PERSONALSTATEMENT
I have always engaged extensively with diverse groups across Wales to improve access to, and uptake of, services, including: influencing the gypsy traveller community in Llanelli to vaccinate their children; persuading dentists in West Glamorgan to offer services to homeless people; participating regularly in Women's Health Fairs in Cardiff to convince women from diverse cultures to access screening services; highlighting a 'gender imbalance' in referrals to cardiac services in Neath Port Talbot; developing a High Street footprint for screening servicesin Mountain Ash and Llantrisant.
My career long commitment to effective staff engagement is evidenced currently by the fact that Public Health Wales (PHW) holds a number of EDI awards. The Board has a rolling programme of meeting with Staff Networks and these provide a clear ‘line of sight; between the Board and the front line. Each Network makes ‘asks ‘ of the Board and these are followed through at Cimmittee level.
The Police Complaints system is adversarial; yet, in my Independent Police Complaints Commission role, I builtand sustained effective working relationships with policing, criminal justice and national stakeholder bodies across Wales. Stakeholder feedback, and the Independent Police Complaints Commission itself, acknowledged that relationships in Wales were more effective and constructive than in England.
I led the PHW Board’s approval in May 2020 of 'The PHW Public Health Protection Response Plan', on which the Welsh Government based its Test, Trace and Protect Strategy. The early days of the pandemic were challenging. I steered the Board through the Plan development process, involving the interpretation of systemic intelligence gathering, population surveillance data, sampling and testing scenarios, sophisticated risk assessment and management. It also involvedengaging effectively with Ministers and officials, partners at national, regional and health board level.
I led the PHW Board through two Long Term Strategy (LTS) consultation processes; the Board approved a refreshed LTS for 2023/35 that reflected the impact of COVID- 19, alongside other population and public health challenges aroundhealth inequalities reduction. It set the strategic priorities for the 2023/26 IMTP (Ministerial approval in September 2023) and formed the baseline for the 2023/24 plan; PHW delivered 94% of the plan deliverables.
Earlier in my career, I led work at Board and Welsh Government level to secure a changed vision for mental health services in Cardiff and Vale, through highlighting the unsuitability of developing, on the same Whitchurch site, a 21st century replacement for a 19th century asylum model.
A new modern mental health facility opened on the Llandough hospitalsite in 2016- the right investment for the next 50 years.
Throughout my career, I have addressed high profile, complex issues, using intelligence and evidence to underpin my analysis and decision-making. My Independent Police Complaints Commission role involved independent oversight of the most serious and sensitive investigations, often conducted in public, highly charged environments. As a Nursing and Midwifery CouncilInvestigating Committee chair, I chaired a number of panels assessing complex and serious allegations of misconduct.
My current oversight role includes analyzing complex information across clinical services, public/population health protection and surveillance data. I presentregularly to my colleague chairs on the implications of population health data, most recently on healthcare acquired infection rates.
I worked with Welsh police forces to analyse near misses in custody and take corrective action, resulting from my analysis of the variable referral rates of such incidents to the IPCC. I presented the data, suggested possible causes and invited chief constables to collaborate in an Appreciative Inquiry, validate the data and agree solutions. The outcome included more consistent referral rates and improved mental health provision in custody.
In my Welsh Government Representative role on the Home Office DHR panel, I advocated for a more systematic approach to implementing the learning from DHRs and was a key contributor to the setting up of theSUSR process in Wales; the new model will take effect later in 2024 and represents a paradigm shift in policy.
On assumingthe PHW Chair role, I introduced a standing Board agenda item, inviting key partners to present to the Board.Current partnerships include:Social Care Wales, Sport Wales, Cwm Taf Morgannwg and Hywel Dda Health Boards on (respectively) winter preparations; health well-being and physical fitness, supporting local plans around diabetes prevention and management, and the joint management of a TB outbreak action plan. I work personally with the FutureGenerations, Older Peopleand Children’s Commissioners on our shared agendas.
I write on governance to publication standard; I discharge my roles in line with the Nolan principles, evidence my accountability openly and honestly, acting always in the public interest. As PHW chair, I steered the Board through unprecedented times in 2020, maintaining good governance, whilstensuring rapid and agile responsesto the ever-changing COVID-19 landscape. An extract from Audit Wales Structured Assessment (SA) for 2020 said: "The SA found that PHW continued to operate effectively throughCOVID-19, having a strong cultureof governance…. that grew ever
stronger during the pandemic. The Board worked well under pressure to adapt governance arrangements “.
The 2023 SA found that PHW continued to have "effective arrangements to ensure good governance with sound approaches in place to develop and monitor its plans and manage its finances"
I have extensive experience of audit and assurance work at both executive and non- executive level.
I ensure that the PHW Board discharges its role on setting Strategic Risk Appetite, aligning strategic risks with financial planning, good financial controls, good arrangements for monitoring and scrutinisingdelivery of its IMTP and a robustapproach to ensuringcompliance against the new Duties of Quality and Candour.
In 2021, I commissioned a ground-breaking Performance Assurance Dashboard to underpin the Board's oversightand scrutiny role; in 2023 the Board approved another leading-edge Board Assurance Framework.