New Chief Executive for Calderstones Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Posted By Editor on February 10, 2011
Karen Wilson has been appointed as Chief Executive at Calderstones Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and is expected to take up post on 3 May 2011.
Announcing her appointment, Calderstones Chairman John Berry said: “On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Council of Governors, I’m delighted to welcome Karen to the Trust. She has an impressive record of achieving service improvements through partnership working and we are confident that Karen will be a tremendous asset as we move forward with our plans for the growth and further development of high quality services.” John went on to state “Karen’s appointment, following those of Alan Jefferson (former Regional Director of the Care Quality Commission) as a Non Executive Director, Dr. Fran Foster as Medical Director and Paula Braynion as Director of Operations and Nursing, clearly demonstrates the Board’s drive to ensure that top class clinical, nursing and quality expertise is at all times, at the centre of its decision making”.
Karen comes to Calderstones from Mersey Care NHS Trust where she has been Executive Director of Nursing and Care since 2006. Prior to that Karen was Executive Director of Nursing, Service & Professional Development at Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust for 4 years and before that worked at North Mersey Community Trust in a variety of posts including Director of Nursing and Quality.
In her current post at Mersey Care, Karen is the lead executive for patient safety and quality and responsible for leading the redesign of community mental health services across Liverpool, Sefton and Knowsley in conjunction with Commissioner and GP Colleagues. Whilst at Lancashire Care she made a significant contribution in the work required to bring together the several separate organisations which formed Lancashire Care when it was established in 2002. Her work at North Mersey Community Trust also saw her leading a number of service development projects including work related to GP fund holding and salaried GP schemes.
Attracted to the Chief Executive’s post at Calderstones by the specialist nature of the service provided for people with learning disabilities led by a dedicated team with strong values Karen says: “I’ve always been aware of the excellent service provided by Calderstones and am excited at the opportunity to join the Board and work with a team committed to developing and improving services. I’m looking forward to working with governors, members, service users and staff to realise the massive potential for growth and development and to help bring about further improvements that benefit service users and enhance their experience of the care and services provided”
Karen takes over from Russ Pearce who retires in the summer after a 19 year career at Calderstones, the last 15 years as Chief Executive and the previous 4 years as Director of Finance. Welcoming Karen’s appointment Russ says: “I’m looking forward to working closely with Karen to ensure a seamless handover at a time of rapid and far reaching change. I’m delighted to be replaced by such an experienced and inspirational successor who has an enviable track record in developing and improving services for the benefit of service users and their families.”
Initially Karen will be getting to know service users and understanding how they want services to develop in the future. She will also be getting to know staff to understand the contribution they make and how she can best support them. Establishing positive relationships with key stakeholders will be one of Karen’s top priorities.
Karen qualified as a Registered General Nurse at Walton Hospital in her home City of Liverpool in 1983 and then as a Registered Mental Nurse at Aintree Hospital in 1988. Since then she has had general management and leadership development training and has a Post Graduate Diploma in Operational Research from Sheffield Hallam University.
Karen has led and advised on a variety of regional and national policy groups and speaks at national and international conferences on a range of topics about service development and innovation in clinical practice, workforce productivity, quality and outcomes.
Calderstones Partnership became a foundation trust in April 2009. Originally formed in 1993, the Trust employs almost 1600 staff. The Trust provides in-patient care for people with learning and associated disabilities from its HQ in Whalley and has specialist services in Gisburn and Rochdale and also provides community services in Oldham, Manchester, Greater Manchester and Lancashire in more then 40 homes.
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