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Our trustees – who they are and what they do

Our trustees govern our organisation, they hold us accountable to our organisational strategy and bring their skills and expertise to strengthen our direction and delivery. Here you’ll find information about their meetings and who they are!

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What trustees do – Board meetings

Who are our trustees?

Richard Jones - chair

Richard is a passionate supporter of Shared Lives having seen the difference it makes to people’s lives. Richard has  been a Director of Social Services, worked for government and been a senior executive in the NHS.

Richard continues to be involved  in social care and health through a range of consultancy work and as a board member of Anchor Trust and Action on Hearing Loss.

Richard is a keen walker and enjoys music  and bird watching. He is currently learning to play the trumpet!

 

Find Richard on Linkedin: Richard Jones 

Ian Coleman - Treasurer

Ian read Economics at university and is an Accountant by profession. He was Finance Director of one of the largest metropolitan councils for 15 years and now has his own business advising on financial management and pension fund management.

He holds a season ticket holder at Manchester United, (one of the rare breed who actually hails from Manchester…!) and enjoys being a member of the National Trust. He has supported us for over 10 years.

 

Ian Coleman – Treasurer

Jane McMillan – Northern Ireland Committee Representative

Jane is a social worker with more than 25 years’ experience in supporting people with physical and sensory disabilities.  She began her career as a rehabilitation worker for blind people, supporting them to fulfil their potential, and over the years has worked successfully with diverse teams across the five Trust areas, including as Operations Manager of Physical and Sensory Disability Services for the Belfast Trust.

Currently a social care lead for adults and older people in the health and social care board, Jane is coordinating Trust activities to expand shared lives provision across adult services in Northern Ireland.

She is passionate about enabling people to make independent choices, build meaningful relationships, and live their best possible life, through the provision of flexible and person-centred social care.

 

 

Tenure: Until 30/06/24

Maxine Palmer-Hunter – Elected Shared Lives Trustee

I have been a Shared Lives Carer for eight years and am currently a co-carer rep for the Birmingham scheme. My background prior to becoming a Shared Lives carer has been in the education, and health and social care for over twenty years as a teacher, lecturer, trainer and foster carer. I am also a grandmother (loving every moment) as it gives me a chance to relive my childhood and parent coach and would say in three words that I am resilient, resourceful and supportive.

I joined the board of trustees because I feel that I can bring valuable insight and understanding from my role a Shared Lives carer, I love the model and am interested in scheme development and raising awareness.  I bring to the post the diverse skills and experience that I have acquired during my career and this can be used whilst supporting Shared Lives carers and applying my wisdom within the role of trustee.

I want to ensure that the wonderful unsung work of carers who are part of Shared Lives plus are well supported. Their voices can be heard through mine and I am passionate to ensure Shared Lives Plus, and its carers are continuously recognised within a UK professional role.

As a Trustee I feel that my experience as a carer and my professional career including director of a company that supports people who have faced adversity, empowers them to be productive within the community and helps them to lead independent lives has equipped me to be part of the board.

 

Tenure: To be extended, date TBC

 

Emma Kiss - Elected Homeshare your voice chair trustee

Emma is the Homeshare Manager at St John’s Winchester, an almshouse charity dating back to the 12th century. She set up the charity’s Homeshare Service in June 2022 and launched it in the following October.

She began her career in Basle, Switzerland at the Bank for International Settlements, following a degree in French Studies at Warwick University. Whilst bringing up two sons, she has worked in teaching, recruitment, PR & communications and fundraising, in both the private and public sectors.

She is delighted to be a member of Homeshare UK and finds the resources and support invaluable, and more importantly the work SLP and HSUK are doing to raise the national profile of shared living solutions, keeping it on the political agenda.

Her work enables her to draw from her wide experience of engaging with both older and younger people in a variety of communities and cultures in both the private and public sectors.

Emma has a Level 2 qualification in counselling and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education from Southampton University and is fluent in French and German. In her spare time, she enjoys road biking, running a French conversation club and looking after other people’s dogs for them.

 

 

Tenure: Until 22/06/26

Carol Lucas - Elected Scheme Your Voice Chair and Trustee

I’m Carol, first and foremost I am a mother of three adult children but my greatest joy are my three grandchildren. You see life differently through their eyes and I love spending time with them. I am very active, I do pilates, dance and yoga. Go cold water swimming and paddle boarding, I’m in a choir and last week filmed an advert, although if you blink you’d miss me, but it was great fun. I also like reading particularly historical novels and walking.

I have worked in health or social care since I was 17, starting as a psychiatric nurse, then moved into community and general nursing. I then helped set up a Community Centre in South Shropshire in what had been a Local Authority Care Home. Followed by a move to Social Care where I have remained and first heard about Shared Lives or Adult Placement as it was known then.

My Myer Briggs personality type is ENFP Extraverted INtuative Feeling and Perceptive and I would say this is an accurate picture of me and has served me well throughout my career.

 

Tenure: Until 22/06/26

Drusilla Lloyd - Elected Carer Your Voice Chair and Trustee

Born in the Midlands – now living in Mid Wales [Powys]. Married to a most supportive and understanding husband.  We have three children between us – all grown up and married. So have been blessed with eight grandchildren.

I am a Shared Lives Carer and have been for many years before that I was a Foster Carer with a private company.  I have also worked within Social Services with young probationers helping them get back into full time employment and settle their lives into a manageable routine.  I enjoy helping the local community with various events / charity fundraisers / and schemes to enhance our area where we live.

I have sat as a local Magistrate for many years – also elected as the chair of the Youth Panel for Wales.   Helping others seem to be my middle name – so the family say.  They also say I am a tough ole cookie whatever that means.

I visit my son who lives in Sydney Australia as and when I can.   I enjoy all kinds of Craft and have my very own ‘She Shed’ which is heaven and I make things for local craft fairs nearby, and art [water colours mainly].

 

Tenure: Until 22/06/26

Kate Allen -Trustee

I have worked in adult social care provision for more than 20 years and in addition to trustee for SLP, I am currently the Chief Executive for Ategi, a charitable provider of support services (including Shared Lives, supported living & community support) for people with additional needs across Wales and England.

With a MSc in Health & Social Care, I have sat on various governance boards, steering committees and project boards including The Challenging Behaviour Foundation, The Royal College of Art and Association for Real Change. I am presently in my second term as a trustee for ACEVO, Association for Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations.

Prior to social care, my initial career was with information technology in the corporate sector where although I enjoyed tech, I felt disconnected from society and unable to contribute. I am driven by a constant curiosity and open mind to ‘do things differently and better’, especially where I can have a positive influence and impact on the lives of others.

Living in Wales, I have a varied range of interests including gardening, quilting and (despite being vertically challenged) I am an avid motorcyclist.

Tenure: Until 22/06/26

Aisling Duffy - Trustee

Aisling is Chief Executive of Certitude since 2005. Aisling started her career in psychology and has spent the past 30 years working within not-for-profit organisations, seeking to improve life opportunities for people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs.

Aisling is also a Trustee of 2 national charities seeking to improve the life chances for disabled people.

 

@AislingDuffy_

 

Tenure: Until 22/06/26

Ramona Amuza - Elected Homeshare Trustee

You can follow Ramona’s work on Twitter: @AmuzaRamona

Ramona Amuza on Linkedin

 

Tenure: Until 9/11/23

Martin Thomas – Wales Comittee Representative

Martin was elected to represent Wales on the Board of Trustees by the Shared Lives Plus Cymru Committee in 2014. Martin has worked with Shared Lives schemes since 2004 and is currently Business Manager for the South East Wales Shared Lives Scheme. He is particularly interested in scheme development and raising awareness of the Shared Lives model.

 

Tenure: Until 11/11/23

Martin Ewing - England Comittee Representative

I was born and raised in Edinburgh and went to Edinburgh University. Since then I have worked in various support settings in London, the West Bank and Leeds, including: supported living, supported employment, supported housing, outreach/ domiciliary care and Shared Lives. I am currently an Area Manager with St Anne’s Community Services, a registered charity and Housing Association based in Leeds.

I have been involved with Shared Lives and Shared Lives Plus since 1995, and throughout that time have always viewed it as the most person centred, and mutually beneficial form of support there is.

I live just outside Leeds in a small market town. In my spare time I enjoy playing five a side football, playing the guitar – badly, watching sport, and always have a book on the go.

 

Tenure: Until 11/11/23

Mike Jacobs – Elected Shared Lives Trustee

It would be my hope that my experience could contribute to improving the quality of care and increasing the availability of care for those in need.

Growing up in a close family care for other family members was as it is for many a natural part of family life. We’ve approached our Shared Lives caring role in exactly the same way. Family values can always provide the most secure and loving environment.

Effective care however is always a team effort. Carers cannot cope alone and need good competent professional support to fulfil their role. There is nothing easy about caring for others and something carers need help, support and encouragement to achieve.

With eighteen years’ experience as a full-time foster carer and adult carer for special needs I understand the frustration, day to day pressures and huge personal reward of caring. Caring is something which we all need to a greater or lesser extent and something which we are all capable of giving.

 

Tenure: Until 30/11/23