How we are governed
Staff College is a charitable company limited by guarantee. It is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales with the charity number 1169166.
The Board of Trustees is led by the Staff College Chairwoman and provides governance, oversight of the charity’s activities and strategic direction. Senior clinical Trustees ensure we remain rooted within the NHS and continue to understand the evolving and complex challenges it faces. While specialists from a range of backgrounds ensure there is appropriate oversight and assurance.
You can find out who’s on the Board of Trustees here:
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Liz Padmore
Chairwoman of Staff College, the British Red Cross and Housing Solutions
Liz has extensive experience at Board level in private, public and not-for-profit sectors.
Throughout her career, she has specialised in scenario planning, strategic communications, CSR and relationship management. She was previously a strategy partner at Accenture creating and running their global strategic think tank.
Currently, Liz is Chairwoman of the British Red Cross; Chairwoman of Housing Solutions; Chairwoman of the Staff College (Leadership in Healthcare); a Governor and member of the Council of Management of the Ditchley Foundation; a Barclay Fellow at Green Templeton College, Oxford where she chairs the Renumeration Committee; and she chairs the Remuneration Committee of Brasenose College, Oxford.
Previously, Liz chaired Hampshire Hospitals NHS FT for nine years and is a B member of YBI (Prince of Wales’ Youth Business International) having been a trustee for over 10 years.
Liz is also a member and previous vice chair of IWF UK; a member of Women Corporate Directors and an elected FRSA (Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts Manufacturing and Commerce).
Liz read both Philosophy, Politics and Economics and Jurisprudence at Brasenose College, Oxford.
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Alex Bax
CEO, Pathway
Alex has worked to improve health and social care in London for many years. He is founding Chief Executive of Pathway – the homeless health charity created by Prof Aidan Halligan. He is also visiting fellow at the Institute of Health and Human Development at the University of East London and Chair of inequality campaign group My Fair London. He has been a senior policy advisor to two Mayor’s of London: on health, city planning and social policy. He has a Masters in London Studies, is a member of Faculty for Public Health, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and founder member of the Faculty for Homeless and Inclusion Health.
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Professor John Earis
Deputy Chair, Staff College and Director of Clinical Quality, University of Liverpool
Read Bio +Professor John Earis
Deputy Chair, Staff College and Director of Clinical Quality, University of Liverpool
Professor Earis trained at the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine in London and has spent most of his working life in the North West. In 1982 he was appointed as a Chest and General Physician at University Hospital Aintree in Liverpool and led the development of Aintree Chest Centre, which is now widely recognised for its clinical innovation and research. As well as his clinical practice and research interests John has been closely involved with undergraduate and postgraduate education. In the 1990s he set up the respiratory medicine training programme in Mersey Deanery and in 2007 he was appointed as Director of Medical Education and Undergraduate Sub-Dean at Aintree. When he retired from Aintree in 2015 he became the Director of Quality for the School of Medicine in Liverpool introducing new quality assurance and evaluation systems to the undergraduate course. He has recently retired from this position but continues to work for the Undergraduate School.
He was made an Honorary Professor at Liverpool University in 2007 and in 2019 was awarded the title of Emeritus Professor. In 2016 he was delighted to be appointed Honorary Colonel of 208 Reserve Field Hospital (Army Medical Service). In 2013, working with Professor Aidan Halligan, John facilitated Staff College activities in the North West. Following Aidan’s untimely death John became Acting Principal of Staff College and continues his close association with Staff College as a Trustee and Deputy Chair of the Board of Trustees.
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Professor Martin Griffiths CBE DL
Clinical Lead for Trauma Surgery, Barts Health and National Clinical Director for Violence Reduction, NHS England
Read Bio +Professor Martin Griffiths CBE DL
Clinical Lead for Trauma Surgery, Barts Health and National Clinical Director for Violence Reduction, NHS England
Martin is Clinical Lead for Trauma Surgery at Barts Health.
He developed the country’s first integrated ward-based violence reduction service which has had spectacular success in reducing retaliation and violent reoffending.
He is a passionate advocate of diversity and equality and has worked with the community for decades. He is an ambassador to the Mary Seacole Trust, sits on the Violent Crime Prevention Board, and is a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London.
Martin was appointed as the first Clinical Director for Violence Reduction in NHS London. He sits on the reference group that guides the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) in London, promoting the “public health approach” to violence reduction. He is also Charlton Athletic Community Trust Trustee and Still in Progress 1000.
Martin has consolidated his roles within NHS England & NHS London and playing a more active role supporting the Violence Reduction Unit in London and providing advocacy for the uplift of VRUs within the 18PCCs awarded VRU status.
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Caroline Laurie
Vice President of Responsibility, Burberry
Caroline is Vice President of Responsibility at Burberry leading the corporate responsibility agenda covering carbon and biodiversity, sustainable sourcing and materials, human rights and social impact, community and climate change.
Prior to this she was the Group Head of Sustainability at Kingfisher plc where she led the sustainability strategy across the business, driving the delivery of sustainable wood and paper sourcing and reforestation projects such as the Harapan rainforest in Indonesia. Caroline is a CIMA qualified accountant and joined the Kingfisher team in 2005, starting out as a buyer at B&Q she gained first-hand experience of ethical and sustainable sourcing for wood and paper products. Following a promotion to category manager she was instrumental in the decision to remove all gas patio heaters from sale across B&Q stores nationwide and later went on to help customers reduce their home energy use through intelligent product developments and installed solutions. Caroline has a passion for sailing and in her spare time you’ll often find her cruising and racing on the Solent.
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Toby Rowland CBE
Defence Medical Services Leadership Development
Toby is a senior leader, board member and chief executive with over 28 years’ experience in the Defence Medical Services. His most recent appointments have included Chief Executive for Deployed Hospital Care, Head of the Defence Medical Academy and a secondment to the National team of NHS Health Education England. On deployed operations, he has served as senior UK military healthcare commander in both Afghanistan and Iraq.
Toby’s current role within leadership development is focussed on driving forward initiatives to enhance healthcare leadership skills across the Defence Medical Services, with particular emphasis on improving leadership behaviours and organisational leadership culture. His interest in this field is underpinned by extensive experience as a Level 7 qualified coach and mentor and, certified Myers-Briggs Practitioner.
Toby’s early career was spent as a clinical research scientist operating across academia, the NHS and private sector. His professional interests include being an active Professor of Practice at the University of Cumbria, Visiting Professor at the University of Sunderland and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Prior to becoming a Trustee of The Staff College, Toby previously served for 3 years as a member of its Advisory Council. Toby was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2023 for serves to defence healthcare.
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Sanjeev Sharma
Digital and Transformation Lead, Primary Care
Sanjeev is a conscientious people leader with wide-ranging experience as a senior pharmacy leader across healthcare settings. He is currently a Digital and Transformation Lead in Primary Care.
In his previous role as the Head of Integrating Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation for the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board , Sanjeev developed a sustainable method for tackling health inequalities in medicine and influenced improved decision-making processes for patient care pathways.
Sanjeev has a service transformation, education and training and quality improvement portfolio. He has extensive experience leading service and pathway redesign, developing collaborative agreements and contributing through advisory boards.
Sanjeev has a special interest in clinical and system leadership. He has completed several Staff College programmes and cites these as having aided his progression to his current role.
Sanjeev is a strong advocate for the principle of equality, promoting an ‘every one counts’ ethos, that embraces the values, ideas, knowledge, and expertise of others to share and deliver a common goal of delivering the best possible patient care.
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Tracey Westley
Independent Training Facilitator
Tracey is an independent training facilitator and management consultant who has nearly forty years of experience in the NHS holding a variety of nursing roles in both acute and most recently community NHS Trust settings. Roles include good governance through effective risk management and quality improvement, with overall responsibility for clinical policy, clinical audit implementation and CQC compliance.
Tracey believes in teamwork and bringing together the strengths of people and networks to provide compassionate leadership resulting in improved patient safety and a positive experience of services.
She holds a Masters in Public Administration, a Post Graduate Diploma in Risk Management with an enquiring mind believes in continued development and provides mentorship to nurses developing senior roles in the workplace.