The Cognitive Centre Foundation

The Centre was formed in 1993 and over the years has accumulated considerable experience in working in partnership with statutory, voluntary and private organisations. Our work has taken us to Australasia, Europe including the Republic of Ireland, Sweden and Switzerland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

We provide consultancy, training and support to organisations that wish to develop and improve their ability to work effectively with people. We are an independent organisation and this allows us the freedom to be flexible and responsive to the needs of our customers, and to develop new and creative approaches to the complex and multi faceted problems involved in providing effective ‘human services' to people.

Our expertise is based on:

  • A staff group which has ‘been there and done it' at practitioner and management levels
  • A staff group which has a proven track record in training and consultancy
  • Partnerships with many of the leading national and international experts in the field of working effectively with people
  • Partnerships with national and international organisations, companies and individuals
  • A commitment to ongoing research and evaluation designed to inform the development of new and innovative approaches.

In order to help disseminate information and current knowledge we periodically run national and international conferences focusing on the development of effective practice in working with people.

Academic Partnerships 

Our work is underpinned by the most recent research evidence available from throughout the world.  Our academic partnerships include:

Professor Robert Ross

From the University of Ottawa, the author of the original "Reasoning and Rehabilitation' Programme. Robert Ross was one of the pioneers of the What Works" movement in criminal justice and remains a major influence in the field.  The Ross Programme (R&R2) was introduced into the United Kingdom in 2003 as a result of collaboration between Professor Ross and the Centre, a version of the programme designed specifically for work with girls and young women.

Professor Chris Trotter

Of Monash University, Australia whose recent work on prosocial modelling has been demonstrated to have wide ranging applications in the fields of work with families and children, child protection and criminal justice. During the last few years Chris has worked with the Centre to produce a prosocial modeling programme ‘Focus on People - Effect Change, and the ‘Family Problem-Solving' Programme.  A programme designed specifically for those working in child protection will shortly become available.

Dr. Barbara Armstrong

Formerly Chief Psychologist at the Rideau Correctional Centre in Ottawa and author of the widely acclaimed ‘Criminal Lifestyles' suite of offender programmes.  Professor Paul Gendreau of New Brunswick University has assessed these as being the best programmes of their type available.  Dr. Armstrong has worked with the Centre to modify these programmes for use in community settings in the UK.  Since her retirement Barbara has been able to work more closely with us on the development of programmed approaches  

Our other consultants are:

Professor Don Andrews, Carleton University, Canada
Dr. James Bonta, Solicitor Generals Office, Canada
Professor Robert Hare, University of Columbia
Professor Clive Hollin, University of Leicester
Dr. John Marshall, Head of Forensic Services for Young People, Glasgow NHS Trust
Dr. Graeme Richardson, Head Person at the Kolvin Clinic, Newcastle -on-Tyne

Research Consultant 

Professor Peter Raynor is research consultant for the Centre. Professor Raynor works in the Centre for Applied Social Studies at the University of Wales, Swansea and has published extensively on criminal justice and evidence based practice. A former probation officer, he was a member of  the joint Prisons and Probation Accreditation Panel for England and Wales and the Scottish Accreditation Panel. His research over the past twenty-five years has included work on victim support, the career progression of ethnic minority probation officers, offenders who misuse drugs, youth justice and evaluations, Automatic Conditional Release, pre-sentence reports, through-care of short term prisoners, risk and need assessment, and the effectiveness of probation programmes.

Partnerships

We have a number of key partnerships with other organisations that support us in our work. 

A key partnership is with Multi-Health System (MHS) Incorporated, a company engaged  in  the development, marketing and delivery of high-quality, standardised and integrated assessment and diagnostic products as well as practice and treatment management products and services. Their customers are mental health, counselling, and human resource professionals in clinical, managed care, forensic, education, and corporate organisations. Our partnership with MHS enables us to supply a wide range of tests for use in private and public organisations to support a wide range of assessment processes.

The Cognitive Centres of Canada, the United States, Spain and Estonia.