Tony Glynn

3 February 1952 - 5 March 2008

Tony's story
Tribute from Ann Davis
Tributes from friends and colleagues
Tributes from Suresearch

Speeches from opening of Glynn Rooms
>> Ann's speech
>> Helen's speech
>> Sirkku's speech
>> Marion's speech
>> Vicki's speech

Background
Tony Glynn was born in Stechford, Birmingham. He decided, at the age of 14 that school was not the place for him  and worked  in a number of jobs including the motor industry and building.  He used  mental health services in the City for  twenty five years. Through his work as a trainer and advocate with Solihull MIND he made contact with the University of Birmingham and became involved with mental health research there, working on a number of service user focused research projects looking at mental health issues such as: employment, compulsion, crime and the fear of crime, and dual diagnosis.

Tony was a lead researcher with the national Public Health Association research project 'Redressing the Balance' which highlighted the seriousness of criminal offences against mental health service users in the community.  This project has made an important contribution to further research and raised public and policy understandings of mental health and social justice.

Tony also made an invaluable contribution to the MA social work programme at the University as a service user tutor and coordinator. He was a trainer with Moving On, a City-based collaboration between mental health service users and professionals  and a volunteer support worker in both Mental Health Trust and charity organisations. Tony was at the founding meeting  that formed Suresearch a West Midlands user led mental health network of service users and their allies involved in education and research (www.suresearch.bham.ac.uk). Indeed, it was Tony that came up with the network’s name which was unanimously accepted.

Tony received his Masters in Social Research from the University of Birmingham in 2006 and that same year he was appointed as a User Coordinator at CEIMH. Tony played a key role in the design of  CEIMH, combining his building expertise with his knowledge of what works for mental health service users who are coming into an educational environment. Since his appointment he has mentored, taught, researched, written and inspired a wide range of service users, professionals and colleagues. Ever generous and open in sharing his experiences with others so that excellence in  mental health education could be developed at CEIMH, he will continue to travel, in our hearts and minds as a guide and inspiration.

See Two Decades of Change report to read Tony's Story (page 19).

Publications:
Davis, A., Davis, A. & Glynn, T. (2008) Making Sense of Social Work Practice in Multi-agency Mental Health Services, in K. Morris (ed) Social Work & Multi-Agency Working - Making a Difference

Clark, M and Glynn, T (2007) 'Two Decades of Change: celebrating User Involvement' . Centre of Excellence in Interdisciplinary Mental Health, University of Birmingham, UK.

Clark, M., Davis, A., Fisher, A., Glynn, T., Jefferies, J (2006), 'Transforming Services, Changing Lives'. CEIMH and Suresearch, the University of Birmingham

Glynn, T and Ansell, J (2006) Survival and Abuse: What We Can Learn From It. Journal of Social Work Education, vol. 25 No. 4 Routledge, pp. 418-428

Glynn, T, Martins, J, McCann, J (2004), 'Get a Life', Openmind, 127. p.23

Glynn, T (2003), 'There is a Better Way' in Social Perspectives Network Study Day Report. SPN Paper 4 pp 64-66 - Where you stand affects your point of view. Emancipatory approaches to mental health research. London

Glynn, T (2004) 'Get involved - Change your life'. Openmind, 125, p.23

Conference Contributions:
'Why Theorise Social Work Research?' ESRC. The University of Manchester, December 2000. 'Finding a Better Way'. Constructing service-user evidence about experiences of compulsion. Workshop presentation'

Consumers in NHS Research Third National Conference. Harrogate, November 7th 2002.'Valuing Experience'. Workshop presentation

'Where you stand affects your point of view. Emancipatory approaches to mental health research'. Social Perspectives Network Study Day. London, June 12th 2003. 'There is a Better Way'. Workshop presentation

'User Involvement in Health and Social Care, Education and Research'. The University of Middlesex, January 21st 2004. Learning from our experience: Building and sustaining user involvement in mental health research. Workshop presentation'

Living and Learning Together Conference'. GSCC and SCIE. The University of Aston, August 2004. Working it out together: a problem solving workshop on involving service users in social work education. Workshop presentation

Heart of England Hub. 'Hub Addiction Research Group Conference'. Birmingham, December 8th 2004. 'User Involvement in Research'. Workshop presentation

'Involving Patients, Service users and Carers in Interprofessional Education Conference'. TRIPLE and Centre of Excellence in Interdisciplinary Mental Health, the University of Birmingham, 21st September 2005. Learning from our experience: building and sustaining user involvement in mental health education. Opening speaker'

Incapacity Benefits and Mental Health'. Mind Annual Conference, Harrogate, March 16th 2006. 'Changes to these benefits are being proposed and this is worrying'. Discussion of people's concerns and experiences. Benefits to Breadwinner; how scary is that? Workshop presentation.

'Making Mental Health Visible'. The Centre of Excellence in Interdisciplinary Mental Health, the University of Birmingham, May 23rd 2006. A one day workshop to exchange information about the University of Birmingham's mental health teaching and learning activities. Workshop Leader

'Working with Service Users'.  Presentation at Interdisciplinary Education Workshop, University of Northampton, September 2006.

'Promoting Mental Well-being in Teaching and Learning: lessons from experience'.  Workshop given at the Mental Wellbeing in Teaching and Learning UUK/SCOP Conference, London, November 2006.

'Towards a Mental Health Promoting University: Focus on student well-being'.  Opening speaker on video.  CEIMH/MHHE Day Workshop, March 2007.

'Using Evidence to Transform Practice: Health Inequalities and Mental Health'.  Presentation at ESRC Social Work and Health Inequalities Research Seminar Series.  London, March 2007.

Social Work Theories and Methodologies Programme, 3-10 June 2007.  'Designing Social Work - The use of professional knowledge, theories and research to create, improve and evaluate strategies, concepts and methods'.  The Inter-University Centre for Postgraduate Studies, Dubrovnik, Croatia.  Presentation 'Designing Social Work in Partnership: Transforming Research' given and discussion group leader.

West Midlands Mental Health Educators' Network.  'Student Mental Health: sharing experiences of promoting mental well-being and supporting students with mental ill-health'.  Coventry University, 25 June 2007.  Presentation given on 'Experience of a Mature Student'.