Career Overview
I am a highly enthusiastic, motivated and innovative specialist in public sector business development, service and process redesign and operational management. I am values driven, offering a diverse range of consultancy skills, including excellent communication skills, customer experience and journey mapping, project and change management expertise, quality assurance and benchmarking, and interpersonal and influencing skills. Solid legislatory and regulatory understanding and experience of working with customers in a range of tenures, including tenancies, leases and licences. I have worked at executive and at Board level with a wide range of organisations in the public and private sectors, and as Non-Executive Director for Axiom and Macintyre Housing Associations and Chair of the Executive Board at The Boulevard Academy in Hull.
TRAINING COMMISSIONS FOR QATAR PETROLEUM IN DOHA
- Training Course Design and Materials Development
- Managing Effective Meeting Skills
- Train the Trainer
- Negotiation Skills
- Planning and Organising Own Work
- Problem Solving and Decision Making
- Communication Skills
- Office Administration
- Team Building
- Recruitment and Selection
- Advanced Office Management
- Advanced Supervisory Skills
- Strategic Human Resources Management
RECENT CONSULTANCY COMMISSIONS 2017-2019
2019
Customer Journey Mapping Facilitation
South Cambs District Council, Irwell Valley Homes, Rooftop Housing Group and The Community Housing Group
Key Outcomes
Training, coaching and facilitating programmes to enhance customer experience through customer journey mapping and business process improvement across a range of tenures and service delivery models. Enabling enhanced customer focus for business processes, to improve customer satisfaction, efficiency and value for money.
Serious Case Review: medium sized provider
Review of circumstances and service failure following serious incident, development of recommendations for policy and process review and departmental restructure plan to address current service quality shortcomings.
Key Outcomes
Production of detailed report of findings and recommendations that was fully accepted and implemented by the Board. Development of service offer, new costed structure, role and person specifications, learning and development plan, charging model, performance management and key performance metrics framework, implementation plan.
Review of alternative service models for older and younger people’s housing: medium sized provider
Research on potential new service models and emerging markets to inform new development strategy.
Key Outcomes
Recommendations to the Board on potential funding opportunities, local commissioning strategies, analysis of research into older people’s choice for housing, analysis of new and innovative models of delivery and future demand in current operational areas.
Independent review of the administration of utility charges: national provider
Review of management of utility charges following Ombudsman finding of maladministration.
Key Outcomes
Detailed report on findings on operation of existing policies, with recommendations for policy and practice changes, compensation to the tenant and advice on statutory definition of fixed and variable service charges.
Chair of Trustees, Boulevard Academy, Hull
Non-Executive Director of Academy, serving 11-16-year-old students in West Hull
Key Outcomes
- Leadership of Executive Board in its revisioning of the school ethos, holistic approach to education and integration with other local personal services in a deprived area of Hull
- Restructuring existing Executive Board, leading internal governance review and strengthening internal scrutiny processes
- Lead governance of performance, strategic plan, financial strategy, pupil attainment, policy management, pupil attendance
- Appointment of new Principal
- Leadership development coach to Senior Leadership Team
2018
Guest edited Housing, Care & Support Journal on behalf of Housing Quality Network
Commissioned and edited special edition themed around social housing’s contribution to public health following successful HQN conference on this theme.
Safeguarding investigation: small provider
Investigation into historic allegations of abuse by staff.
Key Outcomes
Comprehensive report into allegations reviewing human resources files, client records, interviews and policy and practice review. The report was fully accepted by the local Adult Safeguarding Board as effectively identifying areas for policy and practice improvement and lessons learnt.
Market review: London Borough
Review of local provider market to support client in identifying future provider partners for joint ventures.
Key Outcomes
Development of provider assessment metrics and framework tool, granular analysis of provider performance, financial stability and regulatory compliance.
Safeguarding case review: regional provider
Case review of safeguarding breach and evaluation of policy and practice around the housing of sex offenders in specialist housing for older people.
Key Outcomes
Comprehensive report and recommendations leading to strengthening of policy and practice in relation to the rehousing of sex offenders against legislation, regulation and good practice. Policy and practice improvements in relation to Safeguarding, Tenancy, Lettings and Allocations policies, GDPR, partnering in the delivery of extra care services, tenancy terms and key performance indicators.
Keynote speech
Keynote speech on commercial diversification by registered providers at Housing Quality Network conference in March 2018.
2017
GE Finnamore Healthcare: NHS Care Commissioning Group
Advising NHS clients on social care integration and workforce planning
Key Outcomes
NHS client in the North West received briefings on social care structures and potential integration models, enabling an informed approach to partnership working and workforce planning.
Review of policies and business processes: regional provider
Comprehensive review of policies and processes for extra care and other specialist accommodation on behalf of a large regional provider
Key Outcomes
New suite of processes for older people’s housing services across a range of tenures and delivery models, enabling service improvement and new approaches to working with partner agencies.
Research into the impact of welfare reform: consortium of Midlands local authorities
Population research into the impact of government welfare reform on the citizens of Leicestershire.
Key Outcomes
Report and recommendations to local authorities and third sector partners for practical services and initiatives to be offered to financially marginalised people living in the County.
Development of care policies and processes: small provider
Comprehensive development of policies and processes for care to enable the provider to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and to deliver regulated services.
Key Outcomes
New suite of processes for care services and completed forms for CQC registration to enable the provider to enter a new market for service delivery.
Prior to 2017
Various Roles, Rooftop Housing Group
- Designed new service offer for the Wyre Forest area;
- Redesigned and negotiated contracts with managing agents
Centre for Housing & Support
- Research and development of new national quality assurance accreditation system for housing, care and support providers, trained assessors and represented the Centre in discussions with key agencies;
- Advisor/assessor roles with extensive client providers
Longhurst Group
- Service redesign and implementation to meet new funding restrictions: achieved savings of more than £200,000 per annum without redundancies;
- Restructure of care and support team
The Community Housing Group
- Asset management review and strategy
- Design and delivery of learning and development programme for new care team;
- Evaluation and benefits realisation report for Family Intervention Project
Campbell Tickell Associate
- Management of bid tender proposal for Network Homes
- Development of five-year Growth Strategy for Estuary Housing Association
Gateway Housing
- Project management of organisational entry into social care market
- Development of all policies and processes to gain CQC registration
SITRA Associate
- Research for Skills for Care on integrated care management
- Production of policies and processes, and Care Quality Commission registration information, including safeguarding
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
Managing Director
2004 – present: East Training & Consultancy, Bedford UK
- Overall strategic direction and leadership to an operational team and specialist associates
- Delivery of specific consultancy and interim management projects
- Led the organisation from sole trader home based start-up to a team of five staff and ten specialist trainers and consultants
Regional Advisor, Supporting People
2001 – 2004 National Housing Federation, London, UK
- Advising and supporting supported housing providers on implementationof Supporting People
- Liaising with commissioners and stakeholders on embedding local response to national developments
Operational/Policy Management
1992 – 2001 Orbit Housing Group, Coventry, UK
- (1992 – 1999) Operational manager, specialising in supported and sheltered housing
- (1999 – 2000) Policy Manager
- (2000 – 2001) Black & Minority Ethnic Policy Advisor
Administration & Housing Manager
1988 – 1992 Stoll Foundation, Fulham, London
- Deputy to the Director of small specialist housing association working with ex- forces staff and families with disabilities
EDUCATION
Northampton Business School, University of Northampton, UK: 2006 – 2012
- Masters in Business Administration with Distinction
De Montfort University, Leicester, UK: 1992-1994
- Professional qualification of Chartered Institute of Housing (first year completed in London)
MEMBERSHIPS
- Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute since 2019
- Associate Consultant with Housing Quality Network from 2017
- Associate Consultant GE Healthcare from 2017
- Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts since 2015
- Associate for the Centre for Housing & Support (2006 – 2015)
- Associate for SITRA/Homeless Link (2013 – 2019)
- Associate for Campbell Tickell (2012 – 2017)
- Trustee of ERoSH (2010 – 2012)
- Affiliate member of Chartered Institute of Learning and Development(2005 – 2015)
- Member of Institute of Leadership & Management (since 2007)
- Board member of Macintyre Housing Association (2004 – 2006)
- Fellow of Chartered Institute of Housing since 1999
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
- Private study
- Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts since 2015
- Pro Bono support and advice to the Mazi Project, setting up supported housing for single male refugees in Athens