Trustees (ID 1222)

• Kerry Beirne
  Kerry Beirne

  Career summary

  June 2022- present
  Chief People and Communications Officer, The Sovini Group

  Leading our award-winning People and Learning, Marketing and Communications and Executive Assistants at The Sovini Group.

  The Sovini Group provide quality construction, property and facilities services to the public, not-for-profit and private sectors with a unique end-to-end service across the property and construction supply chain. Our corporate Services teams provide services to eight different companies with different terms and conditions and policies.

  As part of the Groups Executive Management Team (EMT) and reporting into the Group CEO the role of Chief People and Communications Officer involves ensuring that The Sovini Group continues to develop its unique family orientated culture and strives to be the Best Place to Work in the UK and Europe.

  Nov 2019 - Jun 2022:
  Group People and Learning Director, The Sovini Group

  Leading our People and Learning Team and Marketing Team at our award-winning Group. Part of EMT and reporting into the Group CEO.

  Jan 2012 – Nov 2019:
  Head of People and Learning, The Sovini Group

  Heading up our People and Learning and payroll Team at our award-winning Group. Part of EMT reporting into the Strategic Director of Corporate Services.

  Key achievements:

  • Top 5 position in the Great Place to Work awards in the UK achieving first place on 3 occasions (2018, 2020, 2021)
  • Top 15 position in the Great Place to Work awards in Europe getting 3rd place in 2020
  • Leading the team to be IIP Platinum accredited for the last 6 years (prior to this the Group held IIP Gold)
  • Best Flexible Working Initiative in 2021 at the CIPD awards as the result of implementing of a fully agile workplace for over 350 employees
  • Shortlisted for the Best Equality and Diversity Initiative at the CIPD awards for our female empowerment campaign
  • Successful consultation and closure of the Defined Benefit Pension Scheme resulting in employees voluntarily changing to a Defined Contribution pension scheme.

  
  Skills, knowledge and experience relevant to trustee role

  • An experienced leader specialising in excellent People Management
  • Demonstrable strategic experience working as part of the Groups Executive Management Team and attending regular Board Meetings
  • Qualified Executive Coach working with Senior Leaders both within The Sovini Group and externally
  • Responsible for business critical and complex decision making and leading on large scale change,

• Stephen Cowperthwaite MRICS
  Stephen Cowperthwaite MRICS

  Career summary

  Chartered Surveyor with over 35 years’ experience. Principal and Managing Director, Regions and Liverpool at Avison Young, a global real estate consultancy with c. 5,000 employees. Avison Young creates economic, social and environmental value as a global real estate advisor, powered by people.

  Present employment

  Avison Young

  Global real estate consultancy headquartered in Toronto with c. 5,000 employees.

  Principal and Managing Director, Regions & Liverpool

  Chair Public Sector Client Development Board

  Previous

  GL Hearn Corporate Director

  Mason Owen Partner

  Valuation Office Agency Senior Valuer

  Other experience

  Liverpool Place Partnership - Chair

  Liverpool Place Partnership is a private sector led programme working to advance investment and foster support across Liverpool’s business community to make the city region an attractive place to invest. The Liverpool Place Partnership is an advocate for the Liverpool City Region. We deliver strategic thought leadership for the Liverpool City Region. We are trusted change makers that represent the private sector and challenge and disrupt for the benefit of all, working closely with public sector political and executive leadership across the region.

  Professional Liverpool - Board Member

  PL represents Liverpool City Region’s professional community. We come together to learn, connect and grow so that we can contribute to a shared vision:

  A thriving economic future for the Liverpool City Region. One with a more balanced contribution from different sectors and greater opportunities for people to stay and develop their careers.

  Chesterfield High School

  Governor

  Chair Facilities, Finance and Staffing

  Skills, knowledge and experience relevant to trustee role

  I have a broad range of skills and experience built up through the various leadership roles that I have undertaken previously and currently.

  I have been Managing Director of Avison Young Liverpool since September 2015 and have recently taken on the role of Managing Director UK Regions. In addition I Chair our Public Sector Client Development Board. In these roles I work closely with political and executive leadership across Liverpool City Region and beyond, including with Central Government. I provide strategic development consultancy to public and private sector partners and lead multi-disciplinary teams working on complex projects, evaluating risks and opportunities. An important element of this is working with key stakeholders across sectors and importantly local communities.

  I work with national and global leadership helping to set strategy for the business and drive financial performance.

  In my role as Chair of Liverpool Place Partnership I lead a private sector collective that works in collaboration with public sector partners, including Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram and CEO Katherine Fairclough, to promote Liverpool City Region as a place for investment.

  I have been a Governor at Chesterfield since 2017 and chair the FAFS committee.

  I have been involved in the appointment of the headteacher and subsequent appraisals.

  I am a firm believer in diversity, equity and inclusion, raising aspirations in schools and working with communities. Avison Young has recently sponsored Liverpool Against Racism, The World Reimagined and the Salt and Tar music festival in Bootle. As an organisation we are the people for place and believe in creating real economic, social and environmental value.

• Mark Dale
  Mark Dale

  Career summary

  Mark has most recently been Chair of Governors at the Rowan Park School having been a Governor at the School since 2015.

  He was Sefton MBC’s Chief Personnel Officer from 2010 to March 2022 (having joined Sefton as Assistant Director in 2009).  He advised on a large number of issues in education (including those from the maintained, voluntary aided and Academy sectors) in respect of HR and employment law having had responsibility for the full HR team, policy and trade union negotiations across the Local Authority.  Advice has concerned anything from all day to day matters to Academy conversion.  He has also been part of Interim Executive Boards to secure school improvement and/or conversion to Academy status. 

  Mark is currently the Deputy Chief People Officer for the Countess of Chester NHS Foundation Trust having joined that organisation in March 2022.

  He is a qualified solicitor and was a Legal Director at DLA Piper LLP (being with that firm from 2000 to 2009) advising on a large number of employment related issues and representing in Employment Tribunals. He is a Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

  Mark is strongly committed to the promotion of opportunity in education.

• David Hird
  David Hird

  With over 25 years’ experience in primary education, as a teacher and school leader in Bootle, I have taught in every primary age group and held a wide a range of subject leadership roles across the primary curriculum. As Deputy Headteacher I have responsibility for the overall content, sequencing and quality assurance of the whole school curriculum, and work closely with all class teachers and subject leaders to ensure high-quality, equitable and inclusive learning opportunities for all children, especially children with SEND. I have also worked closely with colleagues in Key Stage 3 to ensure smooth and effective transition at an academic, social and pastoral level. As a senior leader, I have considerable experience in school self-evaluation, school improvement planning and implementation, staff performance management, professional development and safer recruitment.

  As part of my current role, I am one of the school’s Designated Safeguarding Leads and am the trained Senior Mental Health Lead, responsible for creating, implementing and sustaining an effective whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing for both staff and children.

  For more than 10 years I have been a Professional Mentor for LJMU, leading a team of ITT Mentors within school, to ensure that the ITT Core Content Framework and the DfE Teaching Standards are fully integrated and addressed by those involved in our school-based training. I am a member of the LJMU ITE Primary Steering Group which supports and advises on the operational and strategic leadership of the partnership’s ITE provision.

  Beyond my own school setting, I was for 8 years the Leading Maths Subject Leader for Sefton LA, this role included subject leader coaching and development, leading the DfE National Strategy Training for teaching assistants across the LA and the delivery of Maths curriculum training for Sefton NQTs. For my M.Ed., I was asked by the LA to complete an authority wide evaluation of Early Maths Intervention Programmes; this gave me an insight into a wide range of different primary school settings across Sefton and a critical understanding of the role intervention can play in raising attainment and achievement. In additional to my Masters, I hold a range of school leadership qualifications from the National College.

• Jonathan Jones
  Jonathan Jones

  Director of Children's Services in Knowsley from January 2024, Jonathan leads the strategic and operational role of the local authority in education, special educational needs, with responsibility for support and challenging the diverse landscape of education from early ears, to school and to further education.

  Jonathan leads the vision and strategy which enables the local authority services to support educational settings to achieve strong ambitions and the best educational outcomes for children and young people.

  Jonathan also has significant experience as an HMI specialist advisor in SEND for Ofsted, as a Director of Teaching School and various leadership roles in schools

• Maria Moss
  Maria Moss

  Career summary

  My working career began in Sefton Council in the Finance department moving on to the Social Services Department as a Court Officer within the Intermediate Treatment / Young Offenders Team .

  I then became a Trade Union Officer in NALGO ,and went on to be a Branch Organiser and Regional Officer in Liverpool , Manchester, and across the North West Region for UNISON providing leadership , direction , advice ,and support to members working in numerous services within the Public , Private and Voluntary Sectors. During this time I joined the Governing Body at Waterloo Primary School and went on to be the Chair of Governors for 18 years .

  I retired 3 years ago and currently work as a Volunteer at Woodlands Hospice where I provide 1-1 support to patients and relatives as a member of the Patient and Family Support Team.

  Skills, knowledge and experience relevant to trustee role

  In my working career and as a Chair of Governors I have attained key skills as a leader with a supportive management style to ensure there is efficacy, progress and accountability at all levels . I am a good communicator which is vital to ensure the Trust has effective engagement with school, parents and the local community that listens and responds accordingly. I am conversant and practised in dealing with policies, procedures and all Governance matters, which is key to the effective operation of the Trust . I have a wide range of experience as a TU leader and Governor in providing support and challenge where and when it is needed and ensuring appropriate accountability and full transparency. Above all I believe the people skills I have gained over my many years as a leader and being part of a team, which in the case of the trust will ensure that it works for all as one entity, and achieves the ultimate goal of providing a high quality education experience and equality of opportunity for all.

• Jan Vicary
  Jan Vicary

  
  Career summary

  Over 40 years’ experience working within the Education Sector (firstly within the Local Education Authority and latterly within the Higher Education sector).

  Currently School Manager of a large clinical school, training students on nursing and Allied Health Professionals programmes. Role involves shaping School strategy and ensuring that appropriate systems are in place to enable the School to meet its overall strategic objectives. It supports the delivery of academic and business plans through the leadership and management of a comprehensive and effective professional support service across this large and complex School.

  Areas of responsibility: HR; quality; staff appraisals; resource allocation; financial planning, data protection and safeguarding.

  Have been a School Governor for 14 years and Chair of Governors of a Single Academy Trust Secondary School for 7 years.

  In my spare time I am also an Editorial Assistant for the Community Dental Health Journal.

  Skills, knowledge and experience relevant to trustee role

  Financial planning, staffing allocations, HR; safeguarding; ensuring high quality provision through appropriate challenge and scrutiny; strategic planning.

• Mrs Alex Walker
  Mrs Alex Walker

  Career summary

  Trained as a nursery Nurse and then managed a nursery over 30 years ago.

  Re-trained as a teacher and worked in Forefield Junior School for 3 years.

  Opened up my 1st nursery in 2003 (left teaching) and built the business from scratch. Project managed with business partner whole development and opened it up within 6 months. Nursery was outstanding until sale in July 22.

  Purchased second nursery 2005 in Walton. Ran the nursery for 2 years before selling 3rd nursery purchased 2018 in Waterloo. Redeveloped nursery and reopened within 1 month of purchase. Current rating is Good.

  Skills, knowledge and experience relevant to trustee role

  • Management of up to 35 staff
  • Training provided to staff onsite regularly
  • Thorough knowledge of Early Years Foundation Stage, SEND and Safeguarding
  • General day to day running of business, hiring and firing as needed, wage runs, accounts, marketing, sourcing resources, budgeting…
  • Supported local authority and other providers with SEND, 2 year integrated review and Sefton at Work with Workplace wellbeing scheme.
  • School governor at Forefield Infants for approximately 14 years since 1st son attended
  • School governor at Forefield Juniors for 4 years when second son attended
  • Chair of governors and vice chair for over 5 years
  • Lead for safeguarding, SEND and pupil premium during the course of governing
  • Experience of recruiting 2 head teachers and 1 assistant head teacher.

• Nicola Walsh
  Nicola Walsh

  Career summary

  Nicola’s area of expertise is special educational needs as she had worked in a number of senior local authority roles, the most recent being Strategic Lead for Inclusion and SEND in Liverpool City Council. Prior to that she was employed in a dual roll as Principal Educational Psychologist and Virtual Headteacher for Sefton Council.

  Nicola is committed to improving outcomes for the most vulnerable pupils. To this end, she has developed expertise in interventions and approaches to supporting children and young people who are at risk of exclusion from school. Prior to retraining as an educational psychologist, Nicola was a secondary school science teacher.

  Nicola is currently working as an independent psychologist in the North West and has experience of a number of different local authorities.