Debra is a national leader who has worked across mental health, learning disability and autism services both within the community and inpatient provision since the early 1980’s. She has consistently championed models of care that are rights based, relational and rooted in neighbourhoods.
Her work bridges policy and practice. She has contributed to national strategy development and supported stems to redesign services, ensuring that people are not just receiving care and treatment, but supported to live full lives as citizens in their own communities.
Earlier in her career, Debra played a role in national policy working for the Department of Health as a professional advisor and as National Programme Lead for implementation of the White Paper Valuing People and has published guidance on a range of related topics including Commissioning Frameworks, Health Action Planning and the development of Community Teams.
She has been instrumental in shaping commissioning approaches for Mental Health and Learning Disability services and has worked extensively to address repetitive quality failings and abuse in institutional settings, including undertaking investigations and service reviews as well as contributing to service redesign following high profile failures.
Debra is able to translate complex policy into practical implementation. Her work consistently emphasises citizenship, co-production and cross sector collaboration. In 2019 she was awarded a Gold Lifetime Achievement Award by the Chief Nursing Officer for England, she is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and in 2020 was awarded an MBE.