Richard Timms

Mark is a qualified social worker and has particular expertise in commissioning. Commercially and politically aware, he brings a solid understanding of current legislation plus many years’ experience in senior management positions within children’s services.

Chris has over 24 years’ experience working across the public and voluntary sector in the fields of health and social care, commissioning and community development. He is passionate about self-directed support and finding ways to make commissioning systems more personalised.

Jonathan has extensive experience and expertise in leading and coordinating high level policy and research analysis, project management, performance management, business development and campaigning activity on behalf of organisations working within the health and social care sector.

Claire has a background in nursing with experience that includes hands-on care delivery as well as the management and professional development of community nursing teams. Claire has worked on a wide range of projects across adult health and social care, with a particular focus on service reviews, transformation and redesign.

Lynda is qualified social worker and an experienced local authority senior manager with over 30 years’ experience of working in statutory social care. She has been an assistant director with prime responsibility for children’s services and has been the corporate director of adult social services alongside responsibility for an extensive range of community services.

Dr Tom Jefford is a qualified social worker with a history of managing youth offending services and evidence based interventions such as Multi Systemic Therapy and Functional Family Therapy. Tom’s interests include implementation science and children’s services. Tom has experience of providing services within social outcome contracts.

Judith is a qualified social worker and an experienced leader and manager. She is a former Director of People’s Services, having held the statutory roles of both DCS and DASS. Before becoming a DCS, she worked in London local authorities within statutory children’s services as well as being a strategic commissioning manager working across social care, schools and the health economy to improve outcomes.

Helen is a market and social research professional with over 25 years’ experience conducting research in the public, private and third sector. She is both a quantitative and qualitative researcher with expertise in all types of research methodology, sampling, questionnaire design, focus group moderation, interviewing, and data analysis, interpretation and reporting.

Caroline has over thirty years’ experience in children’s services within local authorities in both strategic and operational roles. Her expertise ranges from early help services through to safeguarding systems as well as managing an early year’s special educational needs team. Holding a PhD, Caroline was Vice Principal of an FE college, and has a background in supporting maintained and independent educational institutions to reduce inequalities.

Mick is an experienced and effective consultant who has been a senior manager in various roles across the sector. He is a qualified social worker who has worked for local authorities and the NHS and he was the professional social care advisor for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Mick is a Visiting Knowledge Transfer Fellow with the University.