Steering Groups and Project Consultants

Professor Margaret Rowe,

Executive Dean for the School of Health & Society, University of Salford

The School of Health & Society is one of the largest providers of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professional Education, programmes in the UK. The School also includes academic subjects in Social Work, Sociology, Criminology, Psychology, Sport, Psychotherapy & Counselling.

The School works with a large number of professional regulatory bodies and has an excellent track record of high quality programs, which focus on enhancing the student experience.

Margaret is highly regarded on the regional, national and international stage and was the Higher Education national representative on the Nursing and Midwifery Council Revalidation Strategic Steering Group. As a Council of Deans’ representative, Margaret has collaborated on the development of guidelines for higher education institutions in relation to the revalidation process. Margaret is a board member of the Salford Health & Wellbeing Board, HEE Collaborative Board, a Governor of the Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, and has worked with Health Education England, national and regional bodies and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Margaret actively contributes to national and regional debates and forums on workforce issues, policies, and future ways of working in Health and Social Care.

During Margaret’s time as Dean, the School has seen an improvement in the National Student Survey (NSS) and employability (DHLE) ratings. The School has also sought to improve student retention and placement opportunities for a wide range of students Margaret brings a wealth of international experience, including the successful development of new programmes and partnerships development in a number of countries including Malaysia, Thailand, China, Egypt and India.

Before joining the University of Salford in September 2016, Margaret was Associate Dean Business and Engagement in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at Northumbria University. Having joined Northumbria University in 1996 as a Senior Lecturer of Children’s Nursing, Margaret held the roles of Head of the Children’s Nursing & Child Health Department, Head of the Department of Primary & Social Care and Associate Dean (Health).

Lord Keith Bradley

The Rt. Hon. the Lord Bradley of Withington is Honorary Special Adviser at the University of Manchester.  From 2018 became Chair of Council of Salford University and he is also Chair of MaST LIFTCo and BTG LIFTCo, a member of the Advisory Board on Female Offenders  (MoJ) and Trustee of the Centre for Mental Health and the Prison Reform Trust.  Formerly Member of Parliament for Manchester Withington 1987–2005, he was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Social Security (1997–98), Deputy Chief Whip (1998–2001), Minister of State at the Home Office (2001–02) and a member of the Health Select committee (2002–05).  He was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 2001 and ennobled in 2006.  The Bradley Report on people with mental health problems or learning disabilities in the criminal justice system was published on 30 April 2009.

Mike Taylor, Head of Industry Partnerships, University of Salford

A highly experienced professional with a comprehensive range of business, technical, organisational, and management skills. With over 25years experience in the financial services, health care & latterly the Higher Education Institution sector creating new & developing current organisational wide strategic relationships.

In his role at the University of Salford Mike works across all seven schools & four Industry Collaboration Zones (ICZ) with a mission to create new & cultivate Industry Partnerships that currently exist within the institution. By supporting our research active academics with professional strategic account management principles we aim to cultivate exceptional, sustainable & long term partnerships based on mutual benefits. By working with industry to inject academic excellence & student creativity we will deliver the Universities number one priority – “By pioneering exceptional industry partnerships we will lead the way in real world experiences preparing students for life.” Helen Marshall Vice-chancellor University of Salford.

The Universities industry collaborations offer a real-world approach to learning for students with a flexible, industry-informed and research-based curriculum co-created by the University and its industry partners. Salford is therefore the university of choice for students wanting a hands-on, work-based high quality learning experience on their journey towards employability.

Chris Hilliard

Chris Hilliard has a mixture of both real world and academic experience in criminal law, and a childhood diagnosis of Aspergers syndrome.

Chris was brought into the world of law in 2010, when he was wrongfully arrested in the 2010 student tuition fee protests in London. What followed was a crash course in the realities of criminal law, including two trials (one in the Central Criminal Court and another at Kingston Crown Court) before being found Not Guilty. This inspired Chris to start a law degree and get involved with organisations around the criminal justice system, many of whose work is focussed on autism and other impairments.

Chris presented at the Autism and the Criminal Justice System Conference in 2016 with Mitzi Waltz, has presented to the National Appropriate Adult Network, and a number of other groups and organisations with the Keyring Working for Justice Group such as prison officers, independent custody visitors, and probation officers.

Chris has also worked with a criminal law firm, providing research skills, preparation of evidence for court, and has spent time in court working with a solicitor advocate and their client.

Acting Chief Constable of Cheshire Police, Janette McCormack

Janette joined Greater Manchester Police in 1989. Having worked in areas across Greater Manchester, including leading on roads policing, neighbourhood policing and communications, she transferred to Cheshire Constabulary in 2010 as Assistant Chief Constable and took on the role of Acting Chief Constable in August 2017. She is currently the national police spokesperson for Gypsies and Irish Traveller issues and Disability and sits on the National Police Chief’s Council for Equality Diversity and Inclusion.

Pia Sinha

Pia Sinha qualified as a chartered psychologist and started her prison career in 1999, working in London’s Holloway women’s prison. Her primary focus as a psychologist was working with offenders with personality disorders and setting up services within the custodial environment that helped offenders address serious self-harm and violent behaviour.

Having worked as a psychologist, in many of the London and Surrey prisons, including Wormwood scrubs and Wandsworth prison, in 2009, Pia was selected on a fast-track  scheme. Through this scheme Pia had to train and work as a prison officer and received operational training. Following a number of senior management positions, Pia came to the North-west on promotion to Deputy Governor for HMP Liverpool in 2012. This was followed by her first Governorship at HMP Thorn Cross in Cheshire and then HMP Risley two years later.

Pia has been Governor at HMP Liverpool since November 2017. This appointment was a managed move in response to the poor and high profile inspection that took place in September 2017. HMP Liverpool’s re-inspection is imminent and Pia and her senior team have been working on a number of complex projects to deliver improvements on all the ‘healthy prison tests’ as identified during the inspection.

Natasha Todd

Natasha is a current student at the University of Salford studying towards a Master’s degree in Marketing alongside being a Research assistant on the project.

Natasha was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2 and has been actively involved in the world of autism from a young age. Being the only one diagnosed in her immediate family Natasha found it difficult in school growing up with autism but has since excelled academically.

Natasha first became involved in the project in 2017 when she applied for a marketing placement within the project. Due to her keen interest in both psychology and the development of research into autism. It is a subject close to her heart and she is proud to be a part of the project.