Diploma in Applied Behaviour Analysis at the Tizard Centre, University of Kent, which will be completed in July 2012.

Dr Margaret Wilson has played a central role in developing Consensus’ specialist support for people living with autistic spectrum conditions since 2007.

Beginning her career in health and social care in the 1970s, Margaret has specialised in supporting people with autism for 15 years, completing a PhD in the subject in 1997. Her various roles include London Early Autism Project Director of Clinical Services, where she provided both clinical and organisational leadership, as well as Senior Lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University and Thames Valley University. Margaret has contributed to several books on issues around disability and autism, and is the author of Tales from the Table, five accounts of early intensive behavioural intervention.

Margaret has worked exclusively with children on the autistic spectrum for the past eight years, providing early intensive behavioural programmes. Her work also includes supporting children in school, advising teachers and school staff on facilitating learning and development for children on the autistic spectrum.

Outside of her work at Consensus, Margaret contributes time and expertise to charitable services that help support children and young people with complex needs in other countries. She currently supports a number of projects in Romania, Croatia and Togo.