Associates
AIM uses a number of associates to deliver acredited training course on our behalf; they include;
Richard Swann, Independent Consultant & Trainer and AIM Associate.BA, MA, MSW, CQSW, PGCert, AASW, GSCC Registered.
Richard has worked within the field of Social Care for 18 years as a practitioner, manager and trainer. Over the last 10 years he has specialised in investigative assessment and therapeutic interventions with children and young people at risk of harm having undertaking additional post qualifying training at the Tavistock Clinic, London, the University of Sussex and the University of East London. Since 1999 Richard has developed a specialist interest in the provision of assessment and treatment services for children and young people who harm sexually. Between 1999 and 2002 Richard helped to re-establish a group work programme and family therapy service for adolescent males who sexually harmed for a local authority multidisciplinary child protection service in Brighton. Between 2003 and 2006 he managed a specialist community-based psychotherapeutic service for children and young people who sexual harm in Surrey and has delivered training at local, national and international events and conferences. Between 2006 and 2007 Richard has worked as a Senior Clinical Therapist at the Lucy Faithfull Foundation – an independent child protection agency that specialises in the assessment and treatment of adult and adolescent sexual offenders and their families. This work included supporting the Stop It Now national helpline and provision of a group work programme for adults arrested for Internet offences. In 2005 Richard developed his independent practice as a Social Work Consultant and Trainer. His portfolio includes independent expert assessments for civil proceedings; team-based consultation and supervision; supervision training and delivering assessment and intervention skills training in the field of child sexual abuse. Currently Richard also undertakes inspection visits to local authority children’s homes and special residential schools under Regulation 33, Children’s Homes Regulation 1991. He is also a visiting lecturer at the University of Surrey MSc Forensic Psychology Dept, Brighton University’s Social Work Dept. and is an associate member of the British Association of Social Work (BASW).Since January 2006 Richard has worked as an Associate Trainer for the AIM Project and has assisted in the development of the training programme. Currently Richard is developing training programmes regarding the assessment of young people who have downloaded and/or distributed child abuse images on-line. It is anticipated that the AIM Project will publish guidance for practitioners on Internet offending later in 2008.
Christine McCarlie Christine has been a social worker for over 20 years. She previously established and managed the Halt Project, a community resource in Glasgow for children and young people with problem sexual behaviours.She now works as an independent Social Worker in this field offering a range of services including consultation, training and direct work to local authorities and voluntary organisations. She is also a consultant to a number of specialist projects in Scotland providing services for children and young people with problematic sexual behaviours. She has worked intensively with one authority in particular helping to develop a multi agency service for children and young people with problem sexual behaviours. This has involved extensive training and the production of a risk management protocol which is currently being used by several local authorities.She is an associate trainer for Children 1st and the Scottish Institute for Residential Child Care as well as being an associate trainer for AIM.She co-authored the Chapter “The Extra Dimension: developing a risk management framework “ in Children and young People who sexually abuse: New theory, research and practice developments” Ed Martin C. Calder (2005).
Carol Carson
Carol Carson is an independent trainer and consultant, and also works as a Child Protection Co-ordinator for Leeds Children and Young People’s Social Care. Carol has experience of working in education, residential care and field social work settings. She has experience of direct work with children and young people who display sexually problematic/harmful behaviours and in supporting staff that work with these children. She has developed guidelines for the AIM project on understanding and managing sexually problematic/harmful behaviours, for staff working in residential and foster care and education settings and an assessment and intervention manual for staff involved in working with younger children.
Julie Henniker
Julie Henniker is the manager of the AIM (Assessment Intervention Moving on) project which since January 2000 has developed and implemented policies, procedures, assessment models and a range of interventions in respect of children and young people who sexually harm. The project works on a multi-agency basis across the 10 local authorities in Greater Manchester, training and supporting frontline practitioners to deliver assessment and interventions.Julie’s background is in local authority child protection social work, before moving on to specific work at the NSPCC with adults who sexually offend and children and adolescents who sexually harm, on both a groupwork and individual basis. She has undertaken research for the Youth Justice Board, mapping responses and services to young people who sexually offend. She has contributed to the Youth Justice Board’s Effective Practice Paper in relation to this group and has co-authored a number of chapters on the subject. Julie has extensively presented the projects work at national conferences and provided training and consultation to managers and practitioners both in Greater Manchester and nationally.
Vince Mercer AIM Project
Vince Mercer is responsible for developing restorative approaches within the AIM Project. AIM (Assessment Intervention Moving on) project since January 2000 has developed and implemented policies, procedures, assessment models and a range of interventions in respect of children and young people who sexually harm. The project works on a multi-agency basis across the 10 local authorities in Greater Manchester, training and supporting frontline practitioners to deliver assessment and interventions.Vince’s background is in youth justice, having spent over twenty years as a group worker, juvenile justice worker and Team Manager.Since 1999 he has been actively involved in the development and promotion of restorative approaches to youth crime. He established and ran the Greater Manchester Family Group Meetings Project for over 5 years before joining AIM with the specific remit to explore and develop the potential for an integrated approach which included both the offender and victim perspective. He has published work in this field, addressed international and national conferences as well training extensively with the UK and abroad.