Who's Speaking?

Akhil Patel has worked at the National Audit Office since 2003 in a variety of roles, most recently as the manager of the Civil Society and Commissioning team.  This team has published a range of reports focused on improving the way in which the public sector commissioning frontline services from the third sector.

As the Head of Commissioning, Brian manages the Children’s Trust commissioning unit, overseeing a wide range of change programmes.

Brian established the five Authority – wide Peninsula Commissioning Board which has overseen the radical redesign of placement commissioning and has led to improved outcomes for children and young people and cashable efficiencies.

Ged started his professional career as a social worker in 1980 and worked in a number of local authority social services departments in the North West.

In 1997, Ged was appointed to the post of Director of Social Services with Halton Council and following a council re-organisation in 2000, was appointed as Executive Director for Social Care, Housing & Health.

Geoff has worked in six different local authorities and for a national charity.  He began his career teaching in the east end of London.  He has taught in mainstream and Special Schools before training in Educational Psychology. 

I work for Cheshire West Council as the Commissioning Manager with a lead on personalisation. Before that I worked for Cheshire County Council as a project manager - initially with responsibility for occupational therapy and more latterly within their self-directed support team. I have also managed the occupational therapy service in Wigan and before that ran a successful business for 12 years specialising in Expert Witness Care reports. I have a passion for personalisation and poetry.

Jean began working for local government in 1988.  Prior to that she worked in HR for 8 years.  

Les Billingham is currently Interim Head of Transformation and Independence at Thurrock Council. Les has been in this role since January 2010, he oversees Provider Services, Fieldwork Services, Transformation, Self-Directed Support, safeguarding and is the lead for Transformation within Adult Social Care.