Bev Maybury, Calderdale Council’s Director of Adults, Health and Social Care, has been recognised as one of healthcare’s most inspirational female leaders.
Bev was named as one of the top 50 women in the country at the latest Health Service Journal (HSJ) Most Inspirational Women in Healthcare awards.
The HSJ is a leading source of news and information on health management, and the awards celebrate the women who drive transformational change in healthcare.
Bev was among a long list of nominees, and received the prestigious accolade because she meets the following criteria:
- Delivers outstanding leadership
- Acts as a role model / mentor to colleagues
- Shares knowledge and expertise with others in the sector
- Drives innovation in service redesign and research
- Is at the heart of shaping and influencing policy
Judges said that: “Her work has been widely recognised, and it’s right we recognise her too.”
Bev has worked for Calderdale Council for over two and a half years, leading a team whose priority is to support people to have the greatest amount of choice and control over their lives, and to safeguard people in our communities who have physical disabilities or mental health issues, and older people.
Bev has led the transformation of the Council’s adults’ health and social care services, making them more personalised and giving people more say in how their needs are met. At this year’s Association of Directors of Adult Social Services Conference, the Council’s work on personalising home care in the area was cited as an example of national best practice.
Many more people are now being supported to make their own decisions on how to best spend their personal budgets. For example, rather than day centre type services, they may choose to attend community-run social groups to meet other people and socialise. To help tackle loneliness in Calderdale, the Council is working with other local organisations to develop this further. Its Neighbourhood Schemes programme has supported over 650 people in the last year to get involved in community, voluntary and statutory sectors’ participation or volunteering opportunities.
Bev, whose work history has been solely in social care and health-related areas, has worked on the national development of personal budgets, which contributed to changes in policy. Bev also presented her work to Nygoya University in Japan.
The HSJ judging panel was made up of a range of representatives from the healthcare sector, including Health Education England; the NHS Leadership Academy; the Royal College of Nursing; and the National Institute for Health Research’s Clinical Research Network. Nominees could be from either a clinical or non-clinical background.
Bev says that the accolade is due to the fantastic staff in Adults, Health and Social Care who are able to adapt to change and work as a team to support the people of Calderdale. She says:
“Whilst it is flattering to receive an award like this, they are never about one person and this is about acknowledging the importance of pulling together. Health and Social Care is facing considerable challenges and it is more important than ever to work collectively to make sure we deliver the best possible support to improve the outcomes for real people.”
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Social Care, Cllr Bob Metcalfe, said:
“I am incredibly proud of Bev and her team. The award is testament to the brilliant work they continue to put in for people in Calderdale. A few years ago the Council introduced personal budgets. We have made a lot of progress on this, and we are continuing to do more to fully realise the benefits of personalised services. Since joining the Council as Director, Bev has fully assessed the way forward for Adults, Health and Social Care, and I’m confident that we will continue to make a positive difference to people’s lives.”