Meet the Team
Click below to read more about our National Committee members, Expert Advisory Board members and Regional Groups.
To view the pdnet Governance Structure click here.
To view the pdnet Organisational Chart click here.
TBC
North West Regional Chair
Jo Walker
Midlands Regional Chair
jowalker@solihull.gov.uk
Gareth Morcombe
South West Regional Chair
gareth.morcombe@somerset.gov.uk
Caroline Fallon
East and Home Counties
caroline.fallon@peterborough.gov.uk
Julie Jackson
London / South East
jjackson@valence.kent.sch.uk
Tracey Walker
North East
tracy.walker@eastriding.gov.uk
Jane Carter
EAB Chair
Role: Education Delivery Lead: SEND Integrated Services, Warwickshire County Council
My current role is Education Delivery Lead within Warwickshire’s SEND Integrated Services, with overall responsibility for specialist teaching teams, including the local authority’s Flexible Learning Team, working with learners out of school due to ill health.
I have also managed Warwickshire’s Statementing Service. I am an experienced senior secondary leader, having taught in schools in Birmingham, Staffordshire and Wolverhampton.
I have been a Senior European Foundation for Quality Management Assessor for Midlands Excellence and a C4EO Disability Sector Specialist. I am Chair of pdnet, an organisation representing professionals who work to improve outcomes for learners with physical disabilities.
I am also a qualified Coach.
Qualifications: BA (hons), PGCE, PGDM, NPQH
Zara Bowden
NNCPF
Harry Dicks
Treloar's & NAHT SEND Council
Jon Sawford
Whizz Kidz
Jon Sawford joined Whizz-Kidz in October 2016 as the Operations and Services Director.
He has responsibility for Clinical services, young people’s life skills services and Whizz-Kidz NHS Services at Tower Hamlets and Southend Wheel Chair Services.
Jon joined from a lengthy career in the private sector working in FTSE 100 companies across Automotive Services, Financial Services and Utilities in senior operational roles.
Jon is an advanced open water diver and has a keen interest in the welfare of our oceans and the sea life they support.
Joanna Fashan
Whizz Kidz
Martin Littler
Inclusive Technology
Martin Littler has been involved with Assistive Technology for more than 30 years. After a career as a teacher and advisory teacher Martin joined the Special Education Micro-Electronic Resource Centre (SEMERC) as Director in 1986. In 1996 he left SEMERC to form Inclusive Technology Ltd with two friends. Inclusive Technology is now a major supplier of Assistive Technology and services to special education in Britain and the United States.
Martin is currently non-executive chairman of the Inclusive Group Ltd including Inclusive Technology, HelpKidzLearn, and Special World. He founded the British Assistive Technology Association (BATA) and, together with Phil Woolas and Anna Reeves, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Assistive Technology which was launched at the Speaker’s House in the Palace of Westminster in 2017. Martin’s voluntary work includes being a Board Member of the American Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA), a Board Member of the Kingfisher Learning Trust, and a Trustee of the ACE Centre.
Mick Archer
Special Wolrd
Clare Howard
Natspec
With 25 years’ experience in the public, private and voluntary sectors, Clare became chief executive of Natspec in January 2016. Clare worked at the Association of Colleges for six years and her career has included posts in local authorities, funding agencies and in a range of education settings. As a management consultant between 1998 and 2012, Clare worked on more than 200 projects and took interim posts across the education, sport and health sectors, developing a passion for further education and a particular interest in services and education for people with learning difficulties and disabilities. She has worked with special schools, specialist colleges and national disability organisations and her expertise includes organisational development, funding bids, training, change management and governance projects.
Di Caesar
Project Manager
Role: Lead Advisory Teacher, Gloucestershire County Council
My background includes over 30 years of experience of both mainstream and special education sectors including 10 years as a Governor for a local secondary school. I am an experienced manager and have contributed to work streams at a local, county, regional and national level to develop provision and policy which contributes to better outcomes for CYP with SEND.
I currently lead Physical Disability and Sensory teams within Gloucestershire’s Advisory Teaching Service, which comprises a range of professionals and services including Specialist Teachers, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language therapists and specialist roles including Early Years, Mobility and Assistive Technology roles .
I am National Chair of pdnet, a national organization representing professionals who work within the physical disability sector. Since April 2017 I have held the role of pdnet project manager and led work as a strategic delivery partner for the Department for Education through Contract 3 ”Support for children and young people with physical disabilities” www.pdnet.org.uk
Qualifications: M.Ed, BSc (Hons), Dip Ed (Oxon), Dip. Sp.LD, NPQH,
Di Caesar
Project Manager
Role: Lead Advisory Teacher, Gloucestershire County Council
My background includes over 30 years of experience of both mainstream and special education sectors including 10 years as a Governor for a local secondary school. I am an experienced manager and have contributed to work streams at a local, county, regional and national level to develop provision and policy which contributes to better outcomes for CYP with SEND.
I currently lead Physical Disability and Sensory teams within Gloucestershire’s Advisory Teaching Service, which comprises a range of professionals and services including Specialist Teachers, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language therapists and specialist roles including Early Years, Mobility and Assistive Technology roles .
I am National Chair of pdnet, a national organization representing professionals who work within the physical disability sector. Since April 2017 I have held the role of pdnet project manager and led work as a strategic delivery partner for the Department for Education through Contract 3 ”Support for children and young people with physical disabilities” www.pdnet.org.uk
Qualifications: M.Ed, BSc (Hons), Dip Ed (Oxon), Dip. Sp.LD, NPQH,
Jane Carter
National Chair
Role: Education Delivery Lead: SEND Integrated Services, Warwickshire County Council
My current role is Education Delivery Lead within Warwickshire’s SEND Integrated Services, with overall responsibility for specialist teaching teams, including the local authority’s Flexible Learning Team, working with learners out of school due to ill health.
I have also managed Warwickshire’s Statementing Service. I am an experienced senior secondary leader, having taught in schools in Birmingham, Staffordshire and Wolverhampton.
I have been a Senior European Foundation for Quality Management Assessor for Midlands Excellence and a C4EO Disability Sector Specialist. I am Chair of pdnet, an organisation representing professionals who work to improve outcomes for learners with physical disabilities.
I am also a qualified Coach.
Qualifications: BA (hons), PGCE, PGDM, NPQH
Sarah Osborne
Warwickshire County Council
Joanna Walker
Solihull Borough Council
Clare Pearce
Warwickshire County Council
A qualified teacher with experience in mainstream and special education, I have been employed as a PD specialist teacher for three LAs and also work independently. I have a Certificate in the Management of Pupils with Physical Difficulties and am an accredited People Moving People / Manual Handling trainer. As a member of the pdnet National Committee I am on the Quality Assurance sub group.