People and contacts

Chair

Rosie Varley OBE took up the role of GSCC Chair on 1 November 2008. She was Chairman of the General Optical Council until the end of December 2008 and will continued on the Council until 31 March 2009 as a lay member.

She is also Chair of the Public Guardian Board, and a member of the Mental Health and Disability Living Allowance tribunals. Formerly she was one of the Appointments Commissioners, an NHS regional chairman, and an NHS trust chairman.

Our Council Members:

Haqeeq Bostan is a lawyer by training but now works as an independent consultant with an interest in equality and discrimination issues. He has advised a number of public authorities (such as TfL and the Crown Prosecution Service) on matters concerning disability and equalities. He is a non-executive director of Southwark PCT, chair of the London Black Disability Forum and a director of Independent Living Alternatives.

Vice-Chair:Melanie Henwood OBE is a self-employed independent Health and Social Care Consultant. She is a specialist adviser to the Health Select Committee, and Chair of the Advisory Group on Independent Living to the MS Society. Ms Henwood has held Visiting Fellowships with the London School of Economics, the University of Leeds and the University of New South Wales, Australia. Melanie has more than 25 years experience in research and analysis, focusing particularly on the interface between health and care, and most recently on the emerging personalisation agenda. Before establishing her own consultancy in 1991, she held research posts at the King's Fund, the Family Policy Studies Centre, and the University of Bath.

David Prince CBE is the former chief executive of The Standards Board for England, the regulatory body that champions and ensures high standards of conduct in local authorities. He held senior positions at the Audit Commission, as managing director, strategy and resources and Chief Executive, District Audit. Most of his career was in local government, where posts included Chief Executive, Leicestershire County Council and director of finance and administration, Cambridgeshire County Council. Non-executive independent appointments include Leicestershire Police Authority, the audit committee of the Rural Payments Agency and the performance and best value committee of the Bar Standards Board.

Non-Lay Members

Terry Butler CBE is an independent advisor in public services and social care. He is a Registered Social Worker and was Hampshire County Council's Director of Social Services until August 2005. He joined Hampshire in 1988 from East Sussex County Council, where he was Deputy Director of Social Services, having previously worked for several social services departments in London and the Midlands. Nationally, he has acted as a Government advisor and was seconded to the Department of Health to help implement the community care reforms in the early 1990s. He was an advisor on social care to the National Patient Safety Agency until 2007 and is now an advisor to Nestor Health Care. Terry is also a member of the Information Tribunal, Patron of the Relatives and Residents Association, a non-executive director of the South Central Strategic Health Authority and an international tour leader for Jon Baines Tours.

Hilary Tompsett is Head of the School of Social Work at Kingston University and St. George’s, University of London, and Chair of the Learning and Teaching Committee of the Joint University Council Social Work Education Committee (JUC SWEC). She is Chair of the Surrey and Sussex Post Qualifying Consortium Assessment Board and Chair of the Social Work Education Group for the two counties and has been chair and a member of a number of national working groups. She is a registered social worker.

Jill Crawford is currently lead Consultant for NCT Consulting, which supports primary care trusts and acute trusts in the provision of maternity services. She sits on the board of Independent Midwives UK and on the Fitness to Practice panel at the General Medical Council. Formerly Jill was the President of the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the Milton Keynes and Bradford Maternity Service Liaison committee. Jill is a lay member and lives in Newport Pagnell.

John Tate is a Barrister and Director of Legal Services at the Independent Police Complaints Commission. In addition to his current role, John is Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Committee of the Kingston Primary Care Trust. His previous roles include Solicitor to the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, Deputy Parliamentary Ombudsman, Legal Adviser to the Health Service Ombudsman and Assistant Director to the Serious Fraud Squad. John is a lay member and lives in Surbiton.

Robin Currie served as Chief Executive at the Personal Service Society for 28 years before retiring this year. In addition, Robin is a conduct committee member at the GSCC, a Senior Research Fellow in health and social care at Liverpool Hope University and a non-executive director at the Merseyside Training and Enterprise Council. Robin is a non-lay member and lives in Carnforth.

Gordon Ratcliffe is the Divisional Director of Services to children and young people at the NSPCC North Division. Previously he was a Courts Section Manager and team leader for Bradford Social Services where he started working as a social worker. Gordon has also been a trustee of the National Children’s Research Institute. He is a non-lay member and lives in Huddersfield.

David Plank has been a senior manager and non-executive director since 1978. Since retiring from full time employment he now serves as a freelance interim manager and consultant. In addition, David sits on conduct committees at the GSCC, the General Chiropractic Council and the General Osteopathic Council amongst others. Prior to his retirement, David worked at a number of London boroughs including the London Borough of Enfield, London Borough of Hounslow and Hammersmith and Fulham. He is a lay member and resides in Hertford. David’s appointment will start on 1 May 2010.

Public affairs enquiries:

Jenna Khalfan, Public Affairs Manager, , 02073975802 and
Barney Wharton, Public Affairs Officer, , 02073975857

Media enquiries:

Liz Hutchinson, Media Manager, , 020 7397 5832