Dr Mark Kilsby

Mark was a Senior Research Fellow at Cardiff University who has been involved in the research and development of alternative approaches to supporting people with learning disabilties for the past 2 decades. During this time he has produced numerous peer-reviewed research and report publications relating to Supported Employment, alternative day services and the transition of teenagers with a learning disability from school into work. He is frequently asked to make keynote presentations in the UK, and Europe. Mark has also contributed considerably to the development, writing and publication of learning materials for educational and training courses. He has been on the front line of Supported. Employment service development from its UK inception in the 1980s, including the research, development and establishment of 2 supported employment services in South Wales. Mark is currently working closely with a number of Local Authorities to help them to develop and plan the modernisation of their day services.

Julie Allan

Julie has been involved in Supported Employment in Canada for over twenty years. During this time she has established a growing national and international reputation as practitioner and innovator in the field. She developed and founded the Youth Supported Employment Project model in Alberta Canada. The project has proven success and she has been instrumental in setting up similar projects throughout the USA, Canada and more recently the UK. Julie has an established reputation as an advocate for the rights and full inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of living and has worked closely with family based community living organizations. Julie’s reputation has led her to make numerous keynote speeches at major conference venues and she has been actively involved in values based training for service organizations for over 14 years.

Welcome to the Website of Julie Allan and Mark Kilsby.

We believe that people with learning disabilities have the right to lead valued and meaningful lives as fully participating members of our society and that services can be developed to better meet these aims.

Our Services

We are a small business enterprise that aims to assist local authorities to develop services that meet the above aims. We are passionate about our work and between us (Mark and Julie) we have over 40 years of experience in this field. We offer consultancy and advice on strategic development issues, research and evaluation of current circumstances and also provide training and educational courses to front line management and service staff. We are also happy to get our hands dirty, and we have been at the forefront of implementing innovative approaches alongside service managers, deliverers, parents and carers and of course most importantly, the clients themselves. The ‘About Us’ page provides more detail of these services.

Guiding Principles and Goals

Our services are guided by the principles encapsulated in Social Role Valorisation(SRV) approaches. These state that services should be tailored to support people with disabilities to become active participants within their local communities, and not set up in a way that separates them out and alienates them from society. This requires services that support clients to more fully engage in integrated education, employment and leisure activities and develop confidence to make their own decisions and plan their own life destinies. These goals also reflect current UK Government guidelines, policies and initiatives for developing services for people with learning disabilities and their families in the UK.

Developing best Practice

Although this is a major challenge, we believe that the potential for service change is increased significantly when proven models of good practice are developed, implemented and sustained as a partnership between the person with a disability, their families and local social, health and education and employment services.

Contact Details

Telephone:

02920 333707

Email:

enquiries@kilsbyandallan.co.uk

Kilsby & Allan .co.uk - Mark Kilsby & Julie Allan: Developing better Services for people with learning disabilities