Appointed Governors sit on the Council of Governors and currently represent Warrington Local Authority; Sefton Local Authority; Local Voluntary Organisation (Sefton Carers); Local Voluntary Organisation representing Younger People (Merseyside Youth Association); and Unions and Other Staff Representative Bodies (Mersey Care Staff Side Chair).
Five Appointed Governors
Victoria Keeley: Appointed Governor – Voluntary Organisation (Sefton Carers)
I am the CEO for Sefton Carers Centre, a local charity providing information, advices and services for over 11,000 unpaid carers aged 5 years old and above living in Sefton.
I provide leadership to Sefton Carers Centre and am responsible for the management and administration of Sefton Carers Centre within the strategic and accountability frameworks laid down by the board of trustees. Together with the Chair, I enable the board of trustees to fulfil its duties and responsibilities for the governance of Sefton Carers and to ensure that the board receives timely advice and appropriate information on all relevant matters.
I worked in the private sector for over 13 years as a Senior Underwriter and Project development worker developing national strategies for business development into new markets. I have also developed new businesses for private companies to expand opportunities in franchise growth markets. Over the last 15 years I have worked for the voluntary sector, again developing new businesses and projects to support the needs of local community whilst working with local and national Government agendas in health and social care.
Mersey Care are an important partner of the voluntary sector linking in with key agendas of Voluntary, Community and Faith (VCF) sector organisations such as those of the Carers Centre. This led me to become a governor and support the voice of the VCF Sector within the governance of Mersey Care.
Second term from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2026
Maureen McLaughlin: Appointed Governor - Local Authority (Warrington)
I am an elected Councillor for Warrington Borough Council, having previously worked as a secondary school teacher. I have held the cabinet role for Public Health and Wellbeing since 2015. In 2024 I was appointed to cover all aspects of health and adult social care within my cabinet portfolio, and I am looking forward to this new challenge. I am also the Chair of Warrington’s Health and Wellbeing Board, a member of the Cheshire and Merseyside Health Care Partnership, and a member of the Council of Governors for Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Living with a long-term health condition, I am a strong advocate for raising awareness about disability and long-term health conditions and making sure people’s needs are recognised and met appropriately. I know how important it is for people to receive the right care at the right time for both physical and mental health needs, but this isn’t always the case for everyone. It’s important that people are listened to and can feed back their concerns so that we can ensure we are constantly learning and improving. As an Appointed Governor, my aim is to listen, learn, scrutinise and challenge where necessary to ensure the best possible care for the people we serve.
First term from 1 May 2024 to 30 April 2024
Ian Raven: Appointed Governor – Unions and Other Staff Representative Bodies
I start
ed with Mersey Care in 2005 working within the security department at Ashworth Hospital and for the past 5 years I have been the fulltime Lead Convenor for our branch of Unite the Union here at Mersey Care, and I’m currently the Interim Staff Side Chair. I have had the pleasure of witnessing and contributing to the growth of our Restorative Just and Learning Culture (RJLC) and the development of our Civility & Respect campaigns, and not only within our own Trust.
As an Armed Forces Veteran myself, it’s been fantastic working for a Trust that recognises the experiences our veterans can bring to the workforce, and by signing up to the Armed Forces Covenant only shows the commitment Mersey Care has moving forward.
I support a variety of working groups within the Trust such as Respect & Civility, Policy groups, RJLC workshops to name but a few, as well as supporting our trade unions and professional councils and memberships throughout the divisions.
Ian Raven
Interim Staff Side Chair/ Branch Secretary
NW13408 Unite the Union
Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
Second term from 1 May 2024 to 30 April 2027
Gill Bainbridge: Appointed Governor - Voluntary Organisation representing Younger People (Merseyside Youth Association)
Gill has been the Chief Executive of Merseyside Youth Association since 2004, working with a team of dynamic, committed and passionate staff, who put young people at the centre of everything they do.
She is the custodian of this charity, which has been co-creating positive and lasting change in the lives of young people for 134 years.
A graduate of the University of Liverpool, Gill has a BA(Hons) in Psychology and Sociology and an MA in Women's Studies.
She has worked in the Voluntary Sector for 34 years with experience in youth and playwork, disability issues, volunteering, young women's work, advice, support and counselling.
She is a safeguarding lead and has a wealth of experience and skills in strategic and operational leadership, financial monitoring and accountability, programme management, fundraising, and income generation.
Gill strategically advocates for children and young people across the city region. She is a VCFS representative on the Cheshire and Merseyside NHS Children and Young People’s Committee taking a systemic, multi-disciplinary approach to meeting the health needs of children and young people. She is also a member of the Cheshire and Merseyside VCSE CYP Network group which seeks to connect the wider sector with the ICB and to identify and address priority issues across the ICB footprint.
She is a member of the Liverpool Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Board, Health Watch Community Engagement Group and the Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Social Care Leadership Group, supporting the engagement of the VCS in the Health agenda across the region, representing the needs and issues of young people.
She is also part of the Combined Authority's UK SPF providers group, Economies for Healthier Lives, Liverpool City Councils Fairer, Healthier Liverpool Group and the Knowsley's Children and Families Board.
She has been the Treasurer of VNSW for 2 years and is also a parent governor at Formby High School.
First term from 10 March 2025 to 9 March 2028
Veronica Webster: Appointed Governor - Local Authority (Sefton)
For the last eleven years I have served as a Ward Councillor for Sefton MBC. I now represent Sefton as a Governor of Mersey Care.
Over the years I have been closely involved with family and friends who have had serious mental health issues. This experience has made me strongly committed to ensuring that service users always receive a high standard of professional care and support when needed. My work as a Sefton councillor has reinforced this commitment.
As a Governor I see that Mersey Care is moving forward and is addressing many diverse issues relating to the delivery of mental health care. Inpatient units in many cases are fit for purpose, are starting to be replaced with state of the art new builds. These will provide a more holistic and therapeutic environment for the benefit of service users and staff alike. The development of the Life Rooms bringing mental health out into the community is impressive.
One of the main aims of the trust to ‘Strive for Perfect Care’ is a great challenge for everyone involved. This is why it is important to recruit and maintain high quality staff and to ensure that they are supported in every way possible. The acquisition of Liverpool Community Health is now starting to develop the merging together of mental and physical health issues which will be a great benefit to service users.
Second term from 1 May 2022 to 30 April 2025