Who We Are
The Inclusion Institute is a national and international centre for learning, evidence, innovation and practice on inclusion with the person, in the community, through co-production. We are part of the International School for Communities, Rights and Inclusion (ISCRI) at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan)
The Inclusion Institute Team
The team is led by Professor David Morris, and supported by a team of academic and development associates and other thematic leads
Prof. David Morris
David Morris is Professor of Mental Health, Inclusion and Community at the International School for Communities, Rights and Inclusion, University of Central Lancashire and Director of the Inclusion Institute. He also holds a Visiting Academic Associate post at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, London. Prior to this, he was founder - Director of the cross – government National Social Inclusion Programme (NSIP) at the National Institute for Mental Health in England.
As NSIP Director he worked with universities, professional colleges, primary and specialist mental health services and a wide range of statutory and non-government organisations beyond the mental health sector as well as key UK Government Departments. He contributed to the work of the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit on inclusion and its Social Exclusion Action Plan (2006) and led delivery of the key action points of that report for employment and mental health, supporting the development by the Cabinet Office of the cross-government Public Service Agreement on Social Inclusion.
With a professional background in social work and management of Mental Health services in local authority social care, David has worked in statutory and voluntary sectors, central and local government, social care and health, where he led on mental health and community services for South Thames Regional Health Authority, then the South East Region of the NHS Executive. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Academic Associates
Dr Fabian Davis, Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Alison Gilchrist
Alison worked for many years as a community development worker in inner-city neighbourhoods in Bristol and has been active in various local and national networks, including SCCD/CDX. For eleven years she taught community and youth work at the University of the West of England and during this period undertook doctoral research into the value of networking for community development. This was published as ‘The well-connected community: a networking approach to community development’, by The Policy Press with the 2nd edition coming out in July.
In 1999 she joined the Community Development Foundation as their Regional Links Manager, responsible for CDF’s work with regional levels of government. In October 2003 she was appointed to the post of Director, Practice Development and brought an equalities perspective to this area of work. Alison has gained experience in policy work completing a three month secondment in the CLG’s Community Empowerment Delivery Division.
Alison has recently embarked on a freelance career as a consultant offering skills in research, training, organisation development and policy advice. She can be contacted on Alison@AlisonGilchrist.co.uk.
Prof. Steve Onyett. MSc. PhD. C. Clin. Psychol. AFBPs
Steve is well known nationally and internationally for his work in team work and case management in mental health. He now works more widely as a solution focused coach, facilitator, team developer and researcher (see www.steveonyett.co.uk ) and has a background in clinical psychology. His many associations include work as a Senior Development Consultant for the South West Development Centre, a Leadership Development Associate with the Kings Fund, and Visiting Professor at the University of the West of England.
Steve has held a wide range of clinical, research and management roles and has published widely, including “Teamworking in Mental Health”. Steve co-edits the International Journal of Leadership in Public Services and led the national “Developing Effective Leadership for Social Inclusion” initiative within the National Social Inclusion Programme.
Hári Sewell
Hári Sewell is an independent consultant and former executive director of health and social care in the NHS and is a writer and speaker in his specialist area of ethnicity, race and culture in mental health.
He has worked as an expert panellist with the Department of Health and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. He is Associate Editor of the Journal Ethnicity and Inequalities in Health and Social Care and is on the editorial board of Journal of Integrated Care.
Hári Chairs the national Social Care Strategic Network (Mental Health) and is part of the Marmot Review of Health Inequalities post 2010. His booking ‘Working with Ethnicity Race and Culture in Mental Health: A Handbook for Practitioners’ was published in October 2008. See www.harisewell.com
Development Consultants
Christa Drennan
Christa has worked in various roles in the NHS over the past 16 years, including primary care, acute hospitals, and both commissioning and provider trusts. She began her work in mental health as a counsellor and psychotherapist, moving on to service development and management across primary and community care, including general practice and multi-disciplinary healthy living centres. She designed, developed and implemented adult mental health services and community bridge building services in East London.
She was an Assistant Director with the National Social Inclusion Programme for three years, with a particular focus on community participation, children and families, and arts and culture.
Christa currently works for the North East London Foundation Trust as an Assistant Director, leading on children and adolescent mental health, perinatal mental health and learning disability.
Naomi Hankinson
Naomi qualified as an occupational therapist in 1985 and in the early years she worked in mental health services, in both professional, general and project management roles.
In 2001 Naomi joined the North East London Mental Health Trust as joint Director of Therapies and was later seconded for two years to the National Social Inclusion Programme (DH) leading on workforce. This role, initially funded by the College of Occupational Therapists, was then funded directly when she became an Assistant Director (Evidence and Innovation) at NSIP, producing the Capabilities for Inclusive Practice, which made a valuable contribution to the social inclusion agenda.
In addition, Naomi provided support to develop New Ways of Working for both occupational therapists and AHPs working in mental health services.
Naomi is a Non-Executive Director of a mental health and learning disabilities hospital, as well as working as a consultant in health and social care. She is a Visiting Fellow at London South Bank University and is engaged in qualifying as an executive coach.
Naomi was voted on to the British Association and College of Occupational Therapists Council as its Chairman in June 2009, initially for one year.
Stafford Scott
Stafford Scott is a Freelance Consultant, from a grass roots background, who specialises in Race Equality, community engagement, community involvement and community leadership initiatives.
Stafford has worked with marginalised and vulnerable communities for over 25 years now; most notably on the Broadwater Farm estate in the 1980’s where he developed and pioneered a number of community based, self help initiatives. He went on to become Director of the Bernie Grant Trust’s ‘Community Leadership Programme’, where he developed programmes to build the leadership capacity of BME community activists across the UK.
Whilst working at the Department of Health on its Pacesetters programme Stafford was able to use his extensive knowledge of the impact of marginalisation on ‘seldom involved’ communities when writing A Dialogue of Equals. This guide was written to support the NHS to improve its track record in engaging with the most vulnerable and marginalised communities across the UK.
Whilst working on the Communities of Influence programme Stafford was able to help Foundation Trusts to consider ways in which their membership could be better utilised to support the improved social inclusion of service users.
Workstream Leads
Val Huet (SRAsT, BA Fine Arts (Sculpture) , Dip. Group Psych., MA Art Therapy, MA Organisational Consultancy)
Val trained in Sculpture at Camberwell School of Art and qualified as an Art Therapist in 1986. She has practised since then in Adult Psychiatry and later within a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service. She is also a qualified Group Psychotherapist and Organisational Consultant. From October 1992 until July 2003, Val taught at Goldsmiths College on the Post-Graduate/MA Art Therapy Training.
Val is the Chief Executive Officer of the British Association of Art Therapists, a post she has held since 2003. She also works as a consultant within organisations and as a private supervisor. She co-founded the Art Therapy Practice Research Network with Neil Springham and Dr Chris Evans in 2000 and has been actively engaged in it since.
Ben Taylor
Ben has a background working in and managing mental health services in the voluntary sector. He is currently the Deputy Chief Executive at Bromley Mind.
For the last 2 years Ben has had a national lead role regarding the modernisation of mental health day services, initially for the National Social Inclusion Programme and latterly with the Inclusion Institute. Major pieces of work have included the review ‘From segregation to inclusion: where are we now?’, the Outcomes Framework for Mental Health Services and the establishment of the National Day Services Modernisation Network.
Expert Associates
The Inclusion Institute has a team of Expert Associates who contribute to and work in partnership with the organisation, ensuring a co-productive approach. The team includes:
Gerry Bennison
Gerry is an independent trainer and consultant in the fields of health and social care, especially pertaining to Mental Health. He trains for a number of academic insitutions and organisations to MSc and CPD Level and has established a number of innovations in promoting participation and involvement.
Gerry is a long-term user of Mental Health Services and has direct experience of the exclusion that arises from the differing aspects of stigma and discrimination and from the differing perspectives held in terms of socio-economic structures. Gerry also hopes to promote meaningful inclusion and societal participation for all through his differing activities and involvement.
Michael Osborne
Michael is a Service User Consultant with the Nottinghamshire NHS Healthcare Trust.
Michael has had forty years of experience of mental health issues, mainly with a depressive illness, with extensive use of a variety of secondary care services including hospitalisation. He has close contact with other with service users, and is a member of several mental health committees and working parties. He works with Mind and with NIACE, and has always supported and worked for Social Inclusion.
Robert Walker
Robert has a wide variety of experience, both in paid and voluntary work, gained within the public and private sectors. In 2007 he successfully completed a qualification In Leadership and Empowerment in Mental Health at John Moore’s University, and in December 2009 he was made a Fellow of the Institute for Mental Health.
Robert is an IAPT NW Board Member, a Support Worker Advocacy in Wirral Bridges Project, a was a member of the Ministry of Justice Legal Services Commission Client Diversity Group. He was also an expert consultant for the National Social Inclusion Programme. He is committed to empowering service users and carers to integrate effectively into the community helping them maximise their full potential.
ISCRI Associates
Jo Hicks
Education and Community Engagement, Community Leadership Curriculum Development
Imran Mirza
Housing and Community Engagement
Manjit Bola
Community Leadership Curriculum Development