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