Meet The Lay Representatives

Kath Houston

Kath Houston is a freelance trainer, a university lecturer, a published author of career management books and a career coach. Her current employers include two universities, the NHS in the lay consultant role and the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a quality assessor of nurse training. She has an MA in Education, is an associate member of AGCAS (Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services) and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, being committed to the professional values and ethics of these organisations. In her spare time, she loves to read, do crosswords and spend time with family and friends. What I love about the lay representative role I am passionate about education and workplace training and its power to develop staff for excellent service delivery. I love the fact that I can play a part in the assessment and progress of medical professionals, ensuring rigour and fairness in these processes. I am also committed to legal and ethical standards of recruitment that maintain an effective and efficient clinical workforce for the NHS. My role allows me to make a contribution on behalf of the stakeholders and patients of the NHS.

Moira McLoughlin

I trained as a primary school teacher but have worked across all phases of education, mostly in the field of special educational needs and mental health and I was head teacher of a residential special school for children with behavioural difficulties. In 2001 I became a university lecturer in disability studies and education, with a particular interest in developing paraprofessionals in education, but retired early to take on caring responsibilities. I have been a Lay Representative since 2006. My voluntary commitments include parish work and Healthwatch. Since 2015 I have become heavily involved with the Liverpool Service Users Reference Forum (SURF), a group representing the views of people living with dementia, their carers & families across the City of Liverpool and I was elected to the committee in 2016. I am also a Dementia Friends Champion and spend an increasing amount of time delivering Dementia Friends Information Sessions to groups and organisations in Liverpool. I enjoy eating out, reading, travelling and crafts.

Eileen Joyce Carr, M.Sc., Dip. H.S.M., Dip. P.H.C.

Retired NHS Director; Retired Fitness to Practice Panel Chair, Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service; Justice of the Peace (Magistrate) - Chair, Adult Bench; Lay Panellist, Investigating Committee, General Chiropractic Council; Chair, Investigating Committee, Nursing and Midwifery Council; Lay Advisor, Health Education NHS England. I enjoy my work as a Lay Advisor/Representative because if offers a unique insight into all aspects of medical and dental education and training. Lay advisors are able to put forward a public interest perspective, which must contribute to public reassurance about the professions.

Brian Stevenson

Brian Stevenson currently manages a varied portfolio of paid and voluntary work. As well as acting as a lay representative for Health Education England, he is a lay member of fitness to practice panels for the Health and Care Professions Council. Prior to retirement from full time work he occupied senior posts for the Audit Commission, as a leader of Comprehensive Performance Assessment teams, and at Government Office North West, as Head of Local Government. His background is in library and information services, and earlier in his career he worked as a senior manager in cultural services, one stop shops and housing benefits, mainly for Stockport and Manchester councils.

He is a Manchester resident, married with three sons, and enjoys walking, travel, music, reading, cinema and theatre as leisure interests.

Lay Advisor

For me, working as a Lay Advisor is an opportunity to use a lifetime's public sector experience in the service of the NHS - one of our finest national institutions. I believe that my independent status contributes to objective, transparent and high quality decision-making.

Helen Waller

I am a qualified barrister although I am no longer in practice. I now have a number of part time and voluntary roles which I fit in around my family. These appointments include Chairman of the Audit Advisory Committee for Cheshire Constabulary, Examiner of the Court, law and maths tutor and examination invigilator. In my free time I like to keep fit, which includes playing hockey, and reading. Being a lay representative for HENW is important to me because, by representing the general public and focusing on patient safety, I feel that I am contributing to the NHS through ensuring that standards are kept high for all of us.

Jacqueline Telfer

Jacqueline began her career working with people with cerebral palsy and this role ignited a lifelong passion for working with people with learning disabilities and mental ill-health. She obtained an MA in Social Work in 1987 and retired from full time employment in 2006 as an Assistant Director of Adult Health and Social Care Services. Since 2008 Jacqueline has held various public appointments, having been a Non-Executive Director of an NHS Foundation Trust and a member of Lancashire Police Authority. She is still a registered social worker and undertakes Court of Protection visiting in addition to working with several professional health care regulators. Jacqueline particularly enjoys the opportunity to use her experience to contribute an independent perspective to the varied work she undertakes as a Lay Representative for HENW.