Type of service: Training providers, Training providers

Website: http://www.focal-ct.co.uk

Barbara Blyth of FOCAL Consultancy & Training specialises in the delivery of autism and TEACCH related training. Currently as an Associate Trainer for the NAS she delivers courses in-house, nationally and at national/international conferences. She has been an Associate Lecturer for The Open University for ten years. Her training and consultancy business has been established for over fourteen years. During this time she has established an excellent reputation working with education, health, social care providers, and parents and carer organisations, delivering training in autism spectrum disorders, management of challenging behaviour and TEACCH. As a qualified trainer she provides well-resourced interactive training, which is based not only on experience but also on knowledge gained through specialist TEACCH training received in England and the USA. There is a major demand for these services and training has been delivered in house to Local Authorities - Education, Social Services, and Health Service Trusts, and Carer Organisations as well as to service providers in the Private and Voluntary sectors in the UK and overseas. Barbara has wide ranging experience as a practitioner, having worked with children, young people, and adults with learning disability over a period of 35 years, in particular with those having challenging behaviour and those on the autism spectrum. This covers education, social services residential management (children, young people, and adults,) working with and supporting parents, managing play schemes and out of school projects on a city wide basis. As a former Manager for the City & Guilds Advanced Management for Care course she lectured, and supervised related project work for Care Managers from a wide range of services, and now provides training in Supervision Skills and Team Building in addition to her ASD & TEACCH related training. Barbara has a degree in social psychology, including special needs and philosophy of mind, and has a qualification in teaching adult learners. A previous post with the National Autistic Society was as Training and Conference Manager, regularly assessing training needs and developing and managing training courses nationally. Barbara wrote the text for the NAS Signpost website, and contributed to the writing and collating of materials for the NAS help! project. She is a team member of the Autism Services Accreditation Programme, and has also provided study, advisory support and advocacy for students with special and mental health needs. She is a member of the UK TEACCH working party which organises the UK TEACCH Conferences at University College Northampton. All other FOCAL trainers are well qualified and experienced.

Aimed at: Professional

Gender: All genders

Specialisms: Has autism-specific elements