We are very pleased to welcome two new Associates to our team...
Clive Smith and Pat Davies.

Biographies.

Pat Davies

Pat trained and worked as a primary teacher in the northwest, where she gained experience from early years to key stage 2. This experience, including a placement in a specialist communication unit, stimulated an interest in the role of speech, language and communication in children’s emotional and social development.
As a SENCo in a primary school setting she developed her knowledge and understanding of the extensive range of special educational needs that children may bring to their life in school and of the structures and legislation that support them.
In 1998, Pat brought her skills and knowledge to the newly formed Wigan Behaviour Support Team and was instrumental in developing and implementing a wide range of practical, class-based strategies to help teaching staff to support and manage a wide range of emotional, behavioural and social difficulties. She has maintained an active connection with the classroom throughout her 13 years as an advisory teacher by demonstrating and modelling strategies in whole class, group and 1:1 situations.
She has linked with speech and language therapists and other external agencies to develop materials to enhance the language and communication skills of underachieving children and was a key contributor to the development of Nurturing Talk, a joint enterprise with “Education Bradford” and “The Nurture Group Network”,
Pat has been active in the promotion of Nurture Groups in the North West and demonstrates her ongoing commitment to nurturing practice by providing advice, training and support.
Through her links with a locally-based charity, Pat has also increased her knowledge and understanding of the issues surrounding those affected by domestic violence (DV). She has provided support and advice to victims of domestic violence and encouraged schools to consider the impact of the trauma of DV upon the children who witness it.


Clive Smith

Clive has developed a wide ranging knowledge and experience in supporting children and staff with special educational needs throughout a career in education spanning more than thirty years.
A key focus throughout his work has been developing approaches to help children with the most severe challenging behaviours. He was involved in the development of a service in the northwest to reduce the reliance on residential care for children with severe learning difficulties and extreme challenging behaviour building his skill in the areas of behaviour management, communication and alternative technology.
His knowledge of developing technology lead him into working closely with children with profound and multiple handicaps working with staff and children to provide support based on the developing technology for augmentative communication and sensory stimulation. During this period he developed training materials and ran national courses in these developing technologies. He was involved with several national working parties guiding the development and use of materials supporting such technology. He wrote several papers and articles on the use of multi sensory equipment for children with sensory, communication and autistic spectrum difficulties.
He utilised these skills when he was appointed to Lancashire’s team supporting children with social and communication needs and specifically those diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum. During this time he was instrumental in facilitating the integration of children with ASD into mainstream settings providing training and support for teaching staff and schools.
Since 2000 he has been a member of Wigan’s Behaviour Support Team directly supporting pupils with emotional, behavioural and social difficulties throughout Wigan’s primary schools. He utilised his extensive knowledge of special educational needs to develop greater understanding of the implications of autism, ADHD throughout the authority and to ensure schools could meet the diverse needs of such children.
His work has been underpinned by the notion of challenging behaviour as a form of communication and a drive to understand what the child is telling us.