David Corcoran
Guided by Values. Informed by Neurodivergence.
Values-led leadership and complex needs consultancy.
David Corcoran specialises in complex needs, system capability and trauma-informed organisational change. He works with local authorities, NHS teams, education settings and social care providers to create environments where people can experience safety, stability and a life that feels like their own.
What I do​
My work focuses on situations with high complexity, high risk or high uncertainty — especially where autistic, neurodivergent and learning-disabled people are at risk of breakdown, exclusion or restrictive interventions.
​
I support senior leaders and frontline teams to:
-
understand what is happening and why across the whole system
-
strengthen capability at service, team and organisational levels
-
reduce distress and restrictive practice
-
improve day-to-day quality of life for the person at the centre
​​
This often involves consultation, systemic reviews, leadership support and workforce development.
Specialist Areas
David’s work spans complex care, organisational capability and values-led leadership across children’s and adults’ services. His specialist areas include:
​
-
autistic, neurodivergent and learning-disabled people with complex support needs
-
system coordination around individuals at risk of breakdown or exclusion
-
reducing restrictive interventions and improving everyday quality of life
-
service-level and organisational reviews, culture change and capability building
-
multi-agency working, team supervision and decision-making support
Experience & Background
David has worked with autistic, neurodivergent and learning-disabled people since he was 19, with almost 35 years’ experience across children’s and adults’ services, education, health and social care. His work spans frontline practice, leadership, consultancy and system-wide change.
​
He previously founded and led I Support Behaviour for 11 years, working nationally on complex needs, restrictive practice reduction, hospital discharge and service improvement.
​
David holds a BSc (Hons) in Psychology, an MSc in Clinical Neuroscience, a PGCert in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, a PGDip in Behaviour Analysis, and is a Lifelong Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).
How I Work
Values-Led
Dignity, humanity and psychological safety guide every interaction.
Person-Centred
​Focusing on the person’s lived experience and what matters to them.
Neuroaffirming
Respecting human differences and supporting authentic ways of being.
System-Aware
Understanding distress within relational and organisational contexts.
Trauma-Informed
Reducing fear, threat and re-traumatisation across systems.
Data-Informed
Using systems thinking, OBM and implementation science.
In practice, this means taking the time to understand the person at the centre, the relationships around them, and the conditions shaping their day-to-day experience. I work alongside teams and leaders to design environments, routines and decision-making structures that feel more predictable, humane and sustainable for the person and everyone supporting them.