National social care charity Community Integrated Care is proud to announce the appointment of Dame Joan Stringer as the Chair of its Board of Trustees.

Community Integrated Care is one of Britain’s biggest social and health care charities. It supports over 5000 people with learning disabilities, mental health concerns, autism and age-related needs – such as dementia. The charity was founded in Halton and Merseyside 26 years ago and in 2013/14 had a turnover of £100 million. It is a major provider of care to hundreds of people in the local area.

Dame Joan Stringer is nationally recognised as one of Britain’s leading public sector figures. She retired as the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University in 2013, after more than 10 years in post. In 2001, Dame Joan was awarded a CBE for Services to Higher Education and she was made a DBE in 2009 for Services to Local and National Higher Education.

She has held a number of senior public appointment’s with esteemed organisations such as the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland, Grampian Health Board and the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations. She currently chairs Edinburgh’s Festival City Theatres Trust, is a member of the Board of the National Theatre of Scotland, and is a Council member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Institute of Directors. In 2011, she was named Public Sector Leader of the Year at the Scottish Leadership Awards.

Her appointment comes during the second year of Community Integrated Care’s ambitious five year strategy, which has the vision of it becoming The UK’s Leading Health and Social Care Charity by 2017. This has seen the charity commit to a major programme of organisational development, change and investment, with the aim of maximising its impact on society.

Dame Joan replaces Simon Attwell, the former Director of Finance at the University of Salford, who has stepped down as the Chair of the organisation after serving a five year tenure in the role.

Dame Joan Stringer says:

“I am privileged to have been asked to take on this important role. The care sector makes a huge and growing contribution to the health and wellbeing of millions in our society, as well as being a vital part of our economy. I have been impressed by Community Integrated Care’s aspirations and commitment to ensuring that, as demands on services continue to grow, high quality, innovative person-centred care remains at the heart of its approach. I am very much looking forward to working with Trustees and staff to help deliver its vision and build on the achievements of my predecessor, Simon Attwell”

Neil Matthewman, Chief Executive of Community Integrated Care, says:

“We are delighted to have appointed someone of Dame Joan Stringer’s stature as our Chair of Trustees. Dame Joan has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and a commitment to contributing to society throughout her distinguished career. We believe that these qualities will be central to us achieving our aim of becoming the leading charity in our sector.”

He continues:

“I would also like to thank Simon Attwell, who has given Community Integrated Care twelve years of dedicated service as a Trustee and our Chair. Simon has helped our organisation to grow and become more effective, and has given us a strong foundation to make an even greater contribution to society over the years ahead.”

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