Edvocation® Services Ltd
Inclusion Experts and Specialists in Educational Needs and Disabilities.
A Consultancy, Outreach, Assessment, Interventions, and Training Service.
Expert in Education Inclusion Cultures and Specialising in Autism, ADHD, Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties and Dyslexia.
Working with: Education providers, Health Services, Social Care, Businesses, Community Groups, Families, Children and Young People.
Welcome
Dr Angela Willis CPsychol - Director and Consultant Edvocation® Services Ltd
Ed.D; M.Ed; Dip. Psych (Open –conversion for graduates); B.Ed. (Hons); Post Grad. Cert (Autism and Inclusion); Autism Education Trust Quality Assured Trainer; ADOS 2 and ADIR trained; Nasen Certificate in SEND (Primary/Secondary); Associate Member of the British Dyslexia Association (AMBDA); SpLD Assessment Practicing Certificate (APC); Word Aware trained; Gamewell certified; Nasen Certificate in SEND (Primary/Secondary).
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Recipient of Vic Finklestein Award for Health and Social Care: Research Award for Dedication and Outstanding Achievement in Postgraduate Research
As an education professional with 25 years experience, I have worked with young people from Reception to Year 13 in a range of different settings. These include mainstream and specialist provision; Independent, Local Authority and Academy Trusts.
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My doctoral qualification, my experience as a practitioner and as a recognised Autism Education Trust Trainer, has enabled me to raise awareness, promote good practice and support school leaders development of their vision of inclusion for young people with autism and SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities).
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My background, Chartered Psychologist registration, training and qualifications in child psychology, development and difference enable me to develop in-depth psychometric profiles of a young person's strengths and challenges. This allows me to individualise support programmes and interventions that enhance inclusive practice and policy development in education.
Let us introduce ourselves...
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Jacob Willis - Public Speaker and Advisor
Jacob is a young man with autism. We are privileged to share his journey through his different life and education phases. Jacob is a former member of the Autism Education Trust Youth Panel and inputs his views and experiences of his unique way of understanding the social world to help develop educational policy and practice. Jacob is an inspiration and testament to the achievements he has made from the battles he has faced by 'being different'.
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Andrea Hones - Parent Advisor
Andrea is an experienced educational professional working within post-16 education provision. She has worked extensively with young people who have a variety of needs and diagnoses within mainstream college settings. Andrea is currently involved in the steering group helping form the new Code of Practice for Additional Educational Learning Needs for Wales.
Andrea's professional experience has involved her working with parents to support them negotiate the challenges they often experience as they
negotiate education, health and care systems. Andrea has developed her knowledge of the Special Educational and Disabilities Code of Practice in the variety of roles she has worked in, and she is experienced in attending parent-professional meetings.
Andrea also brings her personal experiences to her specialist role within Edvocation Services. Andrea is a mum with two grown up children, and she has trodden the path to diagnosis. Andrea's personal journey of being a parent and facing the challenges multiple diagnoses can help to shine light on, has helped her to develop a vast toolbox of practical and realistic strategies and approaches to managing behaviours and supporting the parent-child relationship which is at the core of family life.
Andrea's unique professional and personal experiences are truly valued for the knowledge, understanding and compassion she extends to families in her role as Edvocation Services Parent Advisor.
Lucy Underwood
BA, PGCE, NASENCO, AFHEA
Associate Practitioner SEND and Inclusion
Since gaining my teaching qualification in 2006, I have worked in both large town-based and small rural primary schools. I am experienced in teaching across nursery and primary age ranges, although my heart lies in the early years. I have held senior leadership positions as an Early Years Lead and as Key Stage One Lead. I am an experienced SENCo. and Senior Mental Health Lead, and I hold the National Award for Special Education Needs Co-ordination [NASENCO]. I have gained my Post Graduate Certificate
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in Inclusion and Vulnerable Learners, and I now balance my work with Edvocation alongside my role in initial teacher education at the University of Chester. I use my experience and qualifications towards making a difference and to ensure opportunity for each child get the future they deserve.
Olivia Moran
BA, PGCE, NASENCO
Associate Practitioner SEND and Inclusion
I am an experienced SENCo, class teacher, and for the past eight years I have been a Deputy Head in a mainstream primary school. My personal and professional interest and knowledge around SEND matters, inclusion practice has developed from the experiences I have gained through teaching and working in mainstream schooling. This has included children who have experienced adversity and trauma, as well as those with clinical diagnoses, such as Autism, ADHD, ADD, and/or Specific Learning Difficulties, for example Dyslexia and Dyscalculia.
I have a sociological background and my passion over the past 16 years and more of working in education has been to support children, their families, and school staff to ensure each child's achievements, aspirations, and needs are recognised and provided for. This remains at the heart of what I do and the ways I draw upon my qualification and expertise in educational practice, leadership, SEND, and interest in neurodevelopmental, specific learning difficulties, and social, emotional and mental health.
Testimonials
‘I wanted to drop a line to say how much the staff appreciated and enjoyed their training on Tuesday after school. They were particularly complimentary of the way in which Angela made the presentation real with her own experiences. So a huge thank you for a very professional delivery of this presentation and training.
We are all looking forward to booking you again’.
SENCo: North Shropshire
‘Lovely to meet you and great to talk to you as well. On behalf of the school, a massive thank you for your time yesterday evening and for sharing your own personal experiences. I especially loved the onesie story!! The staff feedback has been very positive and it has certainly helped us to possibly better understand some of our children with more challenging needs’.
Principle Multi-academy Trust
‘I can honestly say that the session yesterday was the most useful training on autism that I have had to date in my career, as I mentioned to you last night.
The fact that you have first hand experience of the challenges and realities, and the way they were shared so honestly and openly, gave us all a much better insight into the "stressed parent" than otherwise we would have had. I have spoken to the other staff who were present and they felt the same. I will definitely be making sure that the information is disseminated to the rest of the staff who were unable to attend’.
Headteacher: Shropshire South
Jacob is awesome! Listened to his presentations today and I could really relate to what he was saying. Really inspirational
Young person (18) with autism: Shropshire
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An articulate young man - Jacob captivated me with his humour and his experiences of being autistic. He has really helped me to better understand the difference we can now make. An inspirational presentation!
Local Councellor: Shropshire
'I have recently consulted with Angela about my teenage son who is autistic. All of her advice and support has been great. Angela is very approachable and gives advice that is based on her wealth of experience as a parent and professional. She shows warmth, compassion and sensitivity. Highly recommended'.
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Parent: North Shropshire
Thank you for your support over the past few months.
My staff and I have enjoyed working with you and we definitely feel upskilled, which will support us in providing not just for one individual pupil, but other children as well.
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Headteacher: Shropshire Central
Thank you so much for the assessment report. Staff that have read it already said it is extremely comprehensive and captures him perfectly!
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Assistant SENCo, North Shropshire
Dr Angela Willis is amazing. She is kind natured, empathetic and patient. My son loved her, even when he was upside down on a stack of cushions in boxing gloves trying his hardest to concentrate. If you, your child or someone you know needs help or support, Dr Ange is you lady!
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Parent: Telford and Wrekin.
What people say:
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Building strong relationships in our partnerships is our fundamental belief that underpins the work we undertake with you. Examples of how we work with schools, parents, public, voluntary and private sector organisations is given below:
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i) Schools and Post-16 Education
Time is the greatest cost of being a SENCo/ALNCo. Relentless paperwork and form filling, organising, and attending meetings, initiating and tracking cycles of assess, plan, do, review, making requests for statutory assessment and funding and referrals to Bee-U/CAMHS, advising and supporting parents and colleagues... are all just some of the rigours of your specialist role. At the heart of what you do is a young person who can thrive, with the appropriate strategies and adjustments in place for their needs.
Edvocation service strategic partnership approach is informed by the experiences of SENCo’s to offer:
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a time and cost-effective referral and assessment process
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reports which provides you with robust evidence of your assess, plan, do, review cycle/s to defend your referrals for clinical assessments and requests for additional funding and statutory assessment.
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recommendations that are practical and manageable both in education and home settings
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meetings with parents to advise them on the findings of assessments undertaken by Edvocation Services
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access to expert SEND/ALN and inclusion advice, training, and consultation
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independent professional perspective and representation in review, and multi-agency meetings
ii) Parents
Being a parent is a 'forever learning' journey. There are good times, there are tough times, and there are the daily things that go unnoticed and often seem unappreciated. These are the things that become the daily grind; the things that wear you down and can lead to feelings of exhaustion. The overwhelming feeling of exhaustion is often coupled with frustration and despair when your child's behaviours appear to be different from the child of those people around you, when it is your child who doesn't get invited to parties, screams or hides away in busy, noisy places, who never seems to sleep and who, no matter how many times you ask, just doesn't do what you've said. You start to question if it is you...or your child...
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Edvocation Services provide a cost and time effective triage consultation service to explore your doubts, worries and concerns about autism, ADHD, mood and conduct, and learning difficulties that helps you get a clearer picture of what may be driving your child's behaviours.
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'S/he's alright when s/he's with us'...this phrase, whether said by professionals, friends or family...runs deep into you questioning your relationship with your child, and in feeling that you are not being listened to and that your experiences are not valid. Edvocation Services FAB assessment examines what your experiences as a parent and the behaviours you see in your child. This service can give a formal structure to your 'voice' and can present your views in meetings as a professional's report; in requests for statutory assessment; in referrals to Bee U/CAMHS.
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A diagnosis does not change who a person is. Examining the impact of a diagnosed condition, such as autism, on relationships, access to leisure, social and educational activity, independent living skills and such like, is helpful when planning reasonable adjustments - such as support and interventions, representing a young person, or making applications for funding, for example Personal Independence Payments, Access Arrangement for public examinations or Disabled Students Allowance. Edvocation Services Profiling Assessments are bespoke and provide a professional report that can contribute to identifying specific needs arising from a diagnosis.
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Edvocation Services Ltd is unique in the expert professional and personal experiences and qualifications we can offer you in training, assessment, intervention, and consultancy. Our flexible approach, evidence and experientially informed practice is tailored around individual, community, and family needs. This supports school staff to feel empowered to be creative and to adapt policies, practices and approaches around the individual profiles of pupils; our approach helps families to feel listened to and understood for the unique dynamics and experiences they have; our assessments, recommendations and interventions enable a young person's voice to be heard and provide a unique insight into their individual, social and academic experiences.
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iii) Local Authority, Business, Public and Voluntary Sector and Private Clinical Practice:
Edvocation Services Tailored Consultancy Service allows an exceptional way of working with individuals, teams and organisations to firmly place young people and families at the heart of professional working. We undertake commissioned work as well as working in volunteer roles across education, heath, and social care. We are developing a Professionals Network Collaborative to support young people to access assessments and services across a wider range of professional areas.
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Contact us through our website to organise a no obligation conversation on how we could work in strategic partnership with you.
Edvocation® Services Strategic Partnership Approaches: