CQC's Out of Sight report: Restraint, Segregation & Seclusion - One Year on

Following the untimely death of her youngest child Oliver, Paula has dedicated her life to campaigning for better health care for people who have autism and learning disabilities. In 2018, Paula successfully launched a parliamentary petition asking for doctors and nurses in England to receive mandatory training in Learning disability and Autism awareness.   

Following the repeated detention of her autistic son Tom in in Assessment and Treatment Units (ATUs), Kirsten is now an advocate, activist and campaigner for the rights of people with disabilities and autism.  

Professor Anna Arstein-Kerslake is an internationally recognised legal academic in the fields of human rights, disability rights, and gender justice. She has published widely in these areas, including her recent books, Restoring Voice to People (Cambridge University Press 2017) and Legal Capacity and Gender (Springer 2020).  

Sam Leonard established Blue Ribbon Health & Wellbeing in February 2016 and has worked in social care all her career. She has worked with adults and children with all kinds of Learning Disabilities, complex needs and people with Autism. 

Brent is the Head of Operational Support for Blue Ribbon Health & Wellbeing

Liz is a Professional Officer with BASW (British Association of Social Workers) England and a qualified and registered social worker. She has written a number of blogs around guidance for people with Autism and Learning disabilities which are published on the government’s adult social work website.  

Ian has worked in social care for the last 34 years. The last five of which have been as a Community Engagement Advocate with Advocacy Focus. Ian works as an advocate but also promotes advocacy in Lancashire, works with community groups to promote self-advocacy. Ian is also the champion for communication within the organisation and enjoys breaking down complex information into easy to understand formats. 

Christine works for Advocacy Focus, a provider of high-quality advocacy services across the North-West. This means helping people understand their rights and express their views – including those affected by mental health, autism or learning disabilities.  

Gary has been in the Self-Advocacy movement since 1984 and was a founder of the People First Movement in the UK when it began in September 1984. He is Co-Founder of Learning Disability England and a campaigner for people with learning difficulties, civil disability and human rights. He actively supports the rights of people with learning difficulties and promotes change 

Julie Beadle-Brown is a Professor in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities at Kent and Professor in Disability at La Trobe University, Australia. She has played a key role in developing the use of e-learning and distance learning at the Tizard Centre. 

Eilionóir is an Established Professor at the School of Law and Director of the Centre for Disability Law and Policy (CDLP), National University of Ireland Galway. She represents the CDLP on a number of projects in the fields of access to justice, active citizenship and disability (DISCIT), and legal capacity reform (PERSON) and has written multiple books on these subjects.  

Mark is a multi award winning social care leader and campaigner. He is Director for NACAS UK, Business Manager for ECL Care Company and Founder of the Social Care Club and The Caring View shows. Mark is an experienced and award winning Health and Social Care professional who thoroughly enjoys the responsibility and challenge of growing a business, using his experience of social care and leading teams combined with operational and commercial expertise.