Our board
All of our Directors have signed a code of conduct which is available to download from the panel on the right. If you have any queries about this please contact trust.secretary@candi.nhs.uk
The non-executive directors are not employees and are not involved in the day-to-day running of the Trust. Non-executive directors hold other senior positions outside of the Trust and bring knowledge, experience and expertise from other fields, such as accounting, management and organisations outside of the NHS. Their role is to contribute (collectively with the executive directors) to the strategic direction, leadership and management of the Trust, to provide challenge to the executive directors and to bring an independent perspective to the Trust Board.
The executive directors are full-time employees of the Trust and are the most senior managers responsible for its day-to-day running. They decide the future strategy and direction of the Trust, are accountable to independent regulators, and are responsible for ensuring clinical and corporate effectiveness. Each executive director has their own area of responsibility.
Lena Samuels, Chair Lena joined the North London Mental Health Partnership on 4 December 2023. She is currently also the Chair of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board. Lena began her tenure as Chair of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Sustainability and Transformation Partnership in January 2019 and subsequently supported the development of the Integrated Care System as Chair.Lena began her career as a lecturer in further and higher education and managed a training centre in London for young people at risk of exclusion. She has held a number of leadership roles across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight including as a Non-Executive Director with University Hospital Southampton and an Associate Non-Executive Director with Isle of Wight NHS Trust. From 2017 to 2022, Lena was Chair of South Central Ambulance Service. She also chairs the NHS South East Regional People Board. Outside of her work in the NHS, Lena runs a company which has provided communications and training in leadership, human rights and child protection on behalf of organisations such as the National Crime Agency, UNICEF and UN Women. In addition, Lena is a Deputy Lieutenant at Hampshire Lieutenancy. | |
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Dalwardin (Dal) Babu, Non-Executive Director Dalwardin served for over 30 years in the Metropolitan Police and is the former borough commander of Harrow. He was the first chair of the National Association of Muslim Police which worked with home secretaries, chief constables and community leaders. In 2010 he was elected to the National Police Superintendent Association of England and Wales. He has extensive board level experience in policing, community safety, child and adult safeguarding. In 2010 he was awarded an OBE for services to the police and communities. Other awards include: the London High Sheriff Award for work with young people (2011), and the London Peace Award for community engagement (2011). Dalwardin is a director of a School Academy and a trustee for Médecins Sans Frontières , House of Illustration, Artichoke and Comedy School. He volunteers for a number of charities in London and enjoys football, cycling, hiking as well as cricket with his daughters in his spare time. | |
Ben Browne, Chief People Officer
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Natalie Fox, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer
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Samanthi Gibbens, Chief Finance and Investment Officer
Samanthi comes to us from East London NHS Foundation Trust, where she has been Interim Chief Finance Officer since July 2022, having joined ELFT in April 2022 as Deputy Director of Finance. Prior to this, Sam was Assistant Director of Finance at Whittington Health NHS Trust and, before that, had a senior role in the Finance Team at Camden and Islington. Samanthi has over 20 years of financial experience across the health sector. She has worked at the Department of Health, the previous North Central London Strategic Health Authority and has led on major service transformations and service expansions. Samanthi is passionate about staff diversity and inclusion and continuous improvement. | |
Dr Vincent Kirchner, Chief Medical Officer Vincent joined C&I in 2000 as a Consultant in Old Age Psychiatry and was Medical Director for the Trust since October 2014. He continues to work as a consultant psychiatrist in the Camden Memory Service. As Chief Medical Officer for the Partnership, Vincent focuses on building strong medical, psychology and pharmacy services and co-producing the clinical strategy for mental health services in North Central London. | |
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Mark McLaughlin, Non-Executive Director Mark is a qualified accountant with over 20 years of experience as the Chief Finance Officer of public sector organisations including a district council, a county council and two London boroughs. From 2007, he worked in Central Government: for the Home Office and the Environment Agency and from 2015 to 2017 was the first Chief Finance Officer at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Mark has a science degree from the University of St Andrews and a PhD from the University of Nottingham. He has lived in London since 1987, moving there to take up a research position at the Institute of Neurology in Bloomsbury. | |
Dr Marcelle Moncrieffe, Non-Executive Director Marcelle formally joined the Trust Board as a Non-Executive Director on 18 January 2021. Marcelle has 20 years HR experience with significant remits for cultural change and transformation in the UK and internationally. Marcelle is currently Group Chief People Officer at London South Bank University responsible for the People Culture and Inclusion Strategy, HR Business Partnering across EMEA, Workforce Transformation, Equality and Diversity and Group integration. Prior to her current role, Marcelle held a number of senior HR roles in Local Government and was Head of Human Resources at the BBC overseeing cultural change. Marcelle is currently on the Wellness Advisory Group of the British Academy of Management and is a fellow of the CIPD. Marcelle holds a bachelor’s degree in Law, a master’s degree in Human Resource Management and has completed a doctorate in Inclusive Leadership and Culture Change. | |
Amanda Pithouse, Chief Nursing Officer
Amanda qualified as a mental health nurse in 1993 and has an extensive academic background. She is a strong advocate of Quality Improvement and helped to lead BEH from Requires Improvement to Good at their 2019 Care Quality Commission inspection and more recently in February 2022. Amanda’s role in the Partnership focuses on improving the quality and safety of services ensuring service users and their families receive the best possible care. Amanda is passionate about improving staff experience and, in collaboration with Executive colleagues, is working to ensure there are clear pathways for career progression and professional development. | |
Anu Singh, Senior Independent Director
Anu joined the Trust Board as a Non-Executive Director, taking on the role of Senior Independent Director (SID) on 14 September 2020. Anu is a Board level local government and health leader. She has been a statutory Director of Adult Social Care, and has been Vice Chair of neighbouring Whittington Health NHS Trust for 6 years, including a term as interim Chair. Anu is passionate about person centred care and community empowerment and has led on new relationships with communities for the National NHS, County Councils and City & Metropolitan Councils. Anu was Director of Patient & Public Participation and Insight for NHS England; and took the lead for the NHS in ensuring that the voice of patients, service users, carers and the public is at the heart of the way NHS works. She was also responsible for Equalities, Health Inequalities, Person Centred Care, and the national relationship with the Voluntary and Community Sector. Anu lives in Camden. | |
Darren Summers, Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director for Partnerships Darren started his career working in homeless services. In the NHS he has worked in mental health commissioning, strategy, and operational management roles. His role in the Partnership focuses on embedding our relationships with voluntary and community organisations, local authorities and other health organisations to ensure service users and local communities have consistent access to high quality, holistic care and support. He is also responsible for developing the Partnership between the two Trusts. | |
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Claud Williams, Non-Executive Director
Claud is an entrepreneur with a background in communication, technology and social impact. He has 12 years of enterprise experience, including serving as an advisor at both Birkbeck and Loughborough universities and consulting for businesses, particularly within the tech start-up industry. Born and raised in London, Claud has a passion for seeing people live full and fulfilling lives. His mission is to help people reach their full potential, which he does through executive coaching, public speaking and his personal development start-up. He is also an established public speaker, speaking at various organisations across the UK and the world including TEDx, Cambridge University and Barclays Bank. Claud champions several causes including mental health, diversity and neurodiversity. He currently serves as an ambassador for the British Dyslexia Association. Debbie Giwa, Non-Executive Director
She is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA) and an executive and leadership coach. Her current executive role is as Finance, Commercial and Business Director at The Reading Agency. Debbie also holds several trustee positions including Finance Committee member and Chair of Audit and Risk at Samaritans. Debbie is an equality, diversity and includion champion and passionate about improving life outcomes for individuals and communities who experience inequality in society. |
Jinjer Kandola MBE, Chief Executive
Ben Browne started as Chief People Officer in February 2023. Prior to this, he worked for the London Borough of Waltham Forest as Corporate Director of People, Organisational Development and Business Support. Ben has extensive Executive Leadership experience, having previously undertaken Director of Human Resources / Organisational Development roles in Further Education, Higher Education, as well as Local Government. Ben was also previously a Deputy Director of Human Resources in an NHS acute Trust.
Natalie has worked in health and social care since 1991 leading major change in the delivery of services across both physical and mental health care. Natalie worked in one of the first Integrated Care Systems and is passionate about collaboration, innovation and ensuring we provide holistic and equitable care. Natalie’s role in the Partnership is to provide co-ordinated leadership of high-quality care and transformation of services, ensuring we meet the needs of our communities.
Jess Lievesley, Executive Director of Strategy, Transformation and Organisational Effectiveness
Charles Waddicor, Non-Executive Director
Sarah Wilkins, Chief Digital and Information Officer
Debbie has more than 20 years' experience in the not-for-profit sector.