Jo West is the Curriculum Manager for Social and Vocational Studies.
Jo works with a whole team of colleagues to help shape and develop learning opportunities for our students. Through the Social and Vocational Studies team, she endeavours to offer a wide variety of programmes and subject choices to give our students a positive, enriched and enjoyable learning experience.
Jo and her team are always keen to look for new ideas and projects to enhance our student learning experience and to help our students on their way towards progression and lifelong learning. If you have any ideas please feel free to contact her or any of the team.
Other members of the Social and Vocational Studies team are:
Helen Leitch: Lecturer
Helen works as part of this fantastic, talented team to offer students an amazing variety of subjects. She is particularly interested in how technology can help people to learn.
Karen Downs: Community Liaison Co-ordinator
Most of Karen's work involves working with groups in the community, where she meets some lovely people. She also teaches some classes within the Social and Vocational Studies department and is a student adviser for Stepping Out. Her background is in creative arts and she uses her skills in producing and directing the collaborative. multi-media. end-of-year drama performance.
Aileen Davidson: Lecturer
Aileen's background is in hospitality, but during her many years at Perth College UHI she has carried out various jobs. She loves working with her student groups as they are so enthusiastic and eager to participate in the different subjects she teaches. Aileen also runs two café sessions a week and does lots of cookery, as well as teaching other subjects.
Janet Martin: Lecturer and Student Adviser
Janet has taught a number of different subjects since she joined Perth College UHI's teaching staff in 1996. She is very practical and so enjoys the cooking, gardening, work placement and craft classes the most. Janet loves a challenge and has had great fun helping students to organise Christmas Fayres, fund-raising enterprises, recycling projects and landscaping our campus garden.
Adrian Paterson: Lecturer
Adrian's background is in music and he aims to bring the students a varied and dynamic experience of this area, then work with their ideas to create something meaningful for them. He enjoys working with the team and students at Perth College UHI and plays bass, drums, guitar, and keyboards and also Brazilian Samba!
Lindsay Douglas: Lecturer
Lindsay teaches our Moving On students. A former Perth College UHI student herself, she secured her first teaching post in the community development team in 2002, and joined the Social and Vocational Studies department in 2006. Lindsay uses her love of film and photography as tools with the students as often as she can.
Vaala Ghandchi: Lecturer
Vaala Ghandchi's main role is to teach music and movement to the Social and Vocational Studies students. He also leads the Independent Living skills class one day a week. Working in this department has been an incredible learning experience for Vaala, which he credits the teaching team and the students for. He has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Performance and has enjoyed a number of music-oriented roles.
Diane Murdoch: Lecturer and Student Adviser
Diane teaches students employability and social communication skills. Together they produce a departmental magazine called ‘Blethering Skite’. She is also involved in organising inter-college events and residential experiences. The department has links with Elmwood, Carnegie, and Cumbernauld Colleges, which offer a range of opportunities and fun events for students.
Diane has recently completed the first part of her Masters Programme in Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Stephen Downes: Youth Development Worker
Stephen Joined the team in December 2008 and his role involves working mostly with the Moving On students and helping young people with their transition into employment or further education.
His background is in Social Sciences and he has experience in working with adults with diverse learning needs and young people with challenging behaviour.
Charlie Collie: Lecturer and Student Adviser
Charlie joined the team in October 2008. His path to SVS has been a winding one, as he qualified with a degree in engineering in 1989, then retrained in teaching in 1991 and went on to work for people with learning disability firstly in Edinburgh then Perth.
He has thoroughly enjoyed his first few months with us and looks forward to continuing to support the students to develop new skills and confidence over the coming years.
Lea Thomson: Training and Care Assistant
Lea joined the SVS team in May 2008. Her main responsibility is personal care for those who need it and supporting lecturing staff in the classrooms and during the lunch and break times.
Lea has worked in Community Care for the last four years with people with learning difficulties and disabilities.
Hannah Campbell: Transitions Officer
Hannah joined the team in 2006. It is her responsibility to make sure the students have a smooth transition from schools to employment or further education. Hannah has worked with adults with learning disabilities and has a degree in Social Sciences.
Hazel Davidson: Care Co-ordinator
Hazel has worked for Perth College UHI since 1997. Her responsibility is to organise individual personal care, deal with health and safety, risk assessment and first aid. Every day is a challenge but the students make her job worthwhile.