
Managing Director CEL&T
Co-host: ACE Network North East
Additional Professional Qualifications:
Certified profiler for 6 seconds/ Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
Trainer and Facilitator for Friends Resilience (all programmes)
Ruth Whiteside:
M.Ed, PGCE, BA (Hons),

Al Coates MBE
BSc Social Work
Director of CEL&T
Managing Director ACE Network North East
Co-founder the Adoption & Fostering Podcast
Additional professional qualifications:
Trainer and Facilitator for Friends Resilience (all programmes)
Management (Level 5)
NVR: Non Violent Resistance
Scott Casson Rennie
Consultant
Trainer
Co-Founder Adoption and Fostering Podcast
OUR EXPERIENCE
Ruth Whiteside taught for twenty years in primary schools including twelve years in a senior leadership role. She left teaching to concentrate on developing teachers through coaching and mentoring with a focus on building resilience and exploring emotional intelligence (EQ). Ruth’s experience includes eight years at a mainstream primary school with provision for children dealing with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. This furthered her knowledge and understanding of why resilience and emotional intelligence are key to a greater understanding of self and others. Ruth is now a certified trainer for Friends Resilience, an intervention programme suitable for children, young people and adults. She is also certified with Six Seconds as a profiler. Ruth gained her Masters in Educational Leadership from Newcastle University.
Mr Al Coates MBE: is an experienced Social Worker who has extensive knowledge of Fostering working as an independent Social Work in addition to being a Social Work Practice Educator and Trainer. As a member of the Department for Education's Expert Advisory Group on Adoption and Special Guardian he has undertaken to help support families recognising these children and young people can present with a wide range of behaviours. In addition to managing his own Foster Care caseload, working with Foster Carers and residential settings for children he runs a popular blogging site at alcoates.co.uk; for which he was awarded First4Adoptions blogger of the year in 2015 and 2016. He also produces the Adoption and Fostering Podcast. In recognition to his commitment and work he was awarded his MBE in the New Years Honours list, January 2018.
Scott Casson-Rennie has recently left Adoption UK where he worked for more than 5 years as Head of Engagement & Delivery. Scott has more than 20 years experience in Customer Relationships and Management. Whilst at Adoption UK Scott developed extensive appreciation of the complexities and life long impact ACEs can have for children and adults. He is widely regarded and recognised for his understanding and expertise in living with children who have a range of behavioural difficulties when trying to fit into popular society and schooling. Scott lead a team of regional engagement and delivery managers delivering services within Local Authorities, and the new partially funded DfE initiative 'Adopter Voice' as well as providing consultancy in a range of media forums