Meet the Team

Our senior management team have many years of combined mental health and social care experience. They lead by example and are often found at our services themselves, helping our multi-disciplinary and support teams with the day-to-day running of the service or supporting activities. Here are some of the friendly faces you’ll see when you visit Northern Healthcare.

directors sitting around a table

Our Directors

  • Headshot Nicola
    Nicola Forshaw
    CEO

    Nicola has over thirty years of senior leadership experience and has an in-depth understanding of the intricacies of the Health and Social Care sector. She has a strong record in leading sustainable growth and transforming operational performance across adult and children’s services.

    A leader with a passion for delivering the highest possible quality services, she has dedicated her career to improving outcomes for service users. During her career, Nicola has developed considerable skills and expertise in leading successful teams across a range of areas including the delivery of residential care homes, supported living environments, mental health, learning disability and autism services.

    Committed to managing successful, effective teams and fostering a culture of empathy, integrity, and continuous improvement across all levels of organisations ensuring the highest standards of care and support is a key focus of her leadership.

  • Dawn Headshot
    Dawn Cropper
    Chief Operating Officer

    Dawn Cropper is a highly qualified Health and Social Care professional with extensive experience across a range of complex mental health settings. Her background spans forensic mental health, dual diagnosis, substance misuse, mental health rehabilitation, crisis resolution and home treatment, primary care mental health, and patient flow management.

    In her current role as Chief Operating Officer (COO), Dawn brings strategic insight and resilience to the development and delivery of complex projects. She excels in leading service transformation, driving quality improvement, and innovation. Her collaborative approach enables teams to build strong networks that engage the workforce and enhance performance and outcomes for the people they support.

    Dawn is also a qualified CBT Therapist, Nurse Prescriber, and a specialist advisor to the Care Quality Commission (CQC), having contributed to numerous inspections nationwide. Her clinical expertise and regulatory knowledge make her a respected leader in shaping and improving mental health services.

  • Dan Headshot
    Daniel Flaherty
    Chief Financial Officer

    Daniel has over twenty years of finance experience within the NHS and health care settings. He is a multifaceted finance professional specialising in financial accounting, planning and cash management. Daniel has also undertaken roles within finance systems, management accounts, governance and project accounting.

    Daniel has a BA Hons in Accountancy and is highly skilled in a wide range of finance and accounting packages. As a highly experienced manager, Daniel has played a key part in the development and restructuring of a number of financial accounting departments including numerous process and system implementations.

  • Sarah Headshot
    Sarah Colling
    People Director

    Sarah brings over thirteen years of experience in Senior HR leadership within the Health and Social Care industry. Her proven track record of strategic HR management, coupled with her extensive expertise in employee engagement, development, and well-being, make her an outstanding addition to our Executive Leadership Team.

    With the entirety of her career spent in the care sector, Sarah is passionate about employee wellbeing and supporting teams to be the best they can be within their roles, through quality training, engagement and support, to enable them to thrive within their roles to provide the best quality of care to those that live with us.

    In her spare time, Sarah loves fitness and especially running, she is a proud mum of two wonderful children who keep her hands full.

If you have an enquiry about our services, please get in touch with our team.

Contact us

Senior Team

  • Asmah Headshot
    Asmah Memon
    Head of Operations

    My name is Asmah Memon and I have a MSc Hons in Psychology and Level 5 in Health and Social Care. I started my career in health and social care as a part-time Support Worker whilst I studied at university.

    I have over 16 years’ experience of working in various roles within Health and Social Care settings such as residential homes, supported living and domiciliary care. Extensive knowledge and experience of working with individuals with learning disabilities, autism, acquired brain injury, and mental health. I have also gained a lot of my experience through voluntary work. I joined Northern Healthcare in October 2022 as a Regional Operations Manager. My priorities are always to ensure the delivery of consistently high-quality support within our services, and to provide leadership that offers coaching and guidance for our teams by creating an environment where they can thrive.

  • Becky Headshot
    Rebecca Gibson
    Marketing Manager

    I joined Northern Healthcare in 2019 as the Marketing Manager within the Commercial team, bringing over 14 years of experience across various industries. Eight years ago, I discovered my passion for the healthcare sector, and it has been the most rewarding journey ever since.

    There is something truly special about marketing in adult health and social care. Being able to share the recovery journeys of the people we support, celebrate the incredible team at Northern Healthcare, and advocate for mental health is both inspiring and an honour.

    As Northern Healthcare continues to grow, we remain committed to helping more people access the support they need. It’s an exciting time to be part of a company that not only upholds strong values but also transforms lives.

    I’m incredibly proud to work for an organisation that promotes a positive culture, empowers its team, and makes a real difference – both to the people we support and to those who dedicate their careers to this vital work.

  • Jo Headshot
    Jo Willis
    Head of Quality and Compliance

    My name is Jo Willis and I am a Registered Mental Health Nurse. I began my career in mental health as a Health Care Assistant and have worked in Acute, PICU and Rehabilitation services within both Adult and Children Sectors.

    I spent 17 years working in hospital healthcare settings before moving into the community and joining NHC at the start of 2022. I have experience managing complex secure units and commissioning of new services. I have also acted as a Regulatory Inspector of hospitals and specialist CAMHS Inpatient advisor. I am a school governor of a local primary school which provides specialist support for children with complex learning difficulties.

    I am passionate about mental health awareness, reducing the stigmas associated with mental illness and ensuring the most vulnerable people in our society live fulfilled and enriched lives in safe and caring environments.

  • Sharon Headshot
    Sharon Gee
    Senior HR Business Partner

    I’ve always had an interest in HR and decided to take the plunge and change my career direction in 2008 when I enrolled at night school to study for my Certificate in Personnel Practice at Bury College. I then went on to do the CIPD Leadership & Management degree and finished with my MSc in Human Resource Management, both from the University of Salford. Working full-time whilst studying allowed me to not only gain the theory-based knowledge but also the valuable hands-on experience needed to progress in HR. I eventually moved into a HR role within the Mental Health industry and have never looked back.

    I started working for NHC in April 2019 and have loved every minute of it. There are always days which are more challenging than others but knowing that what we are doing as a team is making a difference to people’s lives makes it all worthwhile. In my role, I get the best of both worlds, I get to travel around the sites meeting staff and residents which is great and I also get to spend the rest of my time working as part of the Head Office team in Eccles.

    It’s exciting to be part of the NHC team and to be a part of it as we grow and develop. I am especially pleased with the way NHC embraces development and promotion from within. We are PROUD to have Service Managers who started out as Support Workers with NHC and worked their way up.

  • Robyn Headshot
    Robyn White
    Finance Manager

    I started my career in 2017 as an apprentice in an accountancy practice in Buckinghamshire whilst attending evening college to gain my AAT Qualification before continuing to train towards ACCA when I moved North in 2021.

    I have over 17 years of finance and management experience in various industries, including Year-End, Tax and Audit, construction, hospitality, and education. NHC may be my first step into healthcare but transferable knowledge from other sectors has allowed me to embrace this new role whilst learning new things.

    I initially joined Northern Healthcare in May 2024 on a contract basis as their interim Finance Manager to cover maternity leave, however after seeing and being part of the wonderful work they do, the values that Northern Healthcare have holds personal meaning and I look forward to continuing my career with them and being part of the team.

  • Amanda Jones Headshot
    Amanda Jones
    Executive Assistant

    I joined Northern Healthcare in 2023, bringing over 25 years of experience in administrative support across the law, property, and marketing sectors, specialising in organisational management, planning and client relations.

    I am the Executive Assistant to the CEO and Directors and work closely with the team to ensure their schedules run smoothly and efficiently.  I am also involved in strategic planning sessions, project coordination/management, and various administrative tasks.

    I have a passion for understanding mental health and learning ways to maintain overall well-being and I am committed to promoting mental wellness both in my personal life and within the workplace.

    From the moment I joined NHC, I was welcomed into a supportive and collaborative environment where every team member’s contribution is vital to our shared mission of providing the very best support for the people in our services.  Seeing the progress made by the people we support and hearing their stories of transformation is incredibly fulfilling and reinforces my commitment to our work.

  • Bianca Headshot
    Bianca Aylwin
    Regional Operations Manager

    My name is Bianca Aylwin, I have a Diploma in Higher Education in Social Work and Social Policy and Level 5 in Leadership and Management in Health and Social Care.

    I have over 23 years of experience working in the sector with the last 16 years dedicated to management roles in a variety of settings, nursing homes, residential homes, supported living and domiciliary care. This has given me extensive knowledge and experience of working with people who are living with enduring mental health illness, autism and learning disabilities alongside the effective leadership and management of teams.

    I initially joined Northern Healthcare in 2021 as a Service Manager and gradually progressed to the role of Regional Operations Manager where I prioritise the best possible outcomes for the people we support in our services, to the highest standards. I have a real passion for safeguarding the people we support to ensure that they live safe and happy lives.

    I am proud to be part of a team where there is a strong emphasis on demonstrating our values and promoting staff wellbeing and very much look forward to our journey to outstanding as we grow and develop as an organisation.

  • Sophie Thomas Headshot
    Sophie Thomas
    Mental Health Lead

    My name is Sophie Thomas and I am a Registered Mental Health Nurse. I began my career studying Psychology and Counselling and gained a BSc Hons. Following this study, I knew that my vocation was to work within the mental health field and I went on to study to become a mental health nurse.

    I spent 10 years working within hospital healthcare settings and have gained experience in acute, rehabilitation, forensic and drug and alcohol sectors before moving into the community and joining NHC in October 2022. I initially started as an assessment practitioner completing assessments for people moving into our services and started the role of Mental Health Lead in April 2023.

    I’m proud to be a part of the NHC team and I am passionate about our services and supporting the teams to deliver high-quality care and support to people within our services.

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