The North West Training Consortium is a regional team composed of managers, administrators, NVQ Assessors, Internal Verifiers and trainers.

It is led by Lesley Thompson who is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and who also holds qualifications in Management and Learning and Development. An experienced trainer and NVQ Assessor / Verifier, Lesley is a qualified Probation Officer who spent most of her career in operational probation work as a practitioner and manager before moving full time into the world of Learning and Development. In her current role, Lesley manages the work of the Consortium and works closely with national and regional colleagues to ensure that the functions of the Consortium are carried out to the highest standard.

Julia Summerfield is responsible for managing the regional NVQ Assessment Centre offering qualifications approved by City and Guilds and OCR. A qualified NVQ assessor and internal verifier, Julia ensures quality provision of NVQs in Community Justice, Management and Learning and Development.

Julia's background is with the National Probation Service as a qualified and experienced practitioner. Since joining the North West Training Consortium she has developed her interest in management development and is a trained executive coach. Julia has achieved Chartered Manager status and is a member of the Chartered Management Institute.

Julia works closely with the sector skills council, Skills for Justice, promoting the use of National Occupational Standards to support recruitment, training and performance management.

 

As Regional Learning & Development Manager, Jon Lear is responsible for the co-ordination of internally led Probation Service training across the 5 Probation Areas that make up the North West Region.

Jon has been instrumental in leading on National developments related to the operational delivery of Effective Practice, most notably Accredited Programmes. Nationally, he has led the roll out of training in two of the National Probation Service's most high profile Programmes, Think First and the community Domestic Violence Programme.

As a qualified Probation Officer, Jon has had considerable experience in operational management, before taking up his present position. He is also a qualified teacher and has wide experience in all aspects of training, from the design to the delivery of training programmes. He holds an NVQ Level 5 in Learning & Development and is, in addition, a qualified NVQ Assessor.