Janet Barker

I have been married to Gary for 47 years, and we used to have our own education and training business for over 30 years, before retiring.  We are very fortunate to have three sons and four grandchildren.

I have been involved in Autism Anglia since 1995 when it was The Essex Autistic Society. Our youngest Son Lawrence started at Doucecroft at three years of age. I became a Parent Governor and remained on The Board until Lawrence moved into Adult Services at the age of 17. I was then invited to become a Parent Trustee in 2009. I feel that Parent Trustees/Governors bring skills that cannot be learned, but gleaned through dealing with the complexities of autism at a personal level on a daily basis over many years.

I feel very passionate about meeting the needs of the people we support.  I believe we must endeavour to provide high quality care for every individual and to support their families when needed.