Michael Lassman
Michael has been involved with the
Playwork Conference since its inception. He takes on the role of ‘Conference
Manager’ and tries to make sure everything runs smoothly.
He originally worked as a youthworker and
playworker with children with disabilities on an integration programme during
the 1980s, then with adults recovering from strokes and spinal injuries and
finally with people with severe and enduring mental health problems. Now
Michael is an independent equality and diversity practitioner; he has always
stayed involved with his routes in the play world by working with Meynell at
Conference and with iP-D!P.
Michael is passionate about his work in
equalities and set up Equality Edge in 2007. It provides a creative and
alternative approach to help organisations meet their equality obligations
through a project he developed called “Working with Difference”. This is an
interactive and dynamic process delivered through coaching or workshop with
individuals or groups looking to explore how their personal
individuality/difference impacts on their workplace behaviour and
organisational development.
The approach is used in leadership and
team building, helping to heal dysfunctional managerial relationships, in
mediation and conflict resolution and in workplace bullying intervention.
Michael is a regular and active blogger, his writings on contemporary equality issues are often contentious and can be found at www.equalityedge.wordpress.com