Board of Directors
The Trust Board consists of the chair, executive and non-executive directors, including the chief executive. They are collectively responsible for the performance of the Trust. The Board of Directors is made up of executive directors who are employed by the Trust, and non-executive directors who are appointed by the Council of Governors. The role of the Board is to consider strategic, managerial, and performance issues facing the Trust. Directors are accountable for meeting national standards, performance targets, and governance and financial targets.
The executive directors are responsible for the day-to-day running of the organisation, working with the nonexecutive directors to translate the Trust’s strategic vision into operational practice. These roles are occupied by appropriately qualified professionals able to discharge the functions expected from those professions and as defined in the Trust’s Constitution.
The non-executive directors draw on a range of backgrounds and provide an independent view on strategic issues, performance, key appointments to bring rigorous and constructive challenge when holding the executive directors to account.
In 2023/24, the Board included:
- Six voting non-executive directors, including the Trust Chair, who are independent.
- One non-voting associate non-executive director.
- Hosting one NExT Director scheme placement, a scheme which is created and designed to support the next generation of talented people from groups who are currently under-represented on NHS boards.
- Six voting executive directors, including the Chief Executive, Director of Operations, Director of Finance, Digital and Estates, Medical Director, Director of People, and Director of Nursing and Quality.
- One non-voting member of the Chief Executive’s team, the Director of Corporate Governance, who regularly attends Board meetings and supports in day-to-day operational management of the Trust.
The Board’s business was conducted through six Board of Directors meetings in 2023/24, which were held in public. In addition, the Board has a range of Committees to provide further scrutiny and assurance. The minutes and other papers from the Board of Directors meetings are published on the Trust website www.lpft.nhs.uk/board
There are robust processes in place in order to hold the Board of Directors account for the decisions which they make and to evaluate their performance, as a whole and individually. This includes:
- The Trust Chair conducts an annual appraisal with the Chief Executive.
- The Trust Chair conducts annual appraisals with the non-executive directors. This process is developed in connection with the Council of Governors and the outcome is presented at Council of Governors meetings. It is within the powers of the Council of Governors to remove or suspend any of the non-executive directors, the process for which is set out within the Trust Constitution. These powers have not been required in 2023/24.
- The Chief Executive conducts annual appraisals with the executive directors and other members of the Chief Executive’s team.
- The Lead Governor and the Senior Independent Non-Executive Director conduct an annual appraisal with the Trust Chair. This process includes governors, directors, and stakeholders being invited to comment on the Trust Chair’s performance.
The people who served on the Board of Directors for the year ending 31 March 2023 follow on the coming pages.
Our Executive Directors
Kevin Lockyer, Trust Chair
Appointed on 1 May 2021 for a three-year term. Re-appointed on 1 May 2024 for a three-year term.
Kevin has spent more than 30 years working as a prison governor, as a commissioner of offender management services in custody and in the community, as a senior civil servant and at board level in the public and voluntary sectors.
He has held non-executive roles in the NHS in Lincolnshire for seven years.
He also works as an independent consultant, providing expert support to organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors. He specialises in service development, bid management, change management, strategy development and mentoring/coaching.
Sarah Connery, Chief Executive
Appointed in September 2021.
Sarah joined the Trust from Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust as Deputy Director of Finance in April 2015. Since joining the Trust, Sarah was the Director of Finance and Information from September 2017 and acting Chief Executive from October 2020.
She has worked in the NHS for over twenty-years in various senior finance and leadership roles and has wide business management experience from working in the retail and audit sectors.
Chris Higgins, Director of Operations
Appointed in October 2019.
Chris joined the Trust in 1998 and has been qualified mental health nurse for over twenty five years. Chris also went on to gain additional clinical and health leadership qualifications.
He has had a range of clinical and non-clinical roles in the Trust including nursing, business development, strategy and operations, and has a passion for developing individuals and teams.
He has led the implementation of a number of service improvements, including integrated working, developing specialist inpatient services, and advancing out of hospital programmes of care.
Mark Platts, Director of Finance, Digital and Estates
Appointed in October 2022.
Mark joined the Trust in 2008 having started working in the NHS in Lincolnshire as a graduate trainee.
Mark is a qualified accountant with over sixteen years’ experience and knowledge of working within the local healthcare system. Mark has supported the development of the Trust to maximise funds available for service delivery.
As the executive lead for many key projects across the healthcare system Mark continues to use his experience to focus on enhancing patient care whilst balancing this with the financial pressures faced by the NHS.
Dr Girish Kunigiri, Medical Director
Appointed in October 2022.
Dr Kunigiri joined the Trust Board in October 2022 as Medical Director, having worked as a Consultant Psychiatrist in Leicester for eighteen years, most recently as Deputy Medical Director, with a period also acting as Medical Director. In addition to his clinical director roles in Leicester he is also clinical director for the East Midlands Mental Health Clinical Network and a clinical advisor for the Midlands Clinical Senate.
Amy Beeton, Director of People
Appointed in November 2022.
Amy joined the Trust in 2021 as Deputy Director of People, joining from United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust where she’d been working in a senior HR role.
Amy has 20 years’ experience of working in the NHS, working in senior leadership roles for over 10 years.
She is an experienced people professional and qualified professional coach. As well as other NHS providers, Amy has also worked at Health Education England, leading on workforce transformation at both local and regional level.
Sharon Harvey, Director of Nursing and Quality
Appointed in February 2023, substantive in post from March 2023.
Sharon re-joined LPFT in February 2023, having worked as the Deputy Director of Nursing and Quality with the Trust in 2020.
She is a dual registered mental health and learning disability nurse and has held previous roles in the national learning disability and autism team at NHS England, as well as with local Lincolnshire commissioning services.
Jenna Davies, Director of Corporate Governance
Appointed in May 2022.
Jenna has worked at director level at a number of NHS trusts across mental health, and acute services, predominately in the corporate and clinical governance fields.
Having studied law at the University of Birmingham in 2008, she joined the NHS soon after qualifying.
Jenna has led and contributed to a number of large-scale improvement programmes, including highly complex organisational development projects and preparation for foundation trust application status.
Anita Lewin Director of Nursing, Allied Health Professionals, and Quality
Appointed in October 2019 and left the Trust in April 2023.
Anita joined the Trust in 1986 and has been qualified as a nurse for over 30 years.
Anita has senior management experience of leading clinical teams within the Trust and has led the implementation of numerous innovative projects particularly around the Trust’s crisis response. She was acting Director of Nursing and Quality from December 2018, before being formally appointed.
Anita led the Trust’s COVID-19 response during the pandemic as the executive lead for infection prevention and immunisation.
Our Non-Executive Directors
Sharon Robson
Non-Executive Director and Deputy Chair from 1 May 2022. Left the Trust in July 2023. Re-appointed for a second term of three years from 1 February 2022 and appointed as Senior Independent.
Sharon is a registered nurse with 37 years’ experience. She has a wide variety of clinical leadership positions within NHS commissioning organisations, including board level executive nurse roles.
Sharon has led a range of portfolios at board level and since retiring from the NHS in 2015, has worked independently and was appointed as an Independent Nurse for Nottingham clinical commissioning groups’ (CCGs) governing body.
Prof Diane Bailey
Appointed May 2021 for a three-year term appointed as Senior Independent Non-Executive Director and Deputy Chair from August 2023. Re-appointed on 1 May 2024 for a three-year term.
Previous Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation (Interim) at Nottingham Trent University, and latterly Emeritus Professor of Mental Health at Nottingham Trent University.
Di has over thirty years’ experience as a mental health academic, researcher and practitioner. She is also a trained social worker and qualified as a professional coach.
Dr Tim Harry
Appointed May 2021 for a three-year term. Re-appointed on 1 May 2024 for a three-year term.
Scientist by background with a first degree in biology and doctorate in renal medicine. Tim is a senior manager and civil servant with a career of over forty years, covering a wide range of roles up to executive and board level in both the private and public sectors.
Chris Wright
Appointed May 2022 for a three-year term.
Chris has extensive experience of leading large service delivery organisations in the `not for profit’ sector. He has a strong track record for increasing turnover while delivering efficient and cost-effective public services, including for children and young people, families and adult offenders.
With a career spanning thirty five years as a practitioner, manager and strategic leader he has experience of delivering change management programmes on a national scale.
Ian Orrell
Appointed August 2022 for a three-year term.
Ian has a wealth of experience in the public sector, particularly with large and complex councils and experience working within senior corporate leadership teams to help reshape and deliver quality frontline adult and children social care services.
He has been qualified as an accountant for over thirty years and has previous experience in non-executive roles where partnership approaches were taken to improve service provision.
Dr Sarah Whiteman
Appointed in February 2024 for a three-year term.
Sarah is a general practitioner by background and has recently retired from the role of Chief Medical Director for Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK) Integrated Care Board. Prior to this she was Medical Director and then Chair of the BLMK Clinical Commissioning Group.
She has extensive senior experience at a strategic board and operational level, having worked for NHS England in Primary Care and as Associate Medical Director for NHS Improvement, supporting over seventy acute, ambulance, community, and mental health trusts.
Dr Kaval Patel
Appointed in December 2023 for a one-year term.
Dr Patel is a registered general practitioner and partner in a Lincoln-based medical practice.
He is also Deputy Chair for the Lincolnshire Primary Care Network Alliance (PCNA) and the Lincolnshire PCNA Strategic Mental Health Transformation Lead. Additionally, he is the Clinical Director of Lincoln Healthcare Partnership Primary Care Network.
Changes to Board Membership
During 2023/24, a number of changes occurred to the Board, as listed below:
Executive Directors
- Anita Lewin, Director of Nursing, Allied Health Professionals and Quality left the Trust on 9 April 2024.
- Sharon Harvey was appointed as the Trust’s new Director of Nursing and Quality, with effect from 13 February 2023 in order to facilitate an effective handover with the previous post holder.
Non-Executive Directors
- On 4 December 2023 Dr Kaval Patel was appointed as an associate non-executive director for a term of one year.
- On 1 January 2024 Vijay Luthra commenced his NExT Director scheme placement.
- On 1 February 2024 Sarah Whiteman was appointed as a non-executive director for a term of three years.
All the Trust’s non-executive directors are considered independent. The non-executive directors constructively challenge the executive team and work together to develop proposals on strategy.
The Board and its Committees scrutinise the performance of the Trust’s management in meeting agreed goals and objectives and monitor the reporting of performance. They satisfy themselves on the integrity of financial information and that financial controls and systems of risk management are robust and defensible.
The non-executive directors are responsible for determining appropriate levels of remuneration of executive directors and have a prime role in appointing, and where necessary, removing executive directors, and in succession planning.
Appointment and removal of Board members
In accordance with the requirements of the NHS Act 2006, the Foundation Trust Constitution outlines the respective responsibilities of the directors and governors in appointing and removing Board members.
The Council of Governors is responsible for appointing, and if necessary, removing the Chair and non executive directors, as well as approving the appointment of the Chief Executive.
The Council of Governors’ Nominations and Remuneration Committee is in place to make recommendations to the Council of Governors on the appointment and remuneration of these positions, including identifying suitably qualified candidates for appointment. These duties were effectively discharged in the selection of one new non-executive director, Sarah Whiteman, and one new associate non-executive director, Dr Kaval Patel, who started with the Trust on 1 February 2024 and 4 December 2023, respectively.