Who's Who at ARX?
Janet Badger – Chief Officer
Janet has a long history of working in the field of advocacy and managed an Advocacy organisation in the Midlands for 12 years from the early 90’s. Janet worked for the British Institute of Learning Disabilities in their advocacy department and managed the advocacy grant schemes on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government and the Department of Health. This work allowed Janet the opportunity to meet large numbers of locally based advocacy groups in England and Wales and develop good working relationships with them.
Janet currently works in a self employed capacity and some of her most recent work has involved writing a number of the modules for the National Advocacy Qualification. Janet is also an experienced trainer and has delivered significant training in advocacy and the Mental CapacityAct as well as writing e-learning materials on the Mental Capacity Act for SCIE (Social Care Institute for excellence). Janet continues to work as an advocate in a voluntary capacity for her local advocacy organisation.
Charles Hodgson – Chair
Charles was originally the treasurer of ARX from February 2007 and took over the role of Chair in 2010. He has a background in Education but moved to Advocacy in 1994. Charles started the charity Choices Advocacy in Southampton and South West Hampshire, which now employs 24 staff and has more than 60 volunteers.
Over the last seven years he has been involved in founding both regional and national advocacy organisations and produced advocacy standards. He has written and taught advocacy modules at both the universities in Southampton and delivers in-service courses to Hampshire Social Services.
Charles has overseen the writing and publication of three research studies in advocacy and written advocacy volunteer training modules and has been involved in writing some of the National Advocacy Qualification materials.
Shelagh Gleeson - Trustee
Shelagh joined the trustees and is ARX main link with the National Coalition of CA schemes. She is one of the original members of the Coalition executive committee and has been involved with developing the Coalition from its inception. Shelagh retired officially from working in direct advocacy provision in December 2005. Until then she was Coordinator for Sheffield Citizen Advocacy for 15 years. She is currently an advocate with Doncaster Advocacy.
Chris Lee – Treasurer
Chris has been working in advocacy for a number of years. He is currently Chief Officer of Hampshire Advocacy Regional Group (HARG). HARG is a regional network/consortium; its membership consisting of about a dozen independent advocacy schemes from across the county. Its main aims are to:
- Promote independent advocacy in Hampshire
- Identify gaps in local advocacy provision and develop new schemes where appropriate
- Strengthen existing advocacy schemes
- Formalise local advocacy standards
- Engage in dialogue with local statutory bodies and funders
Chris was previously Team Manager and Advocate with a successful and innovative community-based advocacy outreach project, based in a ‘New Deal’ regeneration area of Southampton. This project provided vital advocacy support to some of the city’s most isolated and excluded people.
Alison Flack - Trustee
Alison has been involved in advocacy since the early 1990’s, helping a self advocacy project set up, and in 1994 acting in the role of a Trustee Allie when the organisation became service user controlled. Alison has been an advocacy project manager since 2001, is a founder member of the Hampshire Advocacy Regional Group (HARG), and was responsible for setting up HARG Training. Alison has also worked in social work, research and higher education and was a member of the writing team responsible for creating learning materials for the Advocacy Qualification.