Events

Presenters & Leaders

Standards Plus are privileged to have the services of many fine professionals as presenters and leaders for our conferences and courses.

These are some of the people who often present at our events or facilitate workshop for Standards Plus:

John Armstrong

Trainer for Introduction to Social Role Valorisation workshops

John Armstrong is one of three Senior Social Role Valorisation (SRV) Trainers currently in Australasia. John has been involved in SRV training since 1983 for large government organisations, voluntary associations, tertiary institutions and parent and advocacy groups in Australia and New Zealand.

For more information about John Armstrong see Social Role Valorisation

Mark Grantham

Ready, willing and abled, Mark Grantham is not confined to a wheelchair. On the contrary, his wheelchair assists him in a life of independence, purpose and service. Born with cerebral palsy, Mark has never allowed his impairments to hold him back. For 20 years he has been supporting his five World Vision sponsored kids by selling chocolate bars (more than 20 thousand at last count). Five years ago Mark moved into his own home. In recent years his public speaking career (operating as reMARKable Consulting)has grown, as he entertainingly brings inspiration and challenge to selected audiences across New Zealand (including a Parliamentary breakfast where several MPs rated him the highlight speaker) and at an international conference in the USA. Mark and his father, Chris have recently published a book Chocolate Seller on Broadway and his kids A story about Mark's life so far.

For more information about Mark or his book see www.cocoabeanpress.com

Michael J. Kendrick PhD.

Michael is well known internationally for his work on service quality, leadership, the creation of safeguards for vulnerable persons, social integration, change, innovation, values, advocacy, the role of individual persons and small groups in creating advances, evaluation, alternatives to bureaucracy, personalised approaches to supporting people, and reform in the human service field amongst others. He has most consistently worked in the disability, mental health and aged care fields for nearly thirty years.

For more information about Michael kendrick see www.kendrickconsulting.org

Peter Millier

Peter Millier is a foundation member of Training and Evaluation for Change (TEC) in South Australia. He has worked in human services for 30 years in Australia and New Zealand. From 1982 until 1989 Peter was Director of Client Services for the Intellectual Disability Service Council in South Australia. Since 1990 he has been working with TEC and other groups around Australia and New Zealand, conducting SRV and PASSING workshops and related events. He is also part of a network of parents and advocates working for the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in regular classrooms and in other community activities such as work and recreation.

Pip Nicholls

Pip has worked in human services for the past 25 years, predominately with people with disabilities and older people. She began this as a massage therapist in the United States, then became involved in drug rehabilitation in Thailand. This was followed up by 11 years with ACC, spending time in rehabilitation, performance management, cultural development and seven years in training and development. Pip was the Operations Manager and then Chief Executive of Access Ability, an NGO contracted to provide needs assessment, planning and service facilitation for the Ministry of Health.

For the last four years she has been freelancing in the disability and older peoples sectors offering; service development, project management, human resource support, training and her favourite - mentoring and coaching senior managers and emerging leaders.

Sue Robertson

Sue Robertson is a parent of a young woman with a disability. She has been an active leader and advocate for disabled people and families over many years. Sue is actively involved with Citizen Advocacy, and associated with a number of disability support groups and organisations. She has worked closely with the MOH involved in research and project management, with the Regional Intellectual Disability Care Agency involved with complex service coordination and is currently managing a supported living service for people funded through ACC.

Alex Snedden

Alex Snedden is a young man who plans to live his life on his terms and that will reflect his age peers. Alex has had the full benefit of an inclusive education, and a Circle of Support known as Alex’s Champions that works alongside him to ensure he has a Good Life.

Alex left school when he was 18 and is now employed part time in his dream job. He always wanted to be a Catholic Bishop but the next best thing is working for the Bishop at the Auckland Catholic Diocese Office. Alex is also employed by Drake Recruitment. Both of his roles are paid with a respectable hourly rate.

Alex is a public speaker, both nationally and internationally. Part of his role for the Catholic Church is to speak to students at Catholic Schools. He has been involved as a presenter at training seminars on Social Role Valorisation, recently he has presented at a series of Young Peoples Rights Seminars.