ASCRU Public Advisors | People Groups

Peter Atkins

I have been a carer of a person with Borderline Personality Disorder since 1990. We have 4 children, 3 girls and 1 boy, and I live in Dorset.

I had a heart attack in 2018 and have had 3 stents fitted so I also have Service User experience as well as my Carers experience.

I set up and ran a Mental Health Carers Charity from 2000 – 2013 with Big Lottery funding in the South and East Dorset area. Since 2006 I have worked at Bournemouth University as a Co-ordinator of the BU PIER Partnership in the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences. My role is to co-ordinate Carer and Service User involvement in the following programmes: Social Work, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Paramedic Science and Operating Department Practice.

I am a Higher Education Academy Associate Fellow as well as being a work place champion for Carer’s UK and a member of my GP practice Patient Participation Group.

Eleni Chambers

I have expertise in advising on issues related to involvement in different settings, including research and service provision; and bring a perspective of being a long-term user of health and social care services. My interest originates from activism in mental health in the 1980’s. I am particularly interested in user led and emancipatory research and co-production.

I am a member of the SCIE Co-production Steering Group and I carry out involvement related work with a variety of other organisations including the NIHR, HRA, Universities and voluntary sector organisations, including Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs).

I have a particular interest in involving communities who are marginalised and/or not usually involved and have undertaken involvement work related to involvement in areas including palliative care and sexual abuse.

I have been involved in collaborations at all stages of the research process, from pre-protocol planning and bid-writing to dissemination.

Wes F Dowridge

I care for my wife who has long standing physical disability and two adult children with mental health issues.

I trained as a psychiatric nurse (RMN) and worked in this sector for many years before changing career to become a Social Worker (CQSW).

I worked for a number of local authorities in London, specialising in adult social care. During this period of over twenty years, I was involved in inspection of care homes and latterly as an expert by experience with the Care Quality Commission.

I was a member of the Social Care Workforce Research Unit Service Users and Carers Advisory Group, at Kings College London for many years, participating and assisting researchers with the work of the unit.

I was a public advisor on a number of research studies at the Research Department of Primary Care and Population Health, University College London and I am currently involved in two research studies with the Division of Psychiatry, University College London.

My voluntary work includes being a trustee with Carers UK and the charity MIND IN Ealing and Hounslow, I was chairperson for this charity for over two years.

Monica Jefford

As an NHS employee for 40 years, predominantly in clinical and managerial midwifery, I have had various health and social care involvements.

In 2005 a personal bereavement, diagnosis and treatment for Colorectal Cancer prompted my NHS retirement and provided an introduction to Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE). Since then, I have amassed an eclectic portfolio of involvement with research and clinical services for health and social care. The latter burgeoning in line with statutory, professional and personal changes underpinned by a dynamic environment, the economy and social factors such as the Covid affect.

Social care also features in my everyday life as a participant of a local Anglican church‘s community activities and as their coordinator of volunteers providing neighbourly care, mainly for those in older age.

As chair of Churches Together in Coulsdon I have an interdenominational role and participate in shared activities such as an initiative for the homeless. Through local and organisation connections I interact with those of other faiths/none, the non-engaged in health and social care and those with protected characteristics.

Membership of Croydon Resident Voices provides a direct involvement with the Council, its social care provision and its users.

Other key portfolio components are contributions to an ethics committee, trial management, a Research Delivery Network, data acquisition and its use and storage with AI playing an increasing role. I am part of a team providing regular PPIE training sessions for lay and professional personnel.

Rashmi Kumar

Joanne Lloyd

As someone who has taken part in clinical trials for a rare condition for the past 19 years, I have a deep personal connection to research. This long-term involvement has shown me the importance of research that is inclusive, ethical, and meaningful – not just for participants but for the wider community. My experience led me into Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE), where I now contribute to a range of projects across health and social care.

Over the years, I have supported studies focused on chronic pain, mental health, long-term conditions, and health inequalities. My work has included reviewing participant-facing materials, contributing to research governance and ethics committees, and helping researchers improve communication and accessibility. I regularly advise on how to make research more inclusive and easier to understand, drawing on practical insight as well as lived experience.

I also co-develop reflection activities and training for researchers and professionals, supporting stronger relationships between research teams and public contributors. Through this work, I aim to help shape research that is transparent, respectful, and grounded in real-world experience.

Wayne Marriott (In Memoriam)

Wayne had family members within the Learning Disability Community and worked for a Charity for five years looking after Adults with a Learning Disability, which he was passionate about. He continuously tried to help improve their lives. When he heard about this role, he jumped at the chance and said he was grateful to have been accepted.

Wayne also loved to study, do and take on new things and activities. He studied Psychology and Drama at University as a mature student, and he had over 35 qualifications, including teaching, engineering, HR and in the care field. In fact completing 27 courses in 2023. A few for work, but 24 just because he wanted to. He studied B.S.L and the Piano. Wayne was also an accomplished teacher of adults, with over 30 years experience.

Lynda Marshall

I am a 24/7-powered wheelchair user. I live independently out in the community in my own home by myself. I have received ‘Direct Payments’ from Adult Social Care for many years. I have used this to purchase care agency staff and private self-employed carers. They help support me with my basic everyday health needs, to not only ‘live my life’ despite my disabling conditions, but ‘thrive and enjoy life’, and in doing so can volunteer my time and focus my energy on helping others help themselves.

I consider myself an expert in community care, using my own ‘expert’ experiences as examples, and those of others I know. I have ‘lived with experience of poor mental health’ as a result of my physical disability – they are intertwined!

I am one of the Directors and Trustees of ‘Mind in Somerset’ – trustee lead for ‘lived with experience.’

I know I have a lot of experience and knowledge to offer. I am excited that Social Care in the UK is high on the agenda by our Government. Taking all the above into account, this is why I am passionately involved in the Adult Social Care Research Unit.

Manoj Mistry

Family Carer from Greater Manchester.

Experienced Public Contributor operating at local and national level.

Roger Oliver

Debs Smith

I live in south Warwickshire and have had long-term health conditions all my life. This has meant that I have had a lot of experience in using health and social care. I have worked within the sector both as an employee and as a volunteer. I have worked in nursing and residential homes and as a psychiatric nurse.

I have worked as a volunteer supporting those with mental health needs and have experience of many different illnesses and care and treatment, both as a patient and a carer, and this includes both physical and mental health conditions.

For the last 12 years, I have worked in health and social care both in redesign of services and giving a patient voice to the NHS and social care sector, but mostly as a lay advisor to research. I have worked on projects from their conception right through until papers were being written and am a co-author on many papers.

I review for the NIHR and HTS and every week review plain English summaries and patient-facing documents for different projects. I am PPIE chair for some projects and have in the past been a PPIE lead. Some of my work has now become projects where the research leads discuss the research findings with government policy makers and I work in a couple of different roles with NHS England

Patrick Wood

I have been actively involved in the mental health user/survivor movement since 1989. I am a Mind Influence and Participation Consultant and chair of the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) Co-production Network. I have worked for a range of voluntary and community sector health and social care organisations and I currently work for a project that supports older people to access community services in Sheffield.

https://patrickwood7.wixsite.com/website