National Care Provider Commits To Development Of Autism Services With High Level Appointment

  • Sue Hatton
 

Ensuring best practice for those living with Autism to enable achievement and fulfill potential has been announced as a major priority for Craegmoor Healthcare under the care provider’s new quality development structure with the appointment of the former Learning and Professional Development Manager of Autism West Midlands, Sue Hatton, as Craegmoor’s new ‘Quality Development Advisor for Autism’

21 July 2009

“Commitment to the Development of a National Autism Strategy” says Craegmoor

Ensuring best practice for those living with Autism to enable achievement and fulfill potential has been announced as a major priority for Craegmoor under the care provider’s new quality development structure with the appointment of the former Learning and Professional Development Manager of Autism West Midlands, Sue Hatton, as Craegmoor’s new ‘Quality Development Advisor for Autism’. Sue will play a key role in:

1. Enhancing the skills of all staff for effective working with people with Autism

2. Creating ‘Autism Champions’ across Craegmoor

3. Involving service users with Autism in the development of best practice

4. Researching and consulting with academic and advocate agencies

Craegmoor – the leading provider of specialist support to people with learning disabilities, autism, mental illnesses and other needs – had already announced that it was responding to the Department of Health’s consultation on the first National Adult Autism Strategy and the appointment follows Craegmoor’s call in June for the Government to implement the recommendations made in a National Audit Office report on supporting people with autism through adulthood.

Earlier this year Craegmoor opened a new purpose-built Autism unit at its Turketel Road service in Folkestone in Kent after linking up with local schools to assess the need for more locally-based Autism care and support for school-leavers.

The appointment of Sue Hatton is the final appointment in the creation of Craegmoor’s six-strong team of Quality Development Advisors, each one an expert in their field, who have been recruited by the company over recent months and who are led by Craegmoor’s Director of Quality Development Mary Horner, who sits on the company’s Senior Management Team.

Sue Hatton, Craegmoor’s Quality Development Advisor – Autism, said today:

“ I’m tremendously excited to be joining Craegmoor’s Quality Development Team and I intend to seize this opportunity to have an impact on the lives of people who have so often fallen through the gap in services. Craegmoor’s response to the Government’s National Autism Strategy consultation will be robust and we will be striving hard to create positive outcomes for people with Autism, in order to live a full and happy life. ”

Ted Smith, Craegmoor’s Chief Executive Officer, said today:

“ Craegmoor is committed to ensuring the best possible outcomes for people living with Autism who use our services and we are committed to the development of a National Adult Autism Strategy. The appointment of Sue Hatton as one of our Quality Development Advisors is an integral part of that and we are delighted that she will be playing a key role in shaping Craegmoor’s services .”

Notes for Editors

For further information please contact the Craegmoor Press Office on: 01905 459 813

  • Craegmoor is one of the leading independent providers of specialist support in the UK with a turnover of approximately £170m and employs over 6,500 people.
  • It has a portfolio comprising specialist and nursing residential support, mental health hospitals, specialist adult colleges and supported living schemes with over 4,700 beds across 234 homes.
  • The wide range of services offered by Craegmoor include: Specialist support for adults with learning disabilities and mental illnesses, Nursing and residential support for older people and Independent Hospitals
  • Craegmoor has 2,229 Specialist beds including 143 beds in three colleges.
  • Craegmoor has currently 2,242 Older People beds and 237 beds in the company’s Independent Hospitals.
  • Working closely with local authorities, Primary Care Trusts and NHS Trusts, Craegmoor is committed to building partnerships focused on constant service improvements which meet the needs of individual people and which are in line with regulatory requirements and best practice.