Meet some of our team

Following a successful career as an executive manager for multinationals such as ICI, Whitecroft PLC and Umbro International, James was Chairman of the Merseyside and Cheshire NHS Ambulance Trust and of the National Ambulance Association for four years.

He then took up the position of CEO of the David Lewis Centre in Cheshire, helping it become the largest provider in the UK of medical, educational, residential and assessment services for people with complex neurological conditions, including epilepsy, learning disabilities and challenging behaviour. James has also played a key role in the local educational sector as Chairman of Macclesfield Learning Zone and as a Governor of Macclesfield High School for several years.

As well as being Chairman of the Board of Trustees at ECHC, James is also currently Chairman of the Cheshire Youth Federation, a North West charity which includes the National Citizen service ( NCS) and supports over 5000 young people, equipping them with new skills.

As Chairman at ECHC, James’ role is to offer strategic direction and help with the delivery of the wider business plan. He provides occasional support with day to day issues but acts primarily as a valuable sounding board for the rest of the team in relation to new developments and the continued expansion plans.

‘It is a privilege to work with such a professional executive team, who are so dedicated to assisting people from all walks of life, helping them onto a pathway to a better quality of life within the community.’

‘I always say the most important inspection than can be made of our facilities is whether you’d be happy for a relative of your own to live in the accommodation – in my eyes, ECHC meets those criteria every time.’

Rachel has always worked in the care field and has worked at ECHC for the last seventeen years. She moved up through the ranks from being a mental health support worker to senior support worker and has been in her current role as senior operations manager for the last six years.

In short, Rachel is in charge of overseeing and managing the provision of our service. All the senior support staff report to her and she is the registered Care and Quality Commission (CQC) manager for the organisation.

Rachel is also heavily involved in the referral and assessment process to ensure service users are appropriately placed.

‘It is extremely rewarding seeing individuals with complex needs achieve positive results once they are placed on a new pathway under my leadership and supervision.’

Brenda joined ECHC in 2000 after working in Area Management for BUPA Care Services, bringing with her a wealth of management experience in both the housing and private health sectors. She also holds a Diploma in Business Management.

Brenda is pivotal to ECHC’s consistent growth, expanding our portfolio of properties through skilled purchase, renovation and business strategy. This ensures that we continue to meet the increasing demand within the community for quality care and support.

As Chief Exec, she takes great satisfaction in seeing the organisation develop and in nurturing a strong team. Brenda also passionately believes in the importance of staff training and always aims to provide a flexible environment for staff. She is particularly proud of the way the team has adapted to the changing needs of the community, catering not only for a higher number of service users but also offering services they would never have been able to in the past.

Brenda takes a personal interest in every case and knows every service user by name.

‘When I see the real difference ECHC can make to people’s lives on a daily basis, I am very encouraged. We are constantly striving to offer new services and ensuring that staff are equipped to do so.’