Meet your Governors

Avril Clarke

Why do you want to be a Governor?

I would like to be a governor as I’m keen extend my involvement in GMMH to ensure a great service. Presently I’m a service user and volunteer at the recovery academy and soon to be volunteering onwards within the trust. Due to this involvement I can bring knowledge of what affects service users to the forefront of any discussion and challenge facing the governing body. I want to represent all service users, carers, staff and general public emphasizing on the service user’s needs.

What experience and skills do you feel you could bring to the role?

My experiences allow a unique perspective having been both a Nurse and a service user, 2 sides of the same coin. I understand both the strains and stresses on the staff and can empathise how this affects the service user. I have been involved in writing and presenting courses for the recovery academy for 4 years and have sat on recruiting panels as a service user representative. I recently presented to the First Responders conference at Liverpool university including answering audience questions. I explained how it feels to be in a distressed state due to mental health issues. I was involved in the recent CQC inspection making both written and verbal contribution. I now work as an artist and value the use of creativity in all areas. Thinking and working creatively allows a different option for resolving and developing issues and ideas.

Dan Stears
(re-elected)

Why do I want to be a Governor?

I’ve struggled with anxiety for over 18 years and engaged with the Trust for the last 9 (3 as a Service User & Carer Governor). Although I’m on the road to recovery, I recognise there are days I still struggle. It’s important to me to use my experience for the benefit of other service users and staff delivering services. Because of this, I’m passionate and actively involved in the following:

• I currently chair the Governors working group that looks at how Governors engage with their constituencies.
• I became the First Service User to become an NHS England approved independent Inspector.
• Communication Skills: Ability to articulate from the Trust board to constituents & service users.
• Community: I chair the Salford Mental Health forum as well as hold Trustee status at MINDinSalford & Salford Pride.
• I represent Mental Health & LGBT on the both the Salford and Forcewide divisions of GMP’s Independent Advisory Boards.

What experience and skills do you feel you could bring to the role?

• I’ve embraced Greater Manchester Mental Health’s ethos of being an Expert by Experience.
• I’ve used the experiences I have to improve the services both locally in Salford and across the Trust.
• I am the first Service User that has led Inspections of Trust secure units.
• I am one of the Lived Experienced Tutors at the Recovery Academy. and have been involved in the recruitment of 6 of the Trust Directors.

Nathan Anthony Prescott

Why do I want to be a Governor?

I want to be able to help shape a service that is user friendly, that respects the dignity of each INDIVIDUAL patient as well as their families/friends and carers. One that learns quickly from its' mistakes and ensures NO ONE slips through the net. I will reach out to other service users to find out what they need from the service, then lobby for any adjustments needed.I will fight for a system that offers transparency and choice to its service users. I'll strive to bring mental health care in line with the rest of our NHS so service users have a choice of who they see and can ask for second opinion. I want to be a governor so I can work with the trust to secure additional funding to bring waiting times down, review Care Quality Commission inspection results and push to ensure changes are made to become OUTSTANDING in all areas and make GMMH foundation trust the best it can be.

What experience and skills do you feel you could bring to the role?

As a mental health service user, I've experienced the service doing well but also when things go badly wrong; giving me insight and perspective. As director of a management company, I have the skills to identify poor performance and ability to problem solve to provide the best on a given budget. As a qualified pharmacist, I have great medical knowledge as well as compassion, respect and empathy.

Margaret Willis

Why do I want to be a Governor?

I have been a member of the Trust since 2008 and a service user/ carer governor for six of those years. As I am a service user myself I have always wanted to provide help and support to my fellow service users and their carers.  At the end of last year I made a number of visits to units in Manchester. Now that Manchester is part of the same Trust I wish to continue with these visits as a governor, please help me to help you.

What experience and skills do you feel you could bring to the role?

I have been a member of the Nominations Committee which deals with the interviewing and appointment of The Chairperson and non-executive directors. I am currently a member of the care hub committee and very much enjoy this role. I am also a ward volunteer at the Woodlands Hospital which is a challenging yet enjoyable role.

Dr Judy Harrison

Why do I want to be a Governor?

I have lived and worked in Manchester all my life, and have been proud to work alongside some fantastic and committed staff. My mission as a consultant psychiatrist has always been to provide the best quality of care for my patients, and to contribute wherever I can to improving services. I believe the clinical and management experience I have will be very useful for the Trust governing body in looking at how to shape services for the future, and how best to engage with the medical staff group.

What experience and skills do you feel you could bring to the role?

I have been a consultant psychiatrist in inner city community services for many years and have a broad range of clinical experience. I have held several management roles within the Trust including Chair of the Medical Advisory Group, Associate Medical Director and Director of Medical Education. I am actively involved in the training of medical staff at all levels and believe I can represent and engage with the medical staff group within the Trust. I am a confident and forward thinking person and enjoy working with others to address service concerns, solve problems and develop new ideas.

Lesley O'Neill
(re-elected)

Why do I want to be a Governor?

I have over 37 years experience in mental health nursing. I am passionate about making sure we are robust and skilled enough to give the best care possible. To do this, we need to support, protect and look after our nursing workforce. I believe I can be a big part of making sure this happens in the role of Governor ( nursing). I am fortunate to also hold a position of representative for the Trust on behalf of The Royal College of Nursing. This helps me make sure our nurses/nursing reflects what is happening within our UK and world nursing family. Being a Governor will enable me to project the voice of nurses and nursing in a senior level and make sure we are heard. I am also in a position where I can influence and bring issues to the Trust which supports and makes the working life better for nurses. This in turn, makes the delivery of patient care much better.

What experience and skills do you feel you could bring to the role?

I have worked as a nurse in most clinical areas of mental health nursing, this includes adult inpatient, adult CMHT's, Mental Health Liaison Services, Home Based Treatment Services, in patient services for older adults and latterly Older Adults CMHT. However, in my role as staff side representative, I have worked in almost every area and division within the Trust.

Stuart Edmondson
(re-elected)

Why do I want to be a Governor?

I am proud to have worked in the NHS since 1998 and have undertaken a number of different roles, I also have experience of working as a Specialist Advisor to the CQC. During my career I have faced many challenges and been involved in many changes. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work with some wonderful collegaues and support people during their darkest times and want to ensure that we continue to evelop and improve the quality of care that the Trust provides. There is no doubt that society is getting more complicated and more people are reaching out for help, there has never been a more important time to ensure that the voice of the nurses is heard.

What experience and skills do you feel you could bring to the role?

With over 20 years experience of mental health nursing practice, I consider that I am greatly placed to be a voice for the nursing profession
and will be able to call upon the networks that I have developed to take the views and concerns of others forward. I would relish the opportunity to serve another term and represent the nursing constituency.

Rick Wright

Why do I want to be a Governor?

My top priorities as governor will be to: Give Social Care the profile it deserves in the Trust and continually highlight the immense and vital contribution of the social care and social work staff working within GMMH Trust. Support meaningful implementation of the Social Work Strategy including working to improve Social Care staff wellbeing. Provide a Social Care voice at all levels within the Trust.

What experience and skills do you feel you could bring to the role?

I have worked as a social worker and an Approved Mental Health Professional for over twenty years in Bolton. During this time I have been involved in many changes and developments as integrated services have taken shape. Partnership working and integration is key and I am dedicated to promoting and enhancing this where ever possible. I am especially proud of my contribution to the Social Work Strategy - one of the biggest challenges to us in social care currently is in implementing and embedding the aspirations identified within this. we must raise the profile of social care in GMMH trust, understand how social care staff wellbeing can be better promoted and explore the role they play delivering high-quality mental health services. GMMH has nearly 300 social care staff across its footprint who are often involved in the most complex and demanding work. The contribution to GMMH of social workers and social care staff is immense - their work deserves recognition and given due credit.

Arif Patel

Why do I want to be a Governor?

I passionately believe that the National Health Service should put patient care and safety first before profit and deliver all the services, in the right locations, and within acceptable timescales. It would be a privilege to support GMMH as a governor and give something back; my time, expertise and experience. As a Governor I will strive to ensure that is not done at the cost of the service provided to the local community.

What experience and skills do you feel you could bring to the role?

I am currently an ICT Technical Lead with over 18 years of experience in Information Technology within the NHS sector. I am passionate about my job, to drive, manage, provide expert advice to end-users and more. It is therefore my role to listen to them, treat them with respect and sensitivity and thereafter robustly represent them, in order to secure the best possible outcome. There is an inherent sense of justice and fairness in everything I do and the people I deal with in every aspect of my life. In my spare time I enjoy playing football, walking, gym, going to the cinema and socialising. I therefore believe that my experience and qualifications would make me a suitable and useful candidate for a governor.

Diomidis Psomas

Why do I want to be a Governor?

I am really interested in people, change and policy and how it all affects the way the organization is offering services to the public. It is a very significant time with a number of changes taking
place within and all around the organization. It is absolutely paramount, that we all contribute constructively to all the changes and affect the way they are implemented so we are always in the best possible position to be there for everyone as everybody matters. I am really keen to represent Psychological Therapies and give a voice to everyone who wants and needs to be heard.

What experience and skills do you feel you could bring to the role?

I have worked in several different services over the past 23 years; substance misuse, university counselling, military, primary care, secondary care. Almost 16 of those in the NHS now as a Chartered Counselling Psychologist. I bring an understanding of the struggles on the ground and the challenges of leadership. I also bring the interest, the passion and the hard work attitude of bringing people together to achieve fulfilment and excellent service delivery.

Jane Lee
(re-elected)

Why do I want to be a Governor?

The expertise of allied health professionals transforms lives. In my career I have seen: How understanding nutrition has led to control over disabling mental- health conditions and return to employment. How adjusting communication as a result of speech and language assessment has led to stable accommodation and access to education. How through Occupational therapy and the exploration of personal values and beliefs, people have been able to build skills and access opportunities to develop positive life roles, manage homes access education and gain employment. Without the right intervention people often become isolated and mentally and physically unwell. Over the last period austerity has had devastating effects on our communities and services. Homelessness, poverty, cuts to services has increased pressure on mental-health services Mental-health teams have struggled valiantly to support people and communities but are massively under -resourced. As a governor I will continue to:

• Promote the skills and expertise of allied health professionals and access to therapy for our service-users in Greater Manchester
• Speak up for well resourced, evidence based mental health services and research
• Stand for community resources in social housing, employment, education and childcare
• Review and develop and effective communication neetwork for AHP staff

What experience and skills do you feel you could bring to the role?

BA Psychology, BSc Occupational Therapy, Post-Graduate Certificate in Education, MSc Vocational Rehabilitation 25 plus years’ experience in mentalhealth: community, rehabilitation, later-life service, acute care, dual-diagnosis Speaking out for services.

Les Allen

Why do I want to be a Governor?

As a long standing Bolton resident, I want to create seamless links between myself, Trust members, in Bolton, service users and the wider public. I see myself as an independent point of contact for all members, feeding their views into service improvement projects and influencing decisions. I would work closely with my fellow Governors and the Board of Directors to build on the excellent services currently provided

What experience and skills do you feel you could bring to the role?

I am a CIPFA/FCCA qualified accountant with many years senior finance experience within Local NHS Trusts. I have contributed to successful service developments, both in my working life and as a Governor, including this Trust’s acquisition of Manchester Mental Health services and the continued development of Bolton’s acute care pathway. I was proud to serve as a Governor for four years until April 2019. During that time I attended Governor and Board of Director meetings. I observed the interaction between Board members, including how Non-Executive Directors hold the Board to account, for the Trust’s performance. As Lead Governor I chaired the Nominations Committee, overseeing the appointment of the Chair and Non-Executive Directors to ensure the Board remains fit for purpose. I also chaired the Governor’s Membership Engagement Strategy and supporting the development of my fellow Governor’s.

Emma Wood

Why do I want to be a Governor?

Although I am not originally from Bolton I have worked in Bolton for the last 16 years and have resided in Bolton for the last 13 years. Throughout this time I have represented many clients in my professional capacity as a
Solicitor. I am highly regarded and respected and take great pride in my work and my achievements. This would be carried through to my role as governor. I would conduct my role with discretion and with due diligence.
I wish to be able to continue to represent the local community in Bolton.

What experience and skills do you feel you could bring to the role?

I qualified as a Solicitor in 2006 and I am now a salaried partner at our Horwich office, working in the wills and probate department. In 2015, I became a fully accredited member of Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE), an independent organisation of solicitors, barristers and chartered legal executives who provide specialist legal advice for older and vulnerable people, their families and carers. I have also been a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) since 2017. I carry out all types of work in our busy elderly client department, specialising in wills, probate, lasting powers of attorney and advice on care fees. I am currently a Trustee for Age UK in Bolton and have been representing the ageing community in Bolton with support from a dedicated board of trustees. I am a dementia friend.

Paul Connelly

Why do I want to be a Governor?

With the experience of being both a service user and an ex-employee I feel I have a lot to contribute and can use that experience for the benefit of both the clients and staff to address any issues and therefore help to maintain a therapeutic and client led service. I am also a fully qualified Health,Safety and Environment consultant and understand the need to reduce staff stress levels as far as reasonably practical. I believe this will benefit clients on the wards.

What experience and skills do you feel you could bring to the role?

Maureen Burke

Why do I want to be a Governor?

As a Governor I would be honoured to continue to support the Trust in all of its endeavours, especially during a time of change and transition. The Governor role would afford me the opportunity to contribute to its successes, with the broad lens my NHS career has provided me with.

What experience and skills do you feel you could bring to the role?

My professional and, more recent, personal life haveprovided me with what I believe to be the necessary experience and skills to be an effective Governor. I’ve had a successful 40 year career in the NHS in clinical and managerial roles, across a wide range of settings. In order to add positivity I had to be flexible, tenacious, a team player, engiving, inquisitive, informed, analytical,
confident and have a good sense of humour. It was a privilege.

Personally, more recently, I have spent 12 years as a carer for a close relative with dementia. This has had a profound effect on me in that I now find myself much more forgiving and compassionate. The experience was incredibly challenging but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

Iris Nickson
(re-elected)

Why do I want to be a Governor?

Although the mental health sector has improved immensely over the last 33 years, I see through my father-in-law’s experiences that there remain many opportunities for improvements in the delivery of care to service users and their relatives. I am passionate about seizing these opportunities and I feel my insights into the challenges faced by people dealing with mental health issues and my wider experiences of improving the lives of young people who suffered with mental health and behavioural issues has made me a very valuable addition to the governing body.

What experience and skills do you feel you could bring to the role?

I have twenty years’ experience working in education. Seven years were in the special school (BESD) sector. The children displayed a diverse range of learning and mental health problems so working collaboratively with multi-agency teams was imperative. I am empathetic and can listen constructively, work collaboratively and be adaptable. During my three-year tenure as governor, I attended the, festival of learning event, CQC monitoring meetings (2017 – 2019), many Governor training events and I became a member of the, -apprenticeship programme, nomination committee, engagement working group and COG membership strategy working group. I have gained many useful insights, particularly into the challenges mental health can present to carers and the wider community, which have helped me identify ways of improving lives across GMMH at the strategic level.

Gary Cooke

Why do I want to be a Governor?

I'd like to be a govenor because I can bring fresh ideas to the service as an ex inpatient on wards and been through the service from home based treatment team to cmht to cbt ect.. I know plenty of service users who tell me all their ideas and past or current problems. I have an insight into the service from wards to management. I'm not afraid to speak out about things I do not agree with. I'm not afraid to tell others about my problems with mental health and alcohol addiction. I put in hard work to ensure a better quality of service to all service users or to help staff members.

What experience and skills do you feel you could bring to the role?

I have experience in ECM and quality ward inspections. I am a peer mentor on numerous wards, I run an abstinence group for achieve BST I'm chair of the recovery action group.i run the activity room at Moorside. I run a reading well group at laureate as well as numerous other roles. 

Terry Corbett

Why do you want to be a Governor?

I want to be a Governor to continue my work on improving services I've done passionately in my recovery, using my essential lived experience. I have always offered a strong, assertive and rationale voice when feeding back people's experiences to Trust professionals right up to board level. Our city has developed beyond recognition in the last decade or so, and is moving at such a pace that its residents, especially the most vulnerable/isolated are becoming more and more detached and many such people are losing their voices. In the last 3 years, GMMH acquired Manchester's Mental Health Services, somewhat mirroring the speed of change's in our city. Yes, a lot of great work is being done, but there are people getting lost/confused in the new systems, their valuable experience going too. So as a Governor I want to become a strong channel for them to voice their experiences/concerns through me.

What experience and skills do you feel you could bring to the role?

20 years experience in both mental health/substance misuse services, 11 as a service user, 9 in recovery. In those 9 years, I've delivered many community projects designed towards giving people a voice. I've always been an avid spokesman in clinical work, was the service user representative for 2 years on the clinical transformation steering group overseeing the acquisition of Manchester's services. Last 12 months worked as Service and Carer Engagement Co-Ordinator producing films of people's experiences to feedback to the Trust.

Nayla Cookson

Why do I want to be a Governor?

For two years I have been proud to represent the Public of Manchester as their GMMH Governor. I stood because I felt my own family care experience might of value if carer’s problems were properly represented. Having seen, from Governor level, the immense scope of work of our Trust, and with the opportunity to listen to NHS staff’s views at many levels along with service user’s committees, I have strived to ensure new ideas are aired in the highest level of administration.The trust’s work is ably supported by regional Metro Mayors in highlighting the social causes of increasing mental health issues. As Governor I actively supported the NHS initiative to radically improve after
care through integrating hospital discharge procedures into the wider context of social support. Treating mental health issues is increasingly tied to sustaining improved living conditions following discharge. Finally, experience convinces me that the next great area in need is the pressing issue of adolescent mental health. Resourcing an early intervention is one key to tackling deficiency in mental health of our whole population, and will limit escalation later in life.

What experience and skills do you feel you could bring to the role?

Professionally I am an language specialist, having worked in many countries, including inner city schools in Manchester. I am active in Anglo-Lebanese cross-cultural activities, local Age Friendly groups and my church's Legion of Mary. Multicultural community action is vital to solving mental health problems in Manchester.

Jermaine Chappell

Why do I want to be a Governor?

I’m passionate about joining secondary care services up with primary care services and joining this up with patients love neighbourhood groups and VCSOs to ensure joined up health and well-being services are wrapped around a person 24/7.

What experience and skills do you feel you could bring to the role? 

Years of primary care reform, designing MDT groups and joint working with neighbourhood VCSOs would give me ideal knowledge and experience to shape the future of everyone’s mental health care.

Angela Beadsworth

Why do I want to be a Governor?

I’ve worked in public service for 36 years and am currently working in the Manchester and Trafford health & social care arena as Head of Workforce to improve access to a range of services through system & service redesign. In that time I’ve accessed a range of mental health services for close family relatives and so have my own personal narrative for wanting to become a Governor at GMMH. I also feel I can contribute to governance responsibilities as I’m solution focussed, analytical and can understand and navigate outcomes for complex issues.

What experience and skills do you feel you could bring to the role?

I’ve worked in public service at Senior level for over 20 years and I’m a chartered Fellow of the Institute of Personnel & Development. I can bring my experience & working knowledge of the current GM health & social care system so aware of it’s challenges & opportunities as I’m currently delivering the HRService to Trafford CCG and leading the Commissioning integration work stream. I have written & presented governing body, Remcom & council of Member reports. I have a coaching style and can facilitate discussions and ensure I actively listen to people’s views ensuring all have a voice. I care passionately about improving public service and being accountable is one of my key personal values. If I was selected I will do my utmost to assist Governing Body to hold the Trust to account & improve outcomes.

Sharon Mason

Why do I want to be a Governor?

Working in clinical practice and engaging collaboratively with CQC and other bodies have seen an increase in child and adolescent mental illness and admissions to A&E of children that attempted to take their own life, with significant disability outcomes in some cases and with some young people transferred to the south from the north although facilities in Greater Manchester were nearer. I’d like to get involved more in improvements to overall mental health for children and young people and adults and to integrated service delivery overall.

What experience and skills do you feel you could bring to the role?

I developed a non-biased feedback service to Trusts in support of quality improvements following CQC inspections that are transferrable to other services and has been Influential in cultural change to one of learning from situations from a culture of blame when things do not go so well. Experiences shared for example, online prescribing and medicine administration having an impact on patient safety led to additional resources and improvements in service delivery and support of staff. Good practices shared for example in the delivery of care for children and young people that had self-harmed requiring 1:1 specialing on a busy children’s inpatient wards in acute hospitals, raised awareness of staffing and led to changes in practices. I work collaboratively with the NHS, NHSI, CQC, National Guardian Office, RCN and other agencies and deliver peer support to healthcare practitioners suffering from work related mental illness.

Tim Bradshaw

University of Manchester

Margaret Rowe

University of Salford

Dean of the School of Nursing, Midwifery, Social Work and Social Science at the University of Salford.  Before joining the University of Salford in September 2016, Margaret was Associate Dean Business and Engagement in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at Northumbria University. Having joined Northumbria University in 1996 as a Senior Lecturer of Children’s Nursing, Margaret held the roles of Head of the Children’s Nursing & Child Health Department, Head of the Department of Primary & Social Care and Associate Dean (Pre-Registration Health).

Margaret is highly regarded on the regional, national and international stage and is the Higher Education national representative on the Nursing and Midwifery Council Revalidation Strategic Steering Group.  As a Council of Deans’ representative, Margaret has collaborated on the development of guidelines for higher education institutions in relation to the revalidation process.  Margaret has worked with Health Education England, national and regional bodies and the North East Combined Authority and actively contributes to national and regional debates and forums on workforce issues, policies and future ways of working in Health and Social Care.

During Margaret’s time as Associate Dean for Health, she improved National Student Survey (NSS) ratings in her Faculty to rank within the top ten for Nursing & Midwifery and within the top fifteen for Physiotherapy in the UK. Margaret has also sought to improve retention and employability opportunities for a wide range of students and Northumbria is now ranked in the top 20 per cent of UK universities for retention rates in Health programmes. Margaret has also driven a significant uplift in enterprise income throughout the past three years and has actively supported, and enhanced, the Faculty’s research culture. Margaret brings a wealth of international experience, including the successful development of new programmes and partnerships development in a number of countries including Malaysia, Thailand and China.

Prior to joining Northumbria University, Margaret enjoyed a successful career as a Registered General Nurse and a Senior Clinical Nurse Manager – Children’s Services.

Mat Ainsworth

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)

Mat Ainsworth is the Assistant Director for Employment (Strategy, Policy & Delivery) at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Mat is responsible for the delivery of the employment elements of GM’s groundbreaking devolution agreement and the Greater Manchester Strategy priority around good jobs for people to progress & develop. The key elements of this include the development of a whole population Working Well system to ensure people have the support and opportunities to secure and progress in work; developing a world-class jobs and progression service, working with Jobcentre Plus; and developing a GM approach to managing welfare reform that delivers job progression and addresses low pay.   The role includes significant joint working with partners across GM, especially those working in health, skills and economic development, as well as with central government departments, academics and Think Tanks.

Mat has previously worked for Salford City Council, Nottingham City Council, Jobcentre Plus and as a teacher and freelance translator in Slovenia.

Detective Chief Inspector Amanda Whittaker-Murray

Representing Greater Manchester Police.

Stewart Lucas

Manchester MIND

(representing GM Voluntary Sector)

Appointed Governor

GM Association of Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs)