PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive
- Chief Executive Officer ( CEO ) of the Professional Standards Authority
Alan has spent all his working life in the public sector and is committed to raising standards in public services. Following a degree in Natural Sciences and a PhD in Biochemistry, Alan initially followed a career in teaching before becoming one of Her Majesty's Inspectors with Ofsted and then working on the regulation of qualifications.
Alan's first Chief Executive role was at the Human Tissue Authority between 2011 and 2015. He then moved to become the CEO of the Security Industry Authority, an independent regulator sponsored by the Home Office. Alan joined the PSA as our Chief Executive in November 2018.
In addition to his role at the PSA, Alan is a non-executive director at the Parole Board for England and Wales and the Intellectual Property Regulation Board. He is also a Trustee of the Institute of Regulation.
With over 25 years' experience in regulation, including 13 years as a Chief Executive, Alan is passionate about good regulation and the key role it plays in public protection.
Alan Clamp is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Professional Standards Authority.
Candace Imison is a Board member.
Candace has over 30 years' experience in UK healthcare across all parts of the health system, including undertaking health research and developing health policy. She was Director of Policy at the Nuffield Trust and Deputy Director of Policy at The King's Fund where she undertook research and published on a wide range of topics, notably workforce and the configuration of services. She worked for five years at the Department of Health undertaking work on strategy in the Strategy Unit and developing health workforce and configuration policy. Latterly, she has worked for the National Institute of Health and Care Research leading on research dissemination and knowledge mobilisation.
Candace has extensive senior management experience in the NHS, including at board level for healthcare providers, commissioners and regulators. She was director of strategy for a large acute trust, director of commissioning in a health authority, and a non-executive director for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and Kingston Hospital Foundation Trusts (where she was also Deputy Chair).
Candace holds a Master's degree in Health Policy and Health Economics from Birmingham University and an undergraduate degree in natural sciences from the University of Cambridge.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Chairman of the Professional Standards Authority
Caroline Corby is the Chair of the Professional Standards Authority.
Caroline attended a comprehensive school in north London. She studied for a degree in Mathematics and Statistics at Bristol University and then worked in the City for 13 years, specialising in private equity. During this period, she served as a non-executive director on around 10 private sector boards across a range of industries.
After taking a career break to raise her three daughters, Caroline joined the board of London Probation Trust in 2007 and subsequently became Chair of that organisation. Caroline's switch from the private to the public sector was motivated by a wish to do work with a greater social purpose.
Since 2015, Caroline has undertaken a number of public appointments and she has chaired fitness to practise hearings for several of the statutory health regulators. Today, as well as her role at the PSA, Caroline is Chair of the Parole Board for England and Wales, Chair of Peabody Trust, one of the UK's oldest and largest housing associations, and she is a non-executive director of the Security Industry Authority.
Caroline wanted to join the PSA as she is committed to public protection, particularly given the vulnerability of so many patients and service users, and she enjoys teamwork and public service.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director, Intelligence and Insight
Contact Douglas about regulatory policy, research, including our research conferences.
Dr Tom Frawley CBE is a Board member.
After studying at Trinity College Dublin Tom joined the NHS as a Graduate Trainee in 1971.His career in Health and Social Care culminated in appointment as Chief Administrative Officer of the Western Health and Social Services Board in 1985.
In 2000 Tom was appointed by Royal Warrant to the Office of Northern Ireland Ombudsman. In 2002 the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly asked Tom to also undertake the role of the Assembly's Commissioner for Standards, an office he held until 2012.Tom retired as Ombudsman in 2016.
In 2016 was appointed as the Northern Ireland member on the Board of the Professional Standards Authority, he will complete his second term on the Board in 2023.
In 2019 Tom was appointed to the Northern Ireland Police Board In 2020 he was elected Vice Chair of the Board. His current term will end in November 2022.
Job Titles:
- Director of Regulation and Accreditation
Graham is our Director of Regulation and Accreditation. He leads our teams responsible for scrutinising the work of the 10 regulators of health and care professionals and the accreditation of registers of non-statutorily regulated health and care professionals.
Graham has been at the Professional Standards Authority since 2016 and in that time has held the roles of Head of Accreditation and Assistant Director of Performance. Prior to joining the Professional Standards Authority, Graham worked in a number of roles in regulation, quality assurance and accreditation in the UK and Australia.
Job Titles:
- Accountant
- Director, Corporate Services
Jane is our Director of Corporate Services. She leads our Corporate Service Directorate who are responsible for delivering all corporate services to the Authority, including finance, governance, IT, HR, Information governance and estates.
Jane is a qualified accountant and a certified member of CIPFA. Jane has over 20 years experience leading Corporate Service functions in the public sector. Prior to joining the Authority Jane spent 13 years at The Pensions Ombudsman and before that HMRC's, Adjudicator's Office.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Trustee of the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund
Juliet Oliver is a Board member
Juliet is passionate about promoting high professional standards and supporting the delivery of high quality health and social care.
She started her career as a solicitor working for healthcare trusts and providers, with a particular focus on mental health. She has had a longstanding interest in this area from her early career through to roles such as sitting as a member of the Law Society's Mental Health and Disability Committee.
Professor Marcus Longley is a Board member and is Deputy Chair of the PSA.
Marcus was the Chair of the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board from 2017 to 2021, and before that was Vice Chair of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board from 2013 to 2017.
Marcus has also served as a Board Member for the Welsh Consumer Council, and for Consumer Focus Wales and was until August 2017 Professor of Applied Health Policy and Director of the Welsh Institute for Health and Social Care, University of South Wales. He is now Professor Emeritus. He has been an Expert Advisor to the Bevan Commission, having previously been a Member there, and is a Senior Associate at The Nuffield Trust.
Marcus was educated at the universities of Oxford, Cardiff and Bristol, and worked in the NHS from 1981 to 1995. He was elected a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health of the Royal Colleges of Physicians in 2008.
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant to Chief Executive, Chair and Board
Job Titles:
- Director of Policy and Communications at the Professional Standards Authority
- Director Policy and Communications
- PSA 's Director of Policy and Communications
Melanie Venables is our Director of Policy and Communications at the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). She leads the teams responsible for internal and external engagement, and policy development.
When Mel joined the PSA in 2020 as Head of Accreditation, she led a strategic review of the Accredited Registers programme. Prior to this, she was Head of Corporate Business Planning at the General Medical Council. During this time, she completed her first degree, in Philosophy. Mel also holds a Masters in Business Administration.
Mel is passionate about teamwork. Contact her if you'd like to find out about our work to improve regulation, and if you're interested in collaborating.
Melanie Venables is the PSA's Director of Policy and Communications
Moi has over 30 years' experience in communications and training within the public and voluntary sectors. She has written 20 books on marketing and communications, for leading publishers such as Dorling Kindersley, including a communications handbook for health and care professionals.
An experienced non-executive director and chair, she is the Independent Assessor of Complaints for the Crown Prosecution Service and for the Home Office, and sits on the Ministry of Defence Police Board (where she chairs the People Committee).
Moi was Scotland's first Judicial Complaints Reviewer. Previous Board roles include Chair of Action Against Medical Accidents, Vice President of the NMC; Board Member of both Postwatch and the Postal Redress Service; Education Scotland; Scottish Police Authority; Scottish Ambulance Service; and Edinburgh Napier University.
She has been a Public Appointments Ambassador, mentor on the public leadership programme, and a Review Body Member, Office for Judicial Complaints.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee
- Non - Executive Director
- Board Member and Chair of the Audit
Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee
Nick Simkins is a Board member and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee.
He is a Chartered Accountant who has spent his career as a Partner at leading accountancy firms in the UK. He retired in 2022 and has since taken on a number of non-executive roles.
He has worked across the public and private sectors specialising in audit, governance and risk management with leading government, education, charity and not-for-profit organisations.
Nick currently serves as a non-executive director for two housing associations, a further education college and is a Council member of Aston University.
Ruth Ajayi is an Associate Board member.
Ruth holds a degree in New Media Journalism with Media Studies and a Masters in Public Relations. She is also certified in PRINCE2 and Agile Project Management.
Following redundancy from City & Guilds, Ruth utilized her skills within the NHS, managing the delivery of NHS 111 Online in the South West and South East, and overseeing GP Online services implementation across England. She served as Integrated Care Senior Advisor for the East of England before leaving due to a long-term health condition. Ruth chaired the Maternity Services Liaison Committee at Whipps Cross Hospital and is currently a Lay Assessor at the Royal College of Physicians and a Lay Examiner at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
Committed to patient-centred care, Ruth is involved in several research programmes and chairs the Advisory Appointment Committee at Barts Health NHS Trust. She co-founded the Disability and Wellbeing Network and the Staff Race Equality Network at NHS England (East of England), highlighting her commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Ruth is pleased to join the PSA Board and is dedicated to ensuring that all citizens confidently access safe and protected healthcare services.