Meet our highly-qualified and experienced senior team leading our Care and Support services.
Ruth Jennings, Executive Director of Care
Ruth has worked in social housing for over 30 years, predominantly in care and support services.
Her experience includes managing registered services as well as developing strategy.
Ruth has delivered a variety of commissioned and non-commissioned services ranging from registered personal care for older people and those with complex physical disabilities, to housing-related support for people affected by domestic violence and homelessness, including people seeking asylum and experiencing mental ill-health.
Jan Paterson, Head of Care and Support
Jan leads the organisation’s regulated care operations, with responsibility for services in supported living, nursing and extra care. She is accountable for strategic delivery and developing outstanding care and support services.
Jan has worked in care at various levels of senior management for older people services, mental health, learning disabilities, residential care, extra care, supported living, assisted living and domiciliary care.
Andrew Humberstone, Head of Specialist Housing
Andrew leads our Housing Team, ensuring that the people we support are happy in their home. He's also responsible for identifying innovative housing solutions to meet people's needs.
Andrew's role includes overseeing the development and growth of extra care schemes and services for homeless people.
Claire-Louise Owen, Head of Quality & Compliance
Claire-Louise has experience across several sectors, including health, social care and early years education.
This experience has given her a passion to ensure people have access to, and receive, the best possible care and support to meet their individual needs, wishes and choices.
Claire-Louise’s role at emh also includes being the named safeguarding lead and deputy Caldicott guardian, overseeing our use of personal data.
Lesleyann England, Head of Supported Housing - New Homes Delivery
Lesleyann has worked in social housing for almost 30 years. She has experience across multiple sectors, including homelessness, housing management, anti-social behaviour, lettings, supported housing and older people's services.
Lesleyann is passionate about providing service users with good-quality homes, but communities. She works with emh's development team to make sure new supported housing, supported living and extra care schemes meet the needs of the people they're designed for.
Her role also includes ensuring that the voices of both service users and the professionals are taken into account when designing homes to support people's independence.
Karen Birch, Head of Business Development
Karen Birch has over 30 years’ experience in social care, working across operational roles and business development. She has managed a wide range of services, including homelessness, care leavers, mental health, learning disabilities, lone parents and substance misuse.
Seventeen years of her career have been spent in business development, where she has built strong commissioner relationships and led the creation of supported living, supported housing, residential and nursing care, and extra care services.
Karen began her career as a Registered General Nurse in hospitals across Greater Manchester, giving her a strong foundation in person‑centred practice. She is committed to ensuring that the voices of people who use services, and the professionals who support them, shape the design of homes and services that promote independence and wellbeing.