YEAR OF CARE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- National Trainer and Facilitator
Andrea completed her degree in Social Policy and Administration in 1994, and qualified as a social worker in the same year. She has been a specialist information and support professional for both people with Parkinson's and their families and carers, and then later for people with cancer. She led a community-based Macmillan cancer information and support team to deliver face to face and group support to people affected by cancer, and their families and carers building on a person-centred holistic approach to living with cancer.
She went on to work in a national role for Macmillan Cancer Support supporting Macmillan professionals across the UK to implement quality standards and deliver high quality person-centred care. Her passion for person-centred, holistic care to improve health outcomes for the most disadvantaged combined with her quality improvement background has led her to her recently taking up her role with the Year of Care Team.
Ashleigh Gaffney, Admin Team Coordinator, and Michaela Mackenzie, Training Admin Assistant make up the Year of Care admin team. Ashleigh and Michaela support the development and lead the production of Year of Care resources.
Job Titles:
- GP Clinical Lead and Advisor
Becky has been a GP Partner at Glenpark Medical Centre in Gateshead since 2002. She has led the diabetes team at her practice since then, and was the Gateshead Clinical Lead for Diabetes for Newcastle Gateshead Clinical Commissioning Group from 2014-2023. When NGCCG started working with Year of Care to implement care and support planning in 2014, Glenpark was one of the trailblazer practices and Becky completed training to become a Year of Care Trainer in 2015.
Her practice has embedded Year of Care care and support planning for people with single and multiple long term conditions with positive feedback from patients and practice staff. Becky joined the Year of Care team in 2019 as GP Clinical Lead and Advisor.
Job Titles:
- National Trainer and Facilitator
- Occupational Therapist in 2001 at Brunel Unversity
Helen Kleiser qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 2001 at Brunel Unversity. Since this time, she has worked within in a range of clinical care settings, with people of all ages. Helen has a master's degree in Rehabilitation and has worked in both senior clinical and managerial roles within the NHS. During her career, Helen has worked closely with Public Health in designing, and delivering education packages and contributing to the development of new services and innovations. She has specialist knowledge of older people's care and has a keen interest in workforce development.
Throughout her career, Helen has been aware of the contribution personalised care can make to health outcomes and quality of life. She is passionate about supporting adults to age well and is delighted to be working within the Year of Care team.
Job Titles:
- Nurse
- National Trainer and Facilitator
Lesley Thompson qualified as a nurse in 1989 and after moving from general medicine to the community attained her BSc Hons Community Health Care studies. She worked as a district nursing sister in North Tyneside, before pursuing an interest in the specialist area of diabetes. She has worked as a Diabetes Specialist Nurse, predominately supporting and facilitating the development of diabetes innovation within Northumberland. She has been involved with the implementation of training for professionals and educational programmes for people with diabetes.
A desire to promote patient involvement and self-management in long term conditions led to a move to Year of Care Partnerships, where she has been involved in the development and delivery of the national training programme. Lesley has completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Education in Professional Practice at Northumbria University.
Lindsay Oliver qualified in 1989 with a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, and has worked both in a primary and specialist care settings. In 2003, she became the first Consultant Dietitian and used the opportunity to become more involved in the development of self-care programmes both at a local and national level, including the development, research and roll out of both the DAFNE and DESMOND diabetes programmes . In addition she has a major interest in communications skills and patient centred care, including the development of innovative approaches to patient care.
She has extensive experience in developing quality assured training and education programmes and in 2009 was seconded to head up the national training team for the Year of Care Programme. She was appointed to the role of National Director in 2011.
Job Titles:
- National Trainer and Facilitator
Louise qualified as a nurse in March 2016 and started her nursing career in the community supporting people with long term conditions and complex needs. This is where she developed her passion for public health and holistic personalised care. In 2017 she secured a development post within a local authority supporting children, young people and their families with health needs. Subsequently, in 2018, she went on to study for her postgraduate diploma in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing at Northumbria University where she was awarded a distinction. In 2019, Louise developed her knowledge further by studying Advanced Social Determinants of Health at Newcastle University.
In 2021, Louise joined a local primary care team as their Lead Mental Health and Wellbeing Coach. Personalised care and support planning were an integral part of the role. She has since joined the Year of Care team as a National Trainer and Facilitator.
Job Titles:
- Operational Support Manager
Lucy graduated with a 1st Class BSc Honours degree in Business from the University of Swansea in 2003. She has worked in account and business management roles and joined the Year of Care Partnerships team in November 2015.
Lucy supports the team and Year of Care community of practice in the delivery of our training and support packages ensuring effective systems, resources and processes are in place.
Job Titles:
- Retired Endocrinologist and Diabetes Specialist Physician
Nick Lewis-Barned is a retired Endocrinologist and Diabetes Specialist Physician in Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, and was involved in delivery of acute medical care. He qualified in 1982 and has been a Senior Lecturer and Consultant Physician since 1990 in New Zealand and England. He has a background as a researcher and teacher as well as clinician and Head of Service for the Northumbria Diabetes Service.
He has a longstanding interest in service delivery, translation of research into practice and personalisation of care. He was Clinical Lead for the North of Tyne Year of Care Pilot, is a national trainer, and was a member of the steering group for the development of non-traditional provider services. He has written articles about care planning, support for self-management and commissioning to support this. Through 2013-2015 he was the Royal College of Physicians Clinical Fellow for Shared Decision Making and Support for Self-Management.
Sue Roberts is Chair of Year of Care Partnerships, having designed and been responsible for the successful delivery of the Year of Care Programme. She is a member of the RCGP Steering Group on care planning. She was previously National Clinical Director for Diabetes and for 30 years was a consultant physician, pioneering structured and integrated diabetes care and prevention programmes for cardiovascular disease across primary and specialist care in North Tyneside and Northumberland.