Max Neill – a great advocate who never dwelt on the issues but on the solutions
Max Neill, one of the advisors to the research team on the Big Society, died on 29 February, aged 49.
Chief Executive of Disability Equality North West Melanie Close paid tribute to Max. “I’ve known Max for over ten years. When I first met him he was the lead for person centred planning and supported lots of individuals with learning disabilities to get the support they wanted in the way they wanted it. Max gave them a voice when planning their future and their support. He also supported many organisations to learn how to do person centred planning with the people they support.
“Max was also a real advocate for ‘circles of support’ ensuring people with learning difficulties had a network of formal and informal support around them – he was so passionate about this, and would speak about it and practice it whenever he could.
“Max was a great advocate for people with learning disabilities. He was an expert in engaging with community members to identify issues and then solutions and sources of support. He would never dwell on the issues, always the solutions.
“When he was diagnosed with bowel cancer, he treated it as another challenge and another opportunity to help people learn about cancer and about dealing with pain and planning for end of life.
“His passion for person-centred approaches and support and the learning he passed on to us all, will be Max’s legacy”.
