Skip over main navigation
  • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
(IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
Donate
Menu
  • Home
  • About us
    • Who we are
    • Our impact
    • Our vision and goals
    • Our funders
    • Work for us
    • Annual report
  • How we help
    • Get support
    • Our services
    • Policy work
    • Services for professionals
    • Case studies
  • Training
    • For parents and carers
    • For parent groups, schools and charities
    • For local authorities
    • For SEN professionals and private organisations
    • Subscribe to our legal updates
    • Contact the training team
  • Get involved
    • Why funds are necessary
    • Donate
    • Fundraising
      • Support team IPSEA in the London Legal Walk 2022
      • Fundraising ideas
      • Other ways to give
        • Online shopping
        • Gifts in your will
        • Gifts in memory
        • Gifts in celebration
    • Volunteer
    • Corporate support
    • Trusts and foundations
  • Latest
    • News
  • Contact
    • Contact us
    • Press enquiries
  • IPSEA Legal Resources Portal
  • Admin
    • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
  • Our trustees
  1. About us
  2. Who we are
  3. Our trustees

Our trustees

Our board of trustees have overall accountability for IPSEA's strategic direction, the stewardship of our resources and the activities we undertake in the pursuit of our charitable objectives. They are all volunteers, who contribute a huge amount of time and wide-ranging expertise to IPSEA.  

 

Tony King - Chair of Trustees

Tony is a qualified solicitor and he taught at The College of Law for several years before joining one of the firms which merged to create Clifford Chance as a tax lawyer. Tony was involved in education, training and professional development at Clifford Chance from 1988 until he retired as a Director in July 2014. He was instrumental in introducing the extensive global programme of legal-technical and business skills programmes for people at all levels at Clifford Chance. Tony has been a member of the Legal Education and Training Group and its North American equivalent. In addition, he is a member of various City of London Law Society's Training Committees and a member of the Advisory Board of the International Bar Association's Academic & Professional Development Committee. He has written articles and contributed to books on a range of legal and professional development topics as well as having co-written two legal textbooks. Within IPSEA, Tony is closely involved with fundraising on grant raising and funding from legal corporates.   

 

Amy Abbott

Amy is a qualified lawyer with over 20 years’ experience in both private practice and industry. Her experience covers a wide range of sectors, including technology, financial services, advertising, publishing, consultancy and ecommerce. Amy is currently Assistant General Counsel, Europe at Dun & Bradstreet, leading a team of 20 lawyers across multiple European jurisdictions. Amy has extensive management and cross-border experience, with particular expertise in leading and managing through change and in designing and implementing strategic improvement programmes. Amy has a keen interest in advocating for and supporting neurodiverse children with specific educational needs, as well as mentoring within her team and wider professional network, to help people maximise their potential and achieve their objectives.

 

Sharon Gillott

Sharon Gillott is a Chartered Accountant with over 30 years’ experience. After graduating from the University of Leeds with a degree in Economics she went on to qualify as a Chartered Accountant with Coopers & Lybrand. She has particular experience in providing advice at times of change for a business. Her current role is Group Accountant, reporting for a group of companies offering a range of facility management services across the north of England. She has been involved with the voluntary sector in a number of capacities over the years. Sharon has been a Governor of a special school for four years, served as co-Chair of her local Parish Pastoral Council and has been a member of the Parish Finance Committee for many years. Sharon is the IPSEA Board member who liaises with the staff dealing with financial matters.  

 

Joanne Gubbay

Joanne spent 15 years as a disputes lawyer, followed by 20 years in legal Learning and Development, culminating in the role of Head of Learning and Development at City law firm Slaughter and May. She is now a consultant in various roles including Project Lead for the City Consortium in relation to the new Solicitors Qualifying Examination. Joanne is an experienced line manager, a qualified executive coach, a mentor for the 30% Club, emPower and INvolve, and a Mental Health First Aider. She is also a founder and trustee of the Women of the Year Foundation. 

 

Richard King

Richard is an experienced law firm leader and professional manager, who has worked at board level within international legal practices. Starting as an English corporate lawyer in City of London law firms, before moving into learning and development and knowledge management, he has most recently led Corporate Services at Herbert Smith Freehills. His responsibilities here for legal operations, programme management, pro bono and corporate social responsibility involved him in many strategy and transformation projects, which was also a feature of earlier roles with Andersen Legal & EY Law. Now he consults with legal services businesses in the UK and Europe on their management challenges. In recent years at HSF he championed pro bono, community and diversity and inclusion initiatives, with a particular focus on helping those with dyslexia and autism to achieve their full potential in the workplace. As a parent with children who benefitted from learning support when at school, he has a particular interest in bringing his experience to support the IPSEA mission. 

 

Carol Long

Carol is a registered Social Worker and has considerable experience of working in the social care sector with a career spanning 35 years in local government, the private sector and for nearly a decade with national charities, most recently working with children with special educational needs and their families. She is currently a researcher at Durham University, focusing on family experiences of disability. Carol has considerable experience as a Chief Executive and has well developed skills in business planning, risk assessment and management, and safeguarding of vulnerable children and adults. She has a background in service development. She has experience of serving on a number of boards and committees including for the YMCA, as an executive for the NSPCC and also as Vice Chair of Governors of a large secondary school.

 

Judith Russell

Judith has worked in procurement and commissioning in both the public and private sectors for over 25 years, most latterly working across the higher education sector managing procurement shared services and consulting assignments. She has also worked as a Specialist Parent Support Worker for a charity in North Hertfordshire providing support to parents/carers of children and young people with ASD and/or ADHD. She has been a trustee of a charity providing services to pre-school aged children with disabilities and a governor to a secondary school Academy Trust. She has four children, one of whom has ASD and severe learning difficulties and for whom she has sought advice in the past from IPSEA to ensure suitable educational provision. She is delighted to contribute to this charity that provides such essential advice, information and guidance to families often coping with very challenging circumstances.

 

Sharon Smith 

Sharon is a parent of a 17-year-old daughter who has Down syndrome. As a result, she has relied on IPSEA’s support many times over the last 13 years and is delighted to be able to offer her time to support IPSEA’s valuable work. Sharon brings over 20 years’ marketing and communications experience, and 15 years’ experience volunteering/working for disability related charities, through which she has gained experience of events, training, fundraising and support for parents. She is currently in her 3rd year of a 4-year PhD research study, at the University of Birmingham. Her research explores the experiences of parents of disabled children and the impact of these on inclusion.

 

Published: 27th July, 2017

Updated: 14th June, 2022

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Latest

  • SEND law- a practical guide for colleges: 28th September

    SEND law- a practical guide for colleges: 28th September

    This one day training is designed specifically for college staff, providing an overview of the special educational needs and disability (SEND) legal framework, as well as other related areas of the law

  • SEND law for SENCos: 2nd November

    SEND law for SENCos: 2nd November

    Our one day training, designed specifically for SENCos, provides an overview of the special educational needs and disability (SEND) legal framework, and will equip you with the knowledge required to overcome the challenges of your role

  • SEND law and young people (post-16): 9th September

    SEND law and young people (post-16): 9th September

    A one-day training session designed specifically for parents, carers and supporting family members of children who are approaching or above compulsory school age

  • EHC plan masterclass - obtaining a plan: summer series

    EHC plan masterclass - obtaining a plan: summer series

    A series of training sessions for parents, carers and supporting family members of children with SEND, developed to guide families through the process of obtaining an Education, Health and Care plan

Related

  • Our staff

    Our staff

    Our staff members have a wide variety of skills and backgrounds, and work hard to fulfil IPSEA's goals and objectives

  • Our history

    Our history

    IPSEA is now the leading organisation providing independent legally based advice and support to families of children with SEND

Most read

  • Asking for an EHC needs assessment

    Asking for an EHC needs assessment

  • EHC needs assessments

    EHC needs assessments

    An EHC needs assessment is an assessment of a child or young person’s education, health and care needs

  • Making a request for an EHC needs assessment: Model letter 1

    Making a request for an EHC needs assessment: Model letter 1

  • Model letters

    Model letters

    IPSEA model letters are available to download and amend for your own purposes

  • Advice Line

    Advice Line

    Book an appointment on our Advice Line for legally based information and next step advice on any educational issue that is the result of a child’s special educational needs or disability

  • What happens in an EHC needs assessment

    What happens in an EHC needs assessment

  • Choosing a school/college with an EHC plan

    Choosing a school/college with an EHC plan

  • Contact us

    Contact us

  • The annual review process

    The annual review process

  • Appealing to the SEND Tribunal

    Appealing to the SEND Tribunal

    The SEND Tribunal is an independent national tribunal which hears parents’ and young people’s appeals against LA decisions about the special educational needs of children and young people

How you can help IPSEA

How you can help IPSEA

Have you found the information on our website helpful today? If so, please consider donating! At IPSEA, we rely on your donations and fundraising efforts to help keep our vital services running. Read more

Donate Fundraise

Published: 19th March, 2014

Updated: 11th March, 2020

Author:

Sign up to receive regular email updates from IPSEA

The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Contact us
  • Accessibility
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy policy
  • Complaints policy
  • Login
  • My details
  • Log out

IPSEA is registered charity number 327691
Limited company 2198066

Registered office: IPSEA, 24-26 Gold Street, Saffron Walden, CB10 1EJ

Donate