Meet the team

Dene leads Pathways Quality Checker Programmes and facilitates a number of co-production groups between experts by experience and public sector colleagues.

Dene leads mindfulness programmes for people with disabilities, people with autism, their families and workforce. His work includes leading the NHS Improving Access to Psychological Services ,Valuing People Now Project and a three year mindfulness program for MerseyCare NHS Foundation Trust : to increase workforce wellbeing.He also provides mindfulness for physical intervention training agencies to reduce restrictive practices.

Dene holds an MBA, is a Registered Nurse for People with Learning Disabilities and a Zen Meditation Teacher.

Vicki supports our Cheshire Merseyside Social Care Confirm and Challenge group, facilitating co-production between disabled people, families and public sector colleagues to improve outcomes in our communities.

Vicki is passionate about independent advocacy, equality and human rights. As an experienced statutory and community advocate she supports disabled adults and children to have their voice heard across a range of issues affecting their lives.

Vicki supports us in sharing the stories of disabled people and their families to influence policy through our research and evaluation work.

She has a BSc in Psychology and an MA in Disability Studies.

My name is Mark Shackleton. I am a Conference friend and have helped organise the Blackpool Self Advocates Conference since 2011, including helping with planning, preparation and running workshops.

I am really excited to be involved with the Oliver McGowan MandatoryTraining in Learning Disability and Autism.

I will be helping to prepare and run the training for staff. I have a Learning Disability and Autism myself and I think it is important that people with lived experience are involved in running this training because we are the ones who know what good support feels like.

Mark is a great role model to people in a similar situation and a very active member of the team.

Pauline leads our work on Personalisation and person centred skills and approaches, across our adult, older peoples and children’s programmes. Pauline has many years experience across the statutory and voluntary sector at senior levels assisting people with autism, forensic needs as well as people and children with disabilities to get the support that is right for them.

Pauline is a qualified social worker and executive coach and self compassion practitioner.

Pauline co facilitates the cheshire mersey confirm and challenge - co production work with social care partners.

Pauline has been delivering wellbeing and resilience coaching for teams and individuals across health and social care.

Pauline also designs and delivers bespoke workshops in life planning and circles of support planning.

Jason is a young man with a disability who is the CEO of I C Jason Rhodes Ltd and is subcontracted to the North West Regional Forum through Pathways. He has adapted to the role of MC (calls it ‘Showrunner’) and is best known for his catchphrase ‘I’m Back!!’. He has a skill for producing Easy Read documents and can spot any spelling mistake.
After each conference he does a Newsletter and a ‘Rogue’s Gallery’ for the best pictures.
Jason has done admin for most of his working life and after a long time of filing, faxing and photocopying he felt he needed something more. After setting up I C Jason Rhodes (his own company) he found a flair for event management and being a comedy compare. He became known for the remark ‘now that’s comedy’ but not as famous as his catchphrase.

Jason is now an accredited co-trainer for the Tier 2 Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training course which he is really enjoying helping to deliver.

When he is away from the work scene Jason can be found playing pool Watching TV (sport or comedy, some historical stuff) He writes a few children’s fantasy stories (nothing good enough for publishing) and spending time with his family and keeping up with the latest news on his favourite football team Blackburn Rovers as he has been a season ticket holder for many years. In his spare time, he writes his own Rovers match reports for the all the home league and cup matches he attends.

Kath has worked as a Pathways Associate for a number of years. Kath’s background is with young people and education, but as a parent/carer felt unsure of the way forward until she went on a parent leadership course which challenged her thinking and she became more involved in her local area working with systems. Passionate about inclusion in all aspects of life, she believes in person centred values underpinning all we do.

Working regionally and nationally, Kath delivers training, attends meetings where she tries to be a positive disruption to a service focused way of thinking and co-produce the way forward.

Kath believes strongly in developing communities through focusing on people’s strengths, and working with our varied and wider communities to ensure everyone has a voice and is a valued citizen.

Kath is mother to four young people and a very proud Mancunian. Kath loves meeting people from all walks of life and believes that there is more that unites us than divides us.

Andrew will be supporting Mark in his role as conference friend and trainer.

Andrew used to work as an occupational therapist in mental health services around the North West, and more recently as a personal assistant in Lancaster.

Kim is a qualified social worker, person-centred planner and best interest assessor. Kim has worked in the public sector for over 30 years supporting people with learning disabilities and their families. She is passionate about the rights of disabled people and a supporter of the advocacy movement and self-directed support.

In her spare time, she loves spending time with her son and daughter, cooking, trips out with family and friends and looking after her cat Tinkerbell.

Lead Trainer and Membership Support Officer
Tony is a qualified lecturer and worked in education for over 30 years latterly supporting Autistic adults, people with mental health issues and learning disabilities within a forensic setting.
Tony is an Expert by Experience with 6 children, one of his children, Emma, happens to have Downs Syndrome.
Tony brings his experience as a Dad and Lecturer to the team and works as an Expert by Experience at Care Education and Treatment Reviews.
Tony has also co-delivered ‘Families as Partners’ training working with colleagues within Health, Education and Social Care settings to support and understand the family dynamics that work when being supported by services.
Tony, along with another colleague, are lead trainers that deliver the preferred training by the government for Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training.
Tony is our Pathways Membership Support Officer and helps us share information with Members and continue to grow our membership so we can connect with as many people as possible.
In his freetime to relax Tony plays Sax as well as trumpet and bass.

Cathy is an experienced and competent office administrator/Manager, having great organisational skills. She co-ordinates the subscribers information and provides regular communication to all the team at NWTDT/Pathways, making sure associates are kept informed of new guidance and practice. Cathy is a whiz at proof reading and can spot a mistake from a mile away.

Cathy has also taken on the HR role organising contracts and DBS checks for anyone who does work for the company and more recently some finance jobs including preparing payroll for our employed staff.

For most of her career before NWTDT/Pathways Cathy worked in the travel industry as a travel agent and tour operator. Her passion for travel remains and she regularly holidays in the UK and more recently abroad with her daughters. Festivals and Gigs are a big passion and she tries to get to at least 1 festival a year and as many gigs as money will allow!!