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Posted on 10 Feb 2020

Julia Skelding, a Clinical Nurse Practitioner with Nottinghamshire Healthcare has been shortlisted in the 2020 Autism Professionals Awards in the Outstanding Healthcare Professional category.

Julia is a qualified Learning Disability Nurse and currently works as a Clinical Nurse Practitioner within the National High Secure Learning Disability Service at Rampton Hospital. Previous roles have included working in a hospice for children and young people as well as supporting mental health needs in a variety of settings.

Julia has a special interest in ensuring the needs of people with learning disabilities and autism are met and is particularly focussed on taking forward the LD/ASD agenda within services. She is currently involved in the development and implementation of the first high secure LD/autism service and her role involves aligning national and local pathways, empowering staff and providing key training in this specialist field.

To support this as well as working full time Julia is also studying for a MA in Autism with the Tizard Centre, University of Kent. She is also a chair of the Trust wide forensic Multidisciplinary Neuro-developmental group which works across all services embedding ASD informed practice, supporting assessment and providing guidance to a variety of clinical teams. Julia is also central in supporting staff and patients with Positive Support Plans incorporating key aspects of ASD within this to help promote recovery and reduce risk.  annual awards recognise people, services and schools across the UK who are making a difference to autistic people and their families.

The finalists were selected by an independent panel of autism specialists from a long list of public nominations. The judges assessed each nomination based on innovation and creativity, evidence and sustainability. The winners will be announced at a special ceremony on 27 February 2020 at Birmingham Town Hall, following the first day of the charity’s Professionals Conference.