Since joining the Foundation, Jill has worked on projects relating to children and young people with learning disabilities and mental health problems and on family support. 

Her current projects include:

• What about Us? – a two year research project in partnership with the University of Cambridge to help young people with learning disabilities. The project is working with pupils, students and teachers to develop more positive approaches to educational inclusion in mainstream schools and colleges.

• We can Dream - a small pilot project combining the transition into adulthood, person centred approaches and individualised budgets for young people with autistic spectrum disorders.

• Learning for Leadership – a programme for participants with learning disabilities to develop their knowledge, skills and behaviour to become innovative leaders.

One of the main strands of Jill’s work at the Foundation has been around the recognition of the emotional needs of young people with learning disabilities. Making us Count was a programme of research that funded four projects looking to improve access to high quality mental health support. Following this, the Foundation has developed further work in this area.

Jill is now involved in a project looking at the well-being of pupils with learning disabilities in mainstream schools and has consulted with young people about what they want from services. She is also facilitating action learning sets to improve access to services and support for children and young people with learning disabilities and mental health problems.

Before joining the Foundation, Jill managed a family support service for children with autism for a London borough. In this role, she supported families from diagnosis, developed support groups, ran training for all family members and organised conferences with renowned speakers in the field. Previous to this, she worked as a nurse therapist on a specialist team for children and young people at the Bethlem Royal and Maudsley Hospitals.

Jill is an RNLD (Registered nurse for people with learning disabilities) and has a degree in Psychology.

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