A NEW Bolton business is helping to make life smoother for people involved in compensation claims.

Enterprise Consultancy, which specialises in psychological matters and medico-legal reports, has been established for a month in the Bolton Enterprise Centre in Washington Street.

The consultancy helps solicitors make appointments for clients with appropriate consultant clinical psychologists or neuro-psychologists.

Reports are then prepared in conjunction with claims.

Amanda Cardwell, aged 36, who lives in Halliwell, believes her business is the only one working in this way in the North-west. She says it reduces paperwork and administration for both solicitors and psychologists.

Amanda, who went to Smithills Moor Grammar School, later completed a BSc (Hons) in Psychology at Bolton Institute and is now taking an MSc in Psychology and its applications.

She established her consultancy with the help of Bolton Enterprise Centre and Bolton Business Ventures.

Virginia Sullivan works full-time on administrative duties and last week Sharples School pupil Linsay Davies, aged 15, helped out while on work experience.

Amanda says most of the reports relate to road accidents, but they also cover incidents such as injuries at work, sexual abuse and child abuse.

Their biggest client is a London firm of solicitors which deals purely with trade union personal injury claims.

"We made contact with more than 500 solicitors and we are working closely with about 30 at present," Amanda said. "We expect that figure to go up."

Eventually they hoped to expand into other psychological disciplines such as forensic, occupational and educational.

She added: "We are actively looking for 2nd or 3rd year undergraduates to work in a voluntary capacity over the summer months to research and develop these new areas of the business."

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