CQC recruits advisors to guide on how mental health and learning disability services are inspected and regulated

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has recruited 9 national advisors to provide advice and leadership on how the regulator inspects mental health and learning disability services across England.

They will join the CQC’s Hospitals Directorate and work with Dr Paul Lelliott, deputy chief inspector of hospitals (lead for mental health) as the regulator continues its plans to inspect every NHS mental health hospital by April 2016. As clinicians, the professionals will draw on their experience to advise CQC on its regulatory actions.

“The appointments of these very senior nurses, doctors and psychologists demonstrate how serious we are about having the necessary expertise in every aspect of the mental health and learning disabilities services that we inspect,” said Lelliott.

“The national professional advisers will help to lead our inspection teams and advise on the services that we regulate. They will also give policy advice so that we make accurate judgements about whether services are safe, effective, caring responsive and well led based on sound evidence and taking full account of people who use services.

“It is vital that we tap into the best, current expert thinking so that we can do everything possible to encourage services to give highly vulnerable people the care and support we expect and that they deserve.”

For mental health services for children and young people (community and in-patient), Dr Anne York will be national advisor for community mental health services for children and young people, while Dr Margaret Murphy will take the role of national advisor for inpatient mental health service for children and young people. 

Dr York retired in 2014 as consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist. She continues to work in the area of service improvement, nationally and internationally.

Dr Murphy is a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist. Her clinical role is in a specialist inpatient unit for young people with severe eating disorders. She previously worked in inpatient units for young people with severe mental health problems. 

Meanwhile, Dr Paul Gilluley will be national advisor for forensic mental health services. He is currently head of forensic services at the East London Foundation Trust and a consultant forensic psychiatrist. He also sits for CQC on national oversight group for high secure services and the Forensic Faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Dr James Warner will be national advisor for old age mental health care. Warner has more than 15 years’ experience as a consultant old age psychiatrist in Central North West London Foundation Trust. He has experience in community, inpatient and liaison services and worked for 4 years as clinical director for old age mental health services across five London boroughs. 

The national advisor for mental health rehabilitation services will be Professor Helen Killaspy, an honorary consultant at Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust and Professor of Rehabilitation Psychiatry at UCL. She is also the immediate past chair of the Faculty of Rehabilitation and Social Psychiatry of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. 

Dr Theresa Joyce and Dr John Devapriam will be national advisors for learning disabilities. Dr Joyce is a clinical psychologist who has worked in a large mental health trust as the professional lead and manager of psychology services for adults with learning disabilities, specialising in those with additional mental health needs and/or challenging behaviour. 

Dr Devapriam works as consultant psychiatrist at Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust as part of their learning disabilities service, caring for adults with learning disabilities. He is also the clinical director for adult mental health inpatients and crisis services in the Trust. 

Vanessa Ford and Professor Jonathan Warren will be national advisors for mental health nursing. Professor Warren is executive director of nursing at East London Foundation Trust and has held a number of senior operational and professional roles across a variety of settings. He is also visiting Professor at City University.

Ford is a registered mental health nurse and currently works as director of nursing standards and governance for West London Mental Health Trust, having previously been in a similar role in Devon. Clinically, she specialises in treating eating disorders and personality disorders and has experience of establishing services in the private sector as well as the NHS.

They will be working together to establish clear guidance and advice of key areas of nursing practice, such as care planning, as well as advise on the well led domain with regards to governance and leadership.