Action Learning Associates
Penny
Waterhouse
I work with small local and large national community and voluntary groups and, from time to time, with health and local authorities. I have direct management experience of running large-scale services (London Borough of Haringey) as well as experience in influencing the shape of service provision (London Voluntary Services Council and Citizens Advice Bureaux). Most of my work has involved the development of services through a variety of methods: research, evaluation, management, organisational and team development.
I am interested in finding ways to make services more appropriate to local communities and in a way that is co-operative rather than competitive. I have a particular interest in working in areas that remedy exclusion. I have been freelance for 12 years and am white. I am one of a two-partner public sector consultancy.
I have deliberately developed a varied portfolio of work. This includes:
- Strategic planning
- Research and feasibility work
- Social policy and service development
- Quality assurance and standards
- Organisational and management review
- In-house management and team development
- Facilitation
- One-to-one support and supervision
I have facilitated Action Learning Sets as part of a programme of organisational and management development in two local authorities: London Borough of Greenwich and Brighton & Hove, the latter working with Action Learning Associates. I have also facilitated sets for Creative Partnerships staff across the country.
My work ranges across many issues and topics: health and social care; early years; housing & homelessness; legal and advice services; refugees; older people; disability; user involvement. Recent clients include: Age Concern; Citizens Advice; Lewisham Primary Care Trust; Social Action for Health; DIAL UK; London Advice Services Alliance; Derman – Turkish/Kurdish Speaking Community Agency; Action Learning Associates.
Examples of reports and publications include:
- Improving the Quality of Employment Advice: findings and recommendations (for the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux)
- Getting Positive Results: a research report describing user needs, service satisfaction and advice outcomes (for Camden CAB HIV Project)
- Refugees and the use of Mental Health Services in Kensington and Chelsea (for the Migrant and Refugee Communities Forum)
- `Look Here!', A Handbook of Community Services for Early Years Staff (for the Early Years Network)
- Does Training Work? - an evaluation of HIV/AIDS training (for the Federation of Independent Advice Centres)