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Adviser profiles
Acas Senior Advisers
Our Senior Advisers have experience and expertise in improving workplace relations and helping support organisations to implement change. They can visit you, or discuss your issues over the phone, and give advice, guidance or training to suit your particular needs.
Each team member covers specific areas of the West Midlands Find out more about our staff and who covers your area.
To get in touch with one of us call 08457 38 37 36 or complete an enquiry form
Alfie Coglianese
Alfie has worked in the Civil Service for most of her working life. She started off in employment services before getting her first job with Acas as an office manager. She was then given the chance to move into a public facing role and became an individual conciliator, dealing with individual disputes, before moving into other roles and onto collective work. She believes the management skills she used in that post stood her in good stead for the duties she now carries out as a collective conciliator, trainer (qualified to NVQ level 4) and senior advisor which she has done for the past seven years.
In her current role, Alfie provides support for businesses in North Black Country (Wolves and Walsall, WV1-16 and WS1-6). Her knowledge and experience of the day to day issues confronting employers enables her to provide advice, guidance and training which is not only soundly based but also practical and pragmatic.
When disputes arise in the workplace, whether between individuals or the company and the workforce, Alfie is able to help the parties find a mutually satisfactory resolution.
She also has responsibility for Equality and Diversity and can assist your organisation in main streaming equalities and making equality and diversity even more central to how your organisation operates by providing Equality Diagnostics, guidance with policies and by delivering training in this area.
Patricia Hicks
Pat has worked for Acas since 1997, having previously had a number of roles within the Civil Service, providing support to job-seekers and to small businesses. She joined Acas as a conciliator in Employment Tribunal claims and acquired a wide knowledge of employment law and of the difficulties that both employers and employees can encounter
Since 2004 she has been a senior adviser and conciliator, and works primarily in Coventry and Warwickshire CV1-37 and Tamworth B75-79. Her knowledge and experience of the day to day issues confronting employers enables her to provide advice, guidance and training which is not only soundly based but also practical and pragmatic.
When disputes arise in the workplace, whether between individuals or the company and the workforce, Pat is able to help the parties find a mutually satisfactory resolution.
She has particular interests in employee engagement and in mediation. She believes that employers who are serious about forging good relationships with employees, and who are able to identify and resolve conflict before it festers, will reap reward in terms of productivity and profitability.
Howard Paskin
Before he joined Acas, Howard worked for the Department of Employment, as a section manager, a staff trainer and finally as an office manager. During seventeen years as an Acas conciliator, he helped thousands of employers to resolve their employment problems and avoid costly tribunal hearings. Subsequently, Howard spent 6 years as a specialist trainer delivering training sessions on a whole range of employment relations issues, both in-company and at public access events. He takes a particular interest in employment law and has picked up two Masters degrees whilst with Acas.
In his current role, Howard provides support for businesses in Stafford & North Staffordshire ST1 - 16, 18, 20 & 21, North Shropshire SY 1-14, Telford TF1-6, 9 &10 and Burton Upon Trent DE13-14. His knowledge and experience of the day to day issues confronting employers enables him to provide advice, guidance and training which is not only soundly based but also practical and pragmatic. And when disputes arise in the workplace, whether between individuals or the company and the workforce, Howard is able to help the parties find a mutually satisfactory resolution.
Jon Dews
Jon has had over 30 years in employment & training, employment relations, enterprise and business development, joining Acas in 2000, firstly as an individual conciliator and then as a senior adviser. He has an MA in Employment Relations & Employment Law from Keele and is a fellow of the Institute of Training & Occupational Learning. He has experience in critical and sensitive dispute resolution at all levels and skills in project and team management, marketing and business development. He has a record of enabling mutual solutions to workplace disputes.
Since 2004 Jon has been responsible for supporting business in Birmingham, particularly post codes B1-B25, B27-B36, B42-44 & B46, B72-74. He has interests in communication and consultation, especially setting up of staff forums, job evaluation, conflict resolution and in supporting SMEs. He also has responsibility for developing business partnerships across the West Midlands, particularly chambers of commerce and the new Local Enterprise Partnerships.
David Whiting
David began his working life in the Manpower Services Commission in the late 1970s. During this time he worked as an internal trainer, training Jobcentre staff in people skills; receiving and providing training which was well advanced and still relevant to today.
Prior to joining Acas he was Jobcentre Manager at Handsworth in Birmingham; a role which involved meeting employers and individuals from a very broad based community and with very diverse needs.
He has worked as Quality facilitator, undertaking work to embed a system of process improvement, data analysis and customer focus. This involved using a broad range of facilitative techniques to ensure the engagement of employees.
For the last 10 years David has operated across a broad spectrum of Acas services; conciliating in collective disputes, undertaking diagnostic work with a view to building more positive working relations in order to preventing potential disputes, advising on employment policies and procedures. Dave is primarily responsible for businesses in Herefordshire, Worcestershire, South Shropshire TF7, 8 and TF11-13, South Black Country DY1 - 15 and B66-71, South Birmingham, Redditch and Bromsgrove (inc NEC and Birmingham Airport) B26, 37-38, 45, 47-48, 60-65, 80 and 90-98.
He also operates as a trainer, providing both workplace training and open access events. He delivers the Acas accredited mediation course and undertakes workplace mediations. He has not, as yet, mastered how to transfer those skills to deal with his two teenage children.
