About Us

Co Founders

“One Day All Social Care Professionals Will Have Access To Their Own Personal Training Unit”

Gradle Gardner Martin: Qualified Social Worker, Social Work Consultant, Trainer and Author whose published works includes “Front Line Social Workers” ISBN 9781906169190 and “Workers Guide To Stress Management” ISBN 9781906169442. Director/ Owner Elevate Training and Development Ltd.

I was trained as a generic social worker 24 years ago and my interests have been in front line child protection and child hood disabilities. I am a trained British Sign Language worker and have enjoyed supporting workers communicate directly with children and families by using a variety of communication skills. I enjoy supporting social workers and foster carers to achieve job satisfaction by facilitating social care workers to learn and create excellent outcomes for children and families through training, mentoring and modelling social work practices that make a difference to the lives of vulnerable people. My personal self development has resulted in my career progression to the level of Head of Service in Children’s Social Care both private and statutory services.

As a trainer I have managed and developed training units for LSCB’s and delivered training to front line social care and multi- disciplinary workers. I have continued to practice in front line services as a consultant and mock inspector. My company Elevate Training and Development Ltd has continued to provide on site and online training to local authorities, individuals, social care recruitment companies and foster care agencies since 2004. My interest in communication through the arts has resulted in my  creating a new ART THERAPY COURSE  for individuals and practitioners at The Gallery, London
View Gradle Gardner Martin’s profile

Lorraine Tapper: Profile; Experienced Trainer, Consultant, Independent Social Worker, NLP Practitioner, and TimeLine Therapy™ Practitioner specialising in the area of Child Care.  A Leadership Coach working to develop people personally and professionally within the public, private and voluntary Sector.

I work as a Freelance Trainer and Life Coach.  I hold the Certificate in Social Services, Certificate in Training Practice (C.I.P.D), Certificate in Groupwork Training for Social Workers and Health Service Staff, The City & Guilds Teaching Certificate, Training the Trainers Assertiveness, and NLP Practitioners Certificate.

I have practiced as a social worker since 1986 in a range of Children’s Service’s. I set up my own business as a Trainer, & Life Coach in 2003.  I also work for Elect Partnership, Minds Eye, New Directions and Protocol Professional as an associate trainer.  I have designed and delivered group-training courses since 1993 to foster carers, social workers, and private individuals.  Should it be required, I am able to design deliver and evaluate training that has been customized for a client’s particular training and development needs

I am committed to the personal and professional development of foster carers, social workers, and others in the range of caring professions.

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Our Experts & Trainers

Dr Martin Webber: Lecturer in Social Work, Programme Leader, MSc in Mental Health Social Work with Children and Adults
Learning & Teaching Co-ordinator, Institute of Psychiatry King’s College London
Martin has kindly contributed case studies and information on his research for download on our site. He also has his own blog ” Musing of a social Work academic”

 

Sandy D’silva:  CQSW, Dip SW, MA  Human Rights and Equal oppournities

Sandy is a qualified social work consultant and trainer whose published works includes a chapter in the Paediatric and Adolescent Gynaecology and a chapter in Positive Residential Practice.

Sandy qualified as a social worker at Keele University in 1980 and has over 30 year experience in social work . she has worked as a medical social worker, in children and families teams, as well as in adoption & fostering and Youth offending teams. She has extensive expertise in Safeguarding training in particular working in multi displinary settings. She has designed and delivered training the trainer courses in various settings. Sandy was a part time tutor at Liverpool University on the MA in social work course for 5 years from  1993-1998.
She also worked as a trainer for Fostering Network and has developed recruitment and assessment tools for foster carers and adopters , she undertakes independent post adoption counselling and supporting foster cares through allegations.
Sandy has worked for the last 15 years at the Tate Gallery in Liverpool  designing  and delivering courses for multidisplinary  professionals around the benefits of expressive arts and mental health . She also has international experience as she trained child care staff in south Africa in 2008.

 

Paul Cocking: CQSW, DipSW, MA Group Analytic Psychotherapy

Paul qualified as a social worker in 1987 and has over 20 years of experience in direct work with adults in the field of mental health. In 2004 he obtained an MA in Group Analytic Psychotherapy at University of London and has increased his expertise in, group work, risk assessments and the application of care programme approach, safeguarding vulnerable adults and older people.  He has worked within the NHS, therapeutic communities and Local Authorities in London & the Home counties.  He has acted as a representative at the Windsor Conference for Therapeutic Communities.

 

Michael D. Watson: CQSW, Diploma in Applied Social Studies

Michael has been a qualified social worker since 1986 and has over twenty five years post qualified experience of direct work with children and families and with child protection.
For sixteen years, since 1994 he was a Children’s Guardian and Independent Social Worker and continues to work as the latter. He is an Expert in the family court assessing children’s needs and risk and parents or carers capacity to meet their needs. The court regularly asks his views on issues regarding children’s contact with parents and family members and he has substantial skills and experience in providing coherent evidence at court.
Michael has worked with a wide range of people who have learning disabilities, mental health issues, and substance misuse problems as well as people who have overstayed and whose first language is not English. He enjoys working with diversity and has delivered training to practitioners on managing diversity. Michael is currently a coach to parents who have separated and are going through the family court process how to get the best results from the court system. You can obtain more information about this unique service here FAMILY COURT COACHING SERVICE

 

Dr. Frank Barnhill is a family physician with 29 years experience. He is the author of Mistaken for ADHD which lists the 52 conditions that can mimic ADHD. His website is www.mistakenforadhd.com.

 

Marina Amaral qualified as a Social Worker In 2004 at the Portuguese Catholic University.  She has completed a Postgraduate Diploma in ‘Specialization in Project Administration/Partnership Management’ and a Master’s Degree in ‘Planning and Evaluation of Development Processes’, both qualifications were related to Social and Community Project Management.  Her research explored the relation between theory and practice in the social work practice in two mental health hospitals in Portugal.  Marina is currently undertaking a PhD at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland about the experience of care leavers in transition to independence, particularly those suffering from depression.  She has also recently begun a Distant learning Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with the Institute of Concealing, certified by the University of the West of Scotland. Marina has included her research papers for download from our site.

Our Trainers experience
Over 24 years experience of working as social workers in the UK
University Lecturers
Mulit Agency Trainers
Published Social Work authors
Registered with General Social Care Council UK

Additional Services

Recruitment Services
Visa and Immigration Services
Housing/ Accomodation Service
Career Advisory Service