Meet your Governors

Dan Stears

Why do I want to be a Governor?

I’ve struggled with anxiety for over 15 years and engaged within the Trust for the last 6. 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:

• Service user recruitment and development: Recovery Academy: Early Intervention Peer Mentorship and co-delivery of courses. Service-user engagement strategy: 5 year strategic view
• First Step Trust: Teaching those in recovery, the skills and opportunities for employment and self-improvement
• Communication Skills: Ability to articulate from the Trust board to constituents & service users
• Community and Constituents Needs: Out of hours crisis care, developing contingency plans in the event of services being compromised so impact on service-users is minimal.

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 help improve the services both locally in Salford and across the Trust
• I was one of the service-users that assisted in Inspections of Trust secure units that contributed to the CQC reports
• I became a Service-User Representative on the Meadowbrook unit recruitment panel
• I was able to use this experience when I was selected to be one of the service-users to take part in the recruitment process of 3

Michael Crouch

Why do I want to be a Governor?

I have used MMHSC inpatient and outpatient psychiatric services, CPN and clinical psychology services. Whilst accessing these services I have received care that has been excellent, appalling and everything in-between! I want to ensure the merger causes the excellence that existed in both former Trusts to spread and not simply be diluted. The advent of Devomanc Health presents many opportunities, but also an estimated £2bn budget deficit by 2020/21.

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

Margaret Willis

Previously John Adam Hogan

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.

Margaret Riley       (re-elected)

Why do I want to be a Governor?

 I previously held this position before the exciting merge with Manchester Mental Health. I feel I have a lot of life experience a mother & grandmother. As a service user personally I have used the NHS very little, I was always treated with respect and the utmost care. I have had experience of being a carer for a relative who unfortunately suffered from mental health problem, this was very traumatic time but with input of services support and hope we got through this troubling time. I do feel that everyone should get a fair chance and not be stigmatised by mental health, I have experience of many charities dealing with mental health problems, have also worked for Greater Manchester Police where I was able to work with vulnerable prisoners. I have a degree in psychology which I am very proud of.

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

Dr Victoria Sullivan

Why do I want to be a Governor?

I believe that the Trust places a high value on patient care and is proactive in involving service users, carers and staff in developing and improving services. I feel that the role of a governor would allow me to continue to support the Trust in ensuring that these values and responsibilities are maintained to a high standard and to advocate on behalf of my patients and colleagues. The Trust has been undertaking a number of significant changes with the merger with another mental health trust and I feel that as a medical governor I would be able to bring a key perspective as to the impact that these changes will have on services, which the Trust Executive should take into account.

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

I have worked for the NHS for over ten years and in this Trust since 2013 and have seen many positive changes take place. I have been involved in the Medical Staff Committee, which has allowed me to discuss the concerns of colleagues in the development of services. I feel that I am articulate in expressing my views and can represent the views of others.

Lesley O'Neill

Why do I want to be a Governor?

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

Stuart Edmondson

Why do I want to be a Governor?

I’m immensely proud to be a nurse and have a nearly 29 year-long nursing career behind me with recent experience of working for the Care Quality Commission which I would bring to the benefit of GMMH.

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

I am keen as a Governor to use the opportunity it brings to challenge the stigma and inequalities sadly still associated with mental health. I will seek to positively raise the profile of mental health in our communities and be the voice of reason for nursing. I have been privileged to help people at their most vulnerable which has given me a greater understanding to apply as a nurse professional.

Rick Wright

Why do I want to be a Governor?

I am proud to work closely with my social care colleagues in all directorates and I am constantly impressed by their knowledge, dedication to service users and carers and all round commitment to delivering a quality service. As governor I want to ensure that the vital contribution of social care staff is fully recognised and that the social care perspective continues to be embedded as intrinsic to understanding and addressing the needs of service users and carers. I would like to contribute to ensuring that GMMH is well equipped to meet the new challenges as we move into a new era of greater integration and changing demand. I want to promote closer relationships with partner agencies and as a governor do what I can to promote any initiatives to reduce staff stresses whilst maintaining excellent quality.

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

I have been a MH social work manager for many years and I remain an Approved Mental Health Professional. Over the years I have been involved in the successful integration of health and social care in what is now GMMH. I have helped implement various legal and social care developments in that time- not least the amended MHA, MCA and Care Act. I highly value my colleagues across the directorate and hope to support them where I can with any knowledge or experience I have gained. I want to offer my support as a governor.

Anita Arrigonie

Why do I want to be a Governor?

From a non-clinical point and seeing services change and having personal experience of mental ill health and the effects this has on family, carers and friends prompted me to apply.

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

Having worked in the service for many years I understand the complexities of the service.  I also understand the viewpoint of patients and their carers and being a member of staff from this aspect also.   I have excellent analytical skills and I am a great problem solver.   I am not afraid of working hard if the outcome would bring benefits to the end user.  I care deeply for the patients for whom I manage the service and would like to ensure that the quality of the service is raised year on year.

Nasur Iqbal

Why do I want to be a Governor?

I have a keen interest in mental health policy and change. Our Trust is undergoing lots of changes such as redesigning services, shaping clinical structures to the wider policy of Devo-Manc. This will be an interesting and challenging time but also a very real opportunity to shape the strategy and quality of mental health services for the people we support in our day to day clinical work. I believe I am a good communicator and a real team player and so I hope this will help me to work collaboratively with others in putting our views forward to the Trust Board.

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

I have studied, trained and worked within the Greater Manchester area since qualifying as a Clinical Psychologist in 2004. I feel I’ve developed some sense of the common successes and challenges that we face within psychological therapy services such as advocating for needs-led service provision, having well resourced services that offer the range of evidence based therapies at different levels, more integrated working with other colleagues and services as just few examples. I consider myself to be someone who can listen and act on issues that matter. I would therefore welcome the opportunity, and challenge, of becoming a staff governor and would work hard to communicate your message(s) to the Trust Board.

Jane Lee

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.

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

• I will 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 childcare.

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.

Sara Wallwork

Greater Manchester Police

Mental Health Lead for Greater Manchester Policy (GMP)  Sara will represent GMP on the Council of Governors.  

Sara has served with GMP for 28 years and has worked across most of the boroughs in Greater Manchester.   She has a vast experience in relation to vulnerability and public protection, MAPPA, coronial matters, local policing and investigations.

Stewart Lucas

Manchester MIND

(representing GM Voluntary Sector)

Appointed Governor

GM Association of Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs)