Prof Sujeet Jaydeokar is a Consultant Psychiatrist for Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. He, along with Prof Mahesh Odiyoor, was instrumental in setting up the Centre for Autism, Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Intellectual Disabilities (CANDDID), for which he is also the Clinical Director and Chair. Prof Jaydeokar is a parent carer of a boy with multiple neurodevelopmental issues. His lived experience and clinical work drives his interests in research and education.

He is a programme lead for the post-graduate qualifications in Neurodevelopmental Conditions at the University of Chester. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. His particular areas of interest are in health inequalities, service development and the phenomenology of neurodevelopmental conditions.

Maddy is the senior manager responsible for supporting CANDDID’s strategic direction. She has worked extensively across primary, secondary and tertiary NHS care. Prior to joining CWP in 2020, she was an active participant in delivering the Transforming Care Partnership agendas across Lancashire & South Cumbria and Cheshire & Merseyside. Maddy is passionate about CANDDID and working with people with lived experience to improve lives – she has lived experience of the impact of autism (Aspergers) and schizophrenia within her family.

Mahesh is the Strategic Clinical Director for CANDDID, as well as a consultant psychiatrist in the psychiatry of Intellectual Disabilities. He is also a visiting Professor at the University of Chester. His other roles include Clinical Lead and Deputy Chair of the North-West LD and ASD Operational Delivery Network, executive member/ finance officer of the Faculty of Intellectual Disability at the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) and chair of the RCPsych ID faculty assessment and Treatment Network.

Mahesh has a keen interest in service development, teaching and research. His research interests are in the area of population health, stratification of needs and standardised assessments. He has co-authored the Autism Diagnostic Aid (ADA), Global Mental Health Assessment Tool ID/NDD version (GMHAT-ID/NDD) and the Universal Needs Based Resource Assessment (UNBRA)Tool

Henrietta is the Resource Manager of CANDDID, as well as East Community Learning Disability Team. She has worked for the NHS for five years, having previously worked in a similar role in a special school where she learned about the struggles, and joy, of raising children with additional needs. The role of a Resource Manager is varied and Henrietta enjoys facilitating people and tasks to reach their objectives in simple ways.

Lesley Gledhill has a role of Participation and Engagement Practitioner in Cheshire and Wirral Partnership, working across adult Learning Disability Services, adult Autism and ADHD services and the Acquired Brain Injury Service. Lesley is passionate about ensuring people who use services, and their families and carers, have a voice at all levels of service provision and development. Lesley’s role in CANDDID is to integrate and support lived experience throughout the research projects and the wider development of CANDDID.

Dr Christine Wee is the parent of a 10 year old with complex neurodevelopmental needs including Autism and severe learning disability. She is the Co-Chair of the Cheshire East Parent Carer Forum, which supports the co-production of public services with parent and carers of children with special educational needs.

She also is a part-time NHS doctor who has worked as the Consultant Child Psychiatrist in the Ealing Neurodevelopmental team and Learning Disability CAMHS between 2005 and 2016, before moving to Cheshire, where she works for Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in Chester as part of the West Cheshire Autism assessment pathway. Her other NHS work includes the Northwest England Operational Delivery Network for Autism and Learning Disability and in the Cheshire and Merseyside, beyond programme to support improving services for children and young people with special needs, teaching at Chester University on neurodevelopmental conditions and is involved with research on behalf of CANDDID. Her voluntary work and lived experience have been incredibly important in helping her in all areas of her work

Danny is the Research Lead for learning disability and CANDDID, as well as a clinical nurse specialist, and has worked 28 years for CWP. His role involves developing and improving clinical service delivery to people with learning disability. Danny has a passion for research and contributing to existing current evidence-based practice.

Dr Ceri Woodrow is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist working in an Assessment and Treatment Unit for people with Learning Disabilities. She has a keen interest in clinically focused research to enhance clinical practice and patient experience. Ceri’s current research relates to Dynamic Support Registers and Care and Treatment Reviews.

Natalie is an Advanced Clinical Practitioner working in adult Autism diagnostic services. With a background in Speech and Language Therapy and experience in Intellectual Disability services, she enjoys teaching clinicians and supporting families and carers to communicate effectively with the people they care for. Natalie also has an interest in eating and feeding disorders commonly associated with neurodevelopmental conditions.

Helen is the Senior Research Facilitator for CANDDID, and also for the Trust Research Department. She has a keen interest in using research outcomes to improve patient care. Helen is currently writing up her PhD research which examined the alcohol consumption behaviours of older adults who have also sought psychological support.

Rosalyn is one of CANDDID’s research assistants. She supports various projects across CANDDID, with a focus on the ‘Dynamic Support Tool for Physical Health’ and improving access to healthcare. Rosalyn’s research interests lie in health inequalities and public health.

She is currently working part-time for CANDDID whilst undertaking a PhD in Public Health at the University of Liverpool, funded by the NIHR SPHR. She has a BA in Geography, and an MRes in Global Health, both from Lancaster University