Last month we welcomed a new member to our Senior Management Team. Carole Knowles joined Autism West Midlands as the new Director of Operations and we are delighted to have her on board!

Carole who has previously worked for a large social care organisation as an Operations Director, started her career as teacher for those with special educational needs and disabilities.  Over the years she has worked with a wide range of people with learning difficulties (or differences as she prefers to say), mental health needs, offending and who are vulnerable in some way. She has been busy settling in to her new role by visiting the different settings and getting to know everyone.

Carole Says..

“I made a conscious decision to look for a role within a charity which I felt was a good match for my own values, ethos and skills. The social care organisation where I was coming from had become so large and corporate over the years that although I enjoyed my work and had learned such a lot, I felt that I had become too removed from the actual services, people and teams. I was looking for a role in a smaller organisation where I could contribute a greater personal and professional impact more directly. I thought that the work that Autism West Midland does is really important and valuable and I completely related to your ethos and values.

 It is important to me that I offer good support and additional capacity to our Residential Care Managers so that settings can flourish in achieving their development plans and providing high quality care to those who we support – and that this is recognised and valued by families, commissioners and CQC”.

 We would like to wish Carole the very best in her new role.