Meet the Board
The Board of Directors are all volunteers and the most 'hands on' Healthwatch members.
They supervise the work plan, deciding which issues we take up and how to best take them forward. They will meet and speak with the people who plan and provide services and make reports and recommendations.
Your Board members are: Paul Charnock, Julia Day, Jane Hurd, Chris Douglas and Penny Penn-Howard.
Meet the Board of Directors
Prior to retiring to Scilly I was a qualified Social Worker, working for a number of West Midland authorities. I then took a senior management role as lead commissioning manager for older peoples community and provider services, working closely with colleagues in the health sector.
I am a retired pharmacist having spent 52 years as a pharmacist on St Marys. I am particularly interested in setting up a framework to encourage an increase in exercise for all ages. I also have an interest in children’s services.
Main areas of responsibility: Medical travel, acute health services, and our representative on the Council's Scrutiny Committee
I have been a Director since Healthwatch was formed, and am responsible for matters connected to Medical Travel. This can be extremely frustrating, but the only way is to stick to our guns and keep pressing for improvements: if there's no travel, there's no medical, despite our continuing efforts to get more care available on the islands. I am also the Healthwatch representative on the Council's Scrutiny committee.
About me personally....I've lived in Scilly for almost 28 years, have done various jobs including being a postwoman, and running the Register Office as Superintendent Registrar until 2008. I still work there on a casual basis as well as being an adult education tutor at Lifelong Learning.I was a Councillor and a committee chairman on a mainland council, and stood (unsuccessfully!) for parliament once.
Penny Penn-Howard
Main areas of responsibility: support for cancer patients
I trained and worked as a nurse in London for 13 years reaching the position of departmental sister for obstetrics and gynaecology. I left nursing to look after my young family.
I then returned to university to study psychology and went on to train as a teacher. I taught primary aged children in London and then obtained a place at the Tavistock Institute to train as an educational psychologist.
I practiced as a psychologist for many years in Yorkshire, Somerset and Cheshire, and then was appointed Assistant Director (children and families) in Sheffield. My next post took me to Sandwell where I was Director for School Improvement and Learning, for nine years.
I then became Director for Community Services to the Council of the Isles of Scilly. My remit was expanded after a year to include Children's Services and Education.
I am now retired.
Throughout my career I have been interested in Health and Wellbeing and the power of holistic and multi-professional working in order to produce the very best outcomes for service users. It is for this reason that I am keen to support Heathwatch.
Are you interested in joining them?
It does require commitment, but we only ask people to take on what they can manage. Why don't you join them, take the lead, and really make a difference!
