Biographies

Dara Ní Ghadhra
Regional Executive Director (Midlands)

Dara Ní Ghadhra became Regional Executive Director - Midlands in April, 2001 when she became responsible for the newly acquired Women's Mental Health Services. WMHS consists of a medium secure hospital, an enhanced low secure hospital and a low secure hospital with plans to expand by another 80 beds within the next 18 months; this will bring an enhanced medium secure hospital into the care pathway.

As Regional Executive Director Dara is fully accountable for the day-to-day operation of the hospitals and determining strategy for change and development. Prior to her appointment at WMHS Dara was Executive Director of Care Perspectives, the PiC learning disabled service, which provides 88 beds in secure and residential accommodation. Dara started her career with PiC in 1995 as Director of Operations, Kneesworth House Hospital. Dara has a wide range of qualifications including an MSc, DMS and NEBOSH Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. Dissertations published 'Strategic Development - The drift between theory and practice' and 'Management of Change - The Operational Response'.

Tom Swan, R.N.M.H, R.M.N, R.N.T, D.M.S
Director of Nursing, Midlands

Tom joins Women's Mental Health Services (Midlands) in January 2008 as Director of Nursing. Having first qualified as a nurse in 1977, Tom has a vast amount of experience in service delivery following a long career in High Secure Services during which time he has held senior clinical, managerial and educational positions including a 2 year secondment to the Special Hospitals Service Authority.

Tom is a qualified teacher having completed a Certificate in Education; he holds a Diploma in Management Studies, his credentials are further underpinned by a Diploma in Forensic Behavioural Sciences from Liverpool University. Tom has written a number of published articles on the subject of human relationships, behaviour analysis and interpersonal conflict and in 1999 co-authored a pioneering text book entitled 'Couples in Care or Custody'. More recently Tom has been working for a global HR Consultancy as Head of Business Improvement, recently returning from Australia where he was Director of Operations for the company's business.

John Chapman
Director of Operations

John Chapman was a civil servant with the Dept of Health for 22 years before joining the Special Hospitals Service Authority. He then became Director of Corporate Planning at Rampton Special Hospital. Immediately before joining PiC in 2004 he was self-employed running a small business and consultancy services for the NHS.
John has responsibility within WMHS for estate management, information services, patient referrals, complaints, performance and hotel services. He is a member of the WMHS Senior Management Team.

Jean I. Jones
Director of Clinical Programmes

Jean Jones started her career in food science and technology, including a year's research in America at Cornell University, qualifying as a Social Worker at Liverpool Metropolitan University in 1979. Jean was employed in Mental Health Services in Local Authority in North West England specialising in Group Work and Family Therapy.

In 1984 Jean accepted a specialist, Senior Social Work post in Group Work at Rampton Hospital, High Secure Care, and pioneered together with colleagues the Sex Offender Group Work Treatment Programmes. In addition, she held a caseload within the Women's Services, and was involved in the developing of a Local and National Strategy for Women requiring secure care. Jean has conducted research into the relationship between Schizophrenia and Cannabis and was awarded an Msc in Criminology in 1991 at Loughborough University. She has been published in the areas of Autism and Multidisciplinary Team Working. In 2001, Jean joined Women's Mental Health Services as Head of Social Work. On appointment to her current post as Director of Clinical Programmes she joined the Senior Management Team, with responsibilities for the management of the Psychology, Occupational Therapy and Social Work Departments and the continuing development of therapeutic programmes within WMHS.

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