Assistant Directors

Tracy a registered general and psychiatric nurse has been Assistant Director since June 1999 on the Isle of Man. Her current role includes responsibility for development of links with statutory and voluntary agencies and establishing the Islands services. Tracy also has responsibility for developing a new Accommodation and Support scheme in Manchester England. Tracy previously had the position of Unit Business Manager with Creative Support where her objective was to manage the provision of quality housing to individuals with a range of mental health needs.

Ruth has had lengthy experience in statutory childcare where she gained significant expertise in the development of family support services for children with disabilities. After a period as Development Manager with another voluntary organisation, Ruth was appointed as Assistant Director of Praxis Care in April 2004 and is currently on secondment to the position of Assistant Director of Development.

Carol commenced her career as a Registered General Nurse before moving into the area of intellectual disability where she has gained a number of years experience, in residential, respite and day services.
Having already completed a number of courses in this area Carol is currently undertaking a HDip in Health Care Management.
Carol has been an employee of Praxis Care since January 2006, formerly as scheme manager of the Mullingar and Navan schemes. She was appointed Assistant Director in February 2008 and has operational responsibility for schemes in the Republic of Ireland while also being involved in project development in the Republic of Ireland.

Mandy qualified as a social worker in 1985 and has worked in hospital, childcare and adolescent mental health arenas. The majority of her practice experience has been in the Voluntary Sector where she has been both a practitioner and manager of residential child care services and has also worked extensively with adolescent survivors/perpetrators of sexual abuse.
Mandy has been working in the field of learning and development for 8 years, firstly as a Consultant/Trainer in the Private Sector before moving to Praxis Care in 2001 as a Training Manager.

A graduate in Psychology, Paul also obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies and a Diploma in Human Resources Management. Paul joined Praxis Care in February 2008 with over 13 years experience within the Personnel and Human Resources field. This experience was gained at a number of PLC’s within the Manufacturing, Media and Retail Sectors.

Pauline has been an employee of Praxis Care since 1998, firstly as a Senior Project Worker in Banbridge and latterly as Project Manager in North Down & Ards. Following completion of her nursing degree in 1996, Pauline worked for the Statutory Sector in Dundee before moving to Northern Ireland in 1998. Pauline is responsible for Governance and Quality for Praxis Care.

Brian qualified as a Registered Nurse in 1993. He worked for a number of years in the care of the elderly field, both in England and Northern Ireland.
Brian then moved to the Voluntary Sector and Praxis Care in 1997. From 2003 Brian managed the Mental Health Praxis scheme in Lurgan. He was appointed Assistant Director in 2008 and has responsibility for the Mental Health and Learning Disability schemes in the Southern area.

Paul has worked for 15 years in senior management positions within the voluntary sector in Northern Ireland, UK and Ireland.

Paul has previously worked as Head of Fundraising and Communications at Multiple Sclerosis Ireland and Simon Community Northern Ireland as well as working in senior positions within Oxfam Ireland and NEA Northern Ireland.

He was appointed as Assistant Director of Fundraising in September 2009 with responsibility for Fundraising and Communications within Praxis Care.

He is a member of Institute of Fundraising and Chartered Institute of Marketing.

Jamie is responsible for IT, Property and Central Administration & Procurement. Jamie has worked in the NHS, Local Council and Private Sector for over 20 years specialising in Information Technology. In a recent post he took one organisation from manual cash registers to fully integrated MIS systems over several years with the organisational changes to realise the benefit of quality and timely information. Jamie is married with one daughter who now competes in the same motorsport events.

Sharon qualified as a Mental Health Nurse in 1992 and worked in Regional Addiction Services and as a CPN in Northern Ireland before departing to Singapore and London for 10 years. In London, Sharon’s experience included Acting Manager of a CMHT, co-ordinator of Emergency Psychiatric Service and Assertive Outreach Practitioner. Since returning to Northern Ireland Sharon was responsible for managing a nursing home for residents with severe dementia. In June 2010 she was appointed Assistant Director of Operations for Praxis Care.

John took up post of Assistant Director – Operations (Western Area) in March 2010.  John was previously a Senior Manager with Western Health & Social Care Trust (formerly Foyle Trust) where he has worked for over thirty years and brings with him a range of experience in learning disability and mental health.

David took up the post of Assistant Director of Finance in June 2010 and is responsible for the day to day running of the centralised Finance Department. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2002, completing his training with Grant Thornton in Belfast. He has spent eight years in the retail and wholesale sector working for both J&J Haslett Ltd and more recently Musgrave Retail Partners NI Ltd. His aim in his current post is to ensure that the department runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible and provides the organisation with timely and accurate financial information.

Mary has worked for Praxis Care for over nineteen years as a Manager and Assistant Director. Prior to joining Praxis, Mary worked as a Ward Manager in a large inner city hospital in Birmingham, where she had trained as an RMN. From 1998 to 2005, Mary worked for Praxis as an Operational Assistant Director before taking up her role as Assistant Director of Quality and Governance and was instrumental in the achievement of Investors in People Award for the organisation in 2008. For the last 15 months, Mary has worked as a Manager in Plasden Court, Manchester and is now back as an Operational Assistant Director based in Lurgan, County Armagh.

Philip took up post of Assistant Director Operations North West England at the being of September 2011. He was previously employed as General Manager of a small charity in the North West of England that supported individuals with either a Learning or Physical Disability who also had complex emotional, psychological issues.  Has a manager he has considerable experience of managing Health and Social Care service in the community managing very specialist service for individual with very complex needs. He has experience of project management work being involved in resettle people with mental health and learning disabilities from Hospital to community settings and commissioning new services. In terms of clinical experience throughout his career spanning 30 years he worked with individuals with complex emotional/psychological issues.

Terry is a registered social worker and has been involved in practice, management, research, training and consultancy in social and healthcare for more than 30 years.  He began his career in Northern Ireland and has been working in England and Wales since 1987.  Terry has been an executive director of two specialist mental health NHS Trusts, a public sector consultant with Price Waterhouse and a senior research fellow at the University of the West of England.  His doctoral research was in the demographics and health economics of dementia.  In recent years Terry has developed a special interest in the Mental Capacity Act and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.  He joined Praxis Care in September 2011 as Assistant Director for Development in England.

Kevin qualified as a Social Worker in 1994 having previously worked with people who had long term mental health needs. Since qualifying Kevin has worked with people who have a learning disability and related needs such as Autism, a dual diagnoses of mental illness and behaviour that challenges.

Kevin has primarily been involved in managing and developing day services including employment and training opportunities for people with a learning disability for a local authority. Kevin has also had a significant involvement in developing and delivering person centred approaches to improve individual experience and service design and delivery. Kevin Joined Praxis care in September 2011 and is responsible for schemes in the midlands,England.