Simon Riggs

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.

Sally has over 25 years of professional experience at a senior level, within the adult services sector. She specialised in the housing sector, where she operationally and strategically led on the management and development of housing and services for older people, the homeless and care leavers.

Mary has over 30 years’ experience of working in children’s social care. For 15 years she was a senior manager within local authorities and the NHS. Her experience covers youth justice, leaving care and CAMHS, as well as being influential in the development of early help services. She is skilled in partnership working and was the chair of an All Wales group of managers liaising regularly with the Welsh Government influencing services for children in the Youth Justice system.

Ellie has experience in a range of applied research and evaluation projects including undertaking literature reviews and designing surveys. She has helped to design and analyse the results of surveys in areas ranging from young people’s transitions to adulthood to adult social care management and decision-making of commissioners in children’s service.

Melanie is a health and social care researcher with considerable experience of health and social care integration and the interface between services, particularly in areas such as hospital discharge, continuing health care, and self funders. She has particular interests in qualitative research; understanding people’s experiences and giving a voice to their stories.

Dr Obert Tawodzera has several years of experience in adult social care research and implementation, with a particular focus on evidence-informed practice, policy development, and system improvement across the UK. He has worked as project officer and researcher, leading and contributing to mixed-methods evidence reviews and implementation projects spanning all four UK nations.

Amy is a qualified social worker who has had a range of management experience working in local authority children’s services and the charity sector, varying from youth justice, child sexual exploitation and child protection to managing early help services and commissioning.