24 August 2010
A new managing director for Community and Social Services in Jersey has been appointed by Health and Social Services.
Stuart Brook is the former chairman of Nottinghamshire Community Health Services managing board within the Nottinghamshire County (NHS) Primary Care Trust.
Mr Brook takes up his 6 month post in Jersey on a fixed-term contract this week (Mon 23 Aug) and will be responsible for strategic planning and change, working with staff across community based health and social care services, including mental health services, and services for older people, to develop them and build on ongoing work.
Mr Brook has spent his whole career working within the social care sector. He spent more than 10 years as corporate director for social services for Nottinghamshire County Council, where his department was responsible for the social care of all adults and children and for promoting partnerships with the private and voluntary sectors.
As well as holding general management responsibilities, Mr Brook has led strategy and policy development in the fields of children’s services, older people, mental health, and disability and has extensive experience of inter-agency partnerships and of working with, and within, the voluntary, community and faith sectors. His work with colleagues has previously achieved national Beacon Status for promoting independence for older people based on engagement with service users and their carers and building towards inter-agency approaches.
In the UK, he has served as a magistrate in the Nottingham Courts, and was also treasurer for the Nottinghamshire Domestic Violence Forum, as well as being a member of the Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Adults board. He is a trustee of a children’s charity which acts as an adoption agency, works with children experiencing loss, and provides safeguarding support to faith organisations.
He has recently been awarded a Master of Public Administration from the University of Warwick and holds further postgraduate qualifications in community and social work from Bradford and Hull Universities.
Health and Social Services Chief Officer, Julie Garbutt, said "Stuart’s appointment is a key one and he was chosen from a strong field of candidates for this important role. He is here to help build on the work already undertaken by the community and social care teams, and to implement changes where needed to ensure that all social care in Jersey is as effective as possible.
"I look forward to welcoming Stuart to the senior management team. The department is going through a time of considerable change and to make sure that this happens we require the best skills possible, which include high-level strategic skills. Stuart has the skills required to take social care in Jersey forward."
Health Minister, Deputy Anne Pryke, added "My ministerial team and I look forward to welcoming Stuart and working with him in the months ahead as he helps us build on the good work already going on in this important area of social and community work."
Speaking about his appointment, Mr Brook said "I am looking forward to working with colleagues and key partners in Jersey. I have been privileged to spend my career in the fields of health and social care for both children’s and adult services and their wider partnerships and I hope to contribute to the maintenance and development of positive services to vulnerable people, their families and their carers.
"Supporting the effective recruitment, retention and development of experienced, skilled and motivated staff is critical to success in any 'people based' organisation. I would expect that a workforce strategy to support quality service delivery will be at the heart of our agenda over the coming months."
gov.je