Lucy Emlyn-Jones Biography

BSc.(Hons), DipSW

Lucy Emlyn-Jones

After a Zoology degree, Lucy began professional life working for the World Wildlife Fund (now the World Wide Fund for Nature) as a scientific officer charged with assessing Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

Switching to people, she retrained and worked as a Childcare Social Worker, before moving into counselling, at the Cardiff Community Alcohol Team in the early 90s.This is one of the sites where effective practice was observed by Professor Rollnick as he and Professor Miller developed the behavioural change approach of Motivational Interviewing.

Gwent Alcohol Project

Lucy has long-term experience of the voluntary sector, founding and for a decade managing, the Gwent Alcohol Project a comprehensive alcohol counselling service and other related substance misuse services for an area covering five Local Authority areas in south east Wales.

Under her direction the agency developed a range of client-centred services rooted in a Motivational Interviewing approach and provided free and confidential alcohol counselling and information including couple and family work, a home alcohol detox service, a young people's alcohol and drug service, an auricular acupuncture service, and an arrest referral scheme.

Domestic Violence & Abuse

Lucy's involvement with Ignition has included organisational consultancy work focussing on domestic violence and abuse, including the development of a three year Business Plan and phased service delivery model, for an entirely new voluntary sector organisation for domestic violence perpetrators and associated women's support services. Plus survey, analysis and recommendations for a strategy of domestic violence training within interagency settings.

She has been a member of the International Network of trainers in Motivational Interviewing (MINT) since 1998, and was a lead Associate in the development and delivery of training in Motivational Interactions and Training for Trainers for Corrections Victoria, Australia and the training of psychology and prison staff in Motivational Interactions for the Northern Ireland Prison service and the Ministries of Justice and Health in Estonia.

Family Nurse Partnership

Between 2009 and 2011, Lucy was a lead trainer for Ignition on the Family Nurse Partnership. This is a major initiative in England and Scotland focussing on vulnerable young mothers aged 14-18.

Following international competition, the company developed and delivered the core Motivational Interviewing training, and skill development training, as well as training for supervisors - all based in Motivational Interviewing.

More recently, Lucy has delivered the Modules of the MI-based supportive environment training for the Integrated Family Support Service (IFSS). This is a Wales-wide national initiative focussing on families with complex needs, and with Motivational Interviewing at its heart.