Kate Fulton
Kate has worked alongside people and families for many years working in a range of settings and communities. Kate is passionate about individuals directing their own lives and feels that she has been incredibly privileged to meet people and families who have shared their experiences of helpful supports and creative approaches to change.
Kate has advocated change in a variety of roles within both Support Providers and Local Authorities, including time working within the advocacy movement and held a secondment role with the Valuing People Support Team exploring person centred planning led and directed by people and families.
Over the last 5 years Kate has worked as a Senior Consultant with Paradigm – a national training and consultancy organisation. She led on some of the first self directed support initiatives in the UK on projects such as New Partnerships and Dynamite, using these experiences to share some valuable lessons about real system change and empowerment. Kate believes that real empowerment is so much more than simply moving money, but requires a radical change to the way in which we empower people to lead change across all areas of life including our welfare systems and communities.
Through her role at Paradigm Kate has worked alongside The Centre for Welfare Reform to explore Support Brokerage and community involvement - co-authoring, Should we ban Brokerage and Architecture for Personalisation. Kate is further developing these concepts in partnership with many Local Authorities and community organisations / networks.
Kate qualified with the DIPSW and LGMB Cert in Management and is an honorary lecturer with Lancaster University teaching on Leadership for Change.
Kate lives in Newcastle with her partner John and spends much of her time talking and thinking over a pint with some of the most inspirational and thoughtful minds in the North East – her friends and family!