Meet The Team:
Management:
Chris Dyer, Director - is a 30 + years' experienced professional in the criminal justice arena and set up Mentoring West Midlands in its current format in December 2012; previously from May 2011 it was a specialist consultancy. He is an operational deliverer 'by trade' and the former Strategic Lead Officer for Urban Street Gangs and Reducing Gang Violence for Birmingham. A professionally accredited 'high risk' mediator, mentor and experienced trainer, he holds a Level 3 Certificate in Education and Learning and Designated Safeguarding Officer status and is a qualified Care Manager and provides day to day management and leadership within the organisation. Chris leads on all external, professional staff training.
Chris finished working as an Approved Advisor of The Home Office's Ending Gang & Serious Youth Violence Peer Review Team in 2016, who he worked with for close to 4 years; he remains part of the national working group. Previously, whilst working as a senior officer for Birmingham Community Safety Partnership he had specific responsibilities for jointly leading and formulating the city's safeguarding responses to vulnerable and high risk young people, with a view to limiting their involvement in criminal gangs and organised crime; he was also part of the Multi-Agency Gang Unit management team and Vice-Chair of Birmingham Reducing Gang Violence 1 (BRGV1) the city's main tactical, partnership group. Chris' career in the criminal justice system spans 30 years, as does his operational delivery and senior management experience. He started working in the field of 'extreme emotional and behavioural difficulties', managing and delivering residential programmes for young people aged 10-22, who had committed serious sexual and violent offences. He is a former Senior Consultant for the national charity Crime Concern (Catch 22 in its current form) and his career also includes significant success in social business development, change management and creating, managing and delivering programmes of work for some of the country's most challenging and dangerous people.
His work was nationally recognised with a British Community Safety Award in 2001 for his work in the Low Hill Neighbourhood Safety Programme and internationally recognised in 2004, when he received the European Crime Prevention Award whilst working for Crime Concern as a senior consultant, seconded to Birmingham to run the city's Safer Neighbourhood Programme.
Current representative and strategic activity:
- West Midlands Police Independent Advisory Group on Domestic Abuse
- Safer Walsall Partnership, Serious Youth Violence Group
Specialist Mentoring Staff:
Saleena Khatoon, Senior Specialist Mentor, OHID Delivery - Saleena has over 9 years of experience supporting a range of vulnerable people from the homeless community to adults with safeguarding needs. Whilst studying for her degree she worked at Leeds City Council, engaging with highly vulnerable children helping them back into education. After completing her education Saleena spent two years working as a support worker for adults who lacked capacity residing in a care home; she then spent 5 years working in different services within a housing association, most recently redeveloping a 22 bed medium to high needs hostel in Coventry for adult ex-offenders. At the same time, she launched the opening of the second hostel in Coventry and also has 3 years experience working in the Syrian vulnerable person resettlement programme. She has redeveloped training documents for staff focusing on trauma informed practice, handbooks for service users, created and implemented new efficient ways for staff of operating to service contracts and is experienced in dealing with highly demanding incidents. Saleena holds a BsC in Forensic Psychology and a NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care.
Adrian Lett, Specialist Mentor, Coventry - Ade has 15 years experience in various aspects of the criminal justice and related support services. Upon leaving the Royal Navy as a young adult, he worked as a youth engagement officer in Young Offender Institutes supporting young people through their sentence as well as delivering non accredited programmes. He then worked for Prison Service HQ writing national policy and procedures as well performance managing drug services in prisons nationally. Following this he worked in prison based public protection before delivering the Thinking Skills Programme and Restorative Justice; Adrian also acted as a mentor for young people moving into the adult prison system. Prior to working for Mentoring West Midlands, Ade was the Restorative Justice Coordinator for a pilot project in Worcestershire and then worked in a specialist children's residential home; he has worked for MWM for over 6 years and leads on our work with high risk DA perpetrators and high risk young people; Ade holds a Level 3 Certificate in Education and Training and Level 3 Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Daniel Scates, Specialist Mentor - Dan has worked for 11 years in children's residential care, 9 of these in a managerial role; his main service user group was young females that have been victim to CSE and also young people with convictions for violence and sexual offences. He has helped deliver therapeutic in-house programmes to help young people better regulate and manage their emotions. For the 12 months prior to working for MWM Dan has been working in a supported living setting helping vulnerable 16-18 year old care leavers develop their independent skills ready for them to go on and gain their own tenancy. Dan holds an NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care, Children and Young People.
Yvonne Banks, Specialist Mentor - Yvonne has close to 30 years experience of working with people considered hard to reach and other complex casework. This experience stretches over specialist residential social work with young people involved in sexual exploitation, serious offending and displaying severe emotional and behavioural difficulties, custody based mental health units for young adults and community based support for those furthest from the jobs market; Yvonne has completed much in-service training.
Ray Walters - Specialist Mentor - Biog to follow..
Solomon Griffiths - Specialist Mentor - Biog to follow..
New Staff starting 26.2.24 - Biog to follow
The Genus Programme and our other team in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber:
Sarah Stanley, Genus Project, Senior Child and Family Pathway Wkr. (East Midlands) - Sarah has over 9 years experience working with individuals with complex needs including domestic abuse and homelessness, many within the Criminal Justice System. She began her career in a refuge supporting women and children fleeing domestic abuse; working with the families offering 1-1 therapeutic support and delivering the Freedom Programme. This experience led Sarah to then work within the adult homeless sector within a hostel setting. Sarah then moved on to HMPPS and has spent the last 3 years working in several prisons as part of their resettlement team; in this role Sarah has predominantly worked with offenders within the Integrated Offender Management framework along with co-delivering the Foundations of Rehabilitation programme. Sarah holds a BA honours in Crimonology a Level 3 Certificate in Education and Training and an NVQ level 3 in Probation Practice.
Amy Dickens, Genus Project, Child and Family Pathway Wkr. (Yorks and Humber) - Amy holds a level 5 in health studies awarded from the University of Huddersfield and previously worked as an Operating Department Practitioner for 5 years in a number of hospitals around Yorkshire. This job role included working in three main areas within the operating theatre; anaesthetics, surgery and recovery, attending crash calls in resus and performing advanced life care. Amy also has experience working within specialised support services for children with brain injuries which included the day to day running of the establishment and providing care to patients such as administration of medication. Amy also holds a level 3 certificate in Education and Training.
Hannah Carlisle, Genus Project & Specialist ETE Mentor (East Midlands) - Hannah has worked in the employment and training sector for over 5 years with specialist experience teaching in custody, as well as engaging high risk and hard to reach individuals in the community and schools. Her specialist areas are working with learners to re-engage them into education or training and progress them into their chosen area of employment whilst working on building confidence and self-esteem for the future. Hannah completed her education in at Leeds School of Art which then progressed to MA research in Design History with a specific interest in Trauma based learning within the creative sector. Hannah holds a PGCE in Post Compulsory Education Training, Bachelor's in photography and MA in Design History and a Level 3 Certificate in Education and Training.
Administration and Back Office Support:
Tracy Jennings, Business Support Administrator: Tracy has 18 years experience in the running of a private child care and education establishment. She handled the financial matters of the business such as client billing, accounts payable, payroll and banking aswell as all manner of oversight on professional practice of services for vulnerable service users and delivery of high quality services; she approaches all aspects of any job with a positive, hard-working mindset, and is passionate about helping find solutions to any challenges. Tracy brings with her an extensive background in customer service and holds an NVQ level 3 management qualification and a Level 3 Diploma and Child Care and Education.
Jade Taylor, P/T Administrator - is currently studying at University for a degree in Health and Social Welfare and has previous working history in customer service.
NCFE Quality Assurance:
IQA - Lesley Wall - Lesley has worked in Adult Education for over 20 years specialising in Early Years Development; she holds DTTLS and QTLS, A1 Assessors Award and Level 4 V1 IQA.
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