The Board of Directors
Peter Horn: Chair
Appointed June 2017 to May 2020
Reappointed June 2020 to May 2023
Responsibilities
- Leads the Board and ensures the team has the necessary balance and diversity of skills, experience and perspective to deliver excellent care at the heart of our community.
- Chairs meetings of the Trust Board, Board Nominations & Remuneration Committee and Council of Governors.
Previous experience
Peter joined the Trust in June 2017. For the past six years he has chaired a community interest company providing high quality NHS community health services in Medway and North Kent. He has broad experience of the NHS working in both executive and non-executive roles.
Maggie Ioannou: Non-Executive Director
Appointed December 2013 to December 2020
Responsibilities
- Senior Independent Director.
Previous experience
Maggie Ioannou is a nurse by background, and has extensive professional leadership experience in community nursing, including at board level.
In her last post she was director of nursing, quality and safety for Surrey Primary Care Trust (PCT). In this role she provided leadership on clinical quality and safety during a time of significant change, spanning the separation of the PCT’s responsibilities to commission as well as providing community services, through to the transition to the new system of clinical commissioning groups, established in April 2013.
Stephen Lightfoot: Non-Executive Director
Appointed September 2013 to September 2022
Responsibilities
- Deputy Chair.
- Chair of Resources Committee.
- Participates in other business activities, that require non-executive director input, on an as required basis.
Previous experience
Stephen Lightfoot has been a Non-Executive Director and Deputy Chair at SCFT since September 2013 and is also a Non-Executive Director of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Stephen has extensive commercial experience. Prior to joining SCFT, he had a 30 year career in the pharmaceutical industry including senior UK and global business management roles.
Janice Needham: Non-Executive Director
Appointed February 2015 to July 2021
Responsibilities
- Chair of Charitable Funds Committee.
Janice is an independent management consultant working primarily in the not-for-profit sector, with notable clients including the Big Lottery Fund and the Carers Trust. She brings extensive and wide-ranging management and senior level experience gained across government, local council and the voluntary sectors. She has served on the management boards of three national charities, held a director level position with Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) and worked as a statistician with the Department of Health.
David Parfitt: Non-Executive Director
Appointed July 2014 to July 2021
Responsibilities
- Chair of Audit Committee.
- Leads for the non-executive directors on procurement.
Previous experience
David is a chartered accountant with broad commercial experience in complex and customer-orientated organisations undergoing significant change including the Granada Group, the TSB and Lloyds Banking Group, where he became risk, control & and accounting director (retail).
He brings strong experience in human resources, organisational development, strategic and change management and governance.
In addition, he has direct experience of the NHS, first as a non-executive director of Luton primary care trust (PCT) and latterly as a lay member (audit and governance) of NHS Luton clinical commissioning group.
Elizabeth Woodman: Non-Executive Director
Appointed February 2015 to January 2021
Responsibilities
- Chair of Quality Improvement Committee.
Previous experience
Elizabeth brings legal knowledge and significant experience of working on strategy at senior and board level in large organisations. Originally Elizabeth qualified as a solicitor in a magic circle City law firm and then moved to a tax practice at an accountancy firm where she requalified as a chartered tax advisor. Elizabeth then became an executive remuneration consultant for a large firm of actuaries specialising in executive incentive schemes and board governance. She has spent much of her working life in professional publishing and online information businesses, bringing to market a number of successful online products aimed at professionals. Elizabeth was vice president accountable for revenue and strategy at Thomson Reuters Legal, UK & Ireland until September 2014. Until May 2019 she was Chief Executive of a well known barristers’ chambers in London that specialised in public law.
Elizabeth combines her role at SCFT with being Managing Director of Kapow Primary Limited an online education publisher.
Siobhan Melia: Chief Executive
Joined in May 2013
Responsibilities
- Ensures we meet our service, regulatory and statutory obligations.
- Accepts accountability for standards of clinical governance and care.
- Works with the board to develop and promote our vision, values, aims, strategic thinking and objectives through effective dialogue with our staff, partners and other external organisations.
- Provides advice to the board and information to perform all clinical, governance and financial duties.
- Strong performance management, focused on continuous improvement and delivery of services.
- Leads the work programme to prepare the organisation to become and operate as a thriving NHS foundation trust.
- Establishes effective working relationships and communications to ensure staff are motivated, developed, supported and respected.
Previous experience
Siobhan Melia was appointed as Chief Executive of Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust in September 2016. She was previously Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Partnerships and Commercial Development at the organisation.
Siobhan has worked in the NHS for over 21 years in a range of roles. She has a clinical background obtaining her postgraduate degree in podiatry from the University of Brighton and has fulfilled a number of different clinical leadership roles. Subsequently Siobhan undertook senior management and Board level roles at a large NHS community health provider in Berkshire. In 2012 she received her MBA (Health Executive) from Keele University.
She joined Sussex Community in October 2013 from Telefonica UK, where she headed up their Telehealth division.
Mike Jennings: Chief Financial Officer
Appointed director of finance and estates October 2016
Responsibilities
- Financial management, establishing sound financial policies, procedures and reports that effectively manage the business and financial risk.
- Leads and develops high quality finance, estates, facilities, procurement and internal audit functions that improve organisational performance.
- Ensures financial resources are used effectively to maximise quality healthcare whilst meeting financial obligations and ensure income is maximised.
- Ensures our estate is managed efficiently and effectively, and in compliance with all statutory and mandatory requirements.
- Ensures soft facilities management services (transport, portering, catering, housekeeping and switchboard) are managed effectively and efficiently, developing to meet changing needs.
Previous experience
Mike is a qualified accountant and a fellow of the ACCA. He began his accountancy career working in the financial services industry, then in higher education and then began his NHS career in 2002. He moved from Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in 2009 and joined Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
At Western Sussex he was Deputy Director of Finance and interim Finance Director before joining their executive team permanently in 2014 as Commercial Director.
Dr Sara Lightowlers: Medical Director
Joined in August 2019
Responsibilities
- Provides, develops and champions medical, dental and pharmacy leadership.
- As Responsible Officer ensures that the Trust adopts best practice with respect to appraisals, revalidation, education and continuous professional development of the medical and dental workforce.
- Caldicott Guardian.
- Works with the Chief Nurse to develop and ensure appropriate clinical governance of the Trust and governance of the Trust’s Research and Innovation programme.
- Works with the Chief Nurse, and other clinical leaders to address professional issues across the medical and dental, nursing and allied health workforce with particular responsibility for the medical, dental and pharmacy workforce plans.
- Works with the Chief Pharmacist and is responsible for medicines management and pharmacy.
- Works with the Chief Operating Officer to provide professional advice on operational issues.
Previous experience
Sara graduated in Medicine from University College London in 1988. She completed her postgraduate training in North West and South West Thames regions. For the past 22 years she has worked as a Consultant in Geriatric and General Medicine, held a number of clinical and educational leadership roles and most recently has been Medical Director for Newham Hospital, part of Barts Health NHS Trust.
Susan Marshall: Chief Nurse
Joined in April 2014
Responsibilities
- Professional leadership of nurses and allied health professionals.
- Infection control management.
- Patient experience and involvement.
- Safeguarding.
- Quality standards.
Previous experience
With 30 years’ experience in both acute and community settings, Susan previously worked at the Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, where she was director of nursing and professional practice.
Susan is a registered general nurse, with qualifications in midwifery, health visiting and a master’s degree in health services management. She offers a record of achievement in management of change, development of strong governance systems, clinical leadership and operational management to strengthen nursing standards, and enhanced professional leadership to drive patient safety.
She brings particular interests in safeguarding, infection prevention and control, and patient, carer and public engagement. Susan is a Queen’s Nurse, a Florence Nightingale scholar and has been part of external review teams to support other organisations through challenging times.
Kate Pilcher: Chief Operating Officer
Joined October 2019
Responsibilities
- Delivery of national and locally agreed targets.
- Leadership and management of operational Areas.
- Corporate responsibility for strategic and operational development.
- Delivery of service and performance improvement in line with business plans.
- Working with partner organisations to develop an integrated delivery framework across health and social care.
- Executive lead for emergency planning.
Previous experience
Kate started her career in the NHS as a midwife and health visitor before working in several operational roles within children and adult services, including Head of Children’s Services and Area Director.
Kate was appointed interim Director of Operations in October 2017 to support the Trust’s Chief Operating Officer, with a particular focus on supporting colleagues internally who manage and provide patient services. This role was made substantive in May 2018. In October 2019 Kate was promoted to Chief Operating Officer.
Kate has an Msc in Leadership and Management. She has been with the Trust since it was formed in 2010.
