People: Gordons; Nicholas Associates Group; Weightmans; and more

Leeds and Bradford-based law firm, Gordons, has hired an experienced business regulatory, investigations and corporate defence lawyer as head of its regulatory practice.

Simon Tingle joins from the Leeds office of law firm DLA Piper and has specialised in regulatory matters since qualification.

He has wide ranging experience in advising businesses and individuals subject to investigations, enforcement and prosecutions by numerous bodies.

These include the Police and Crown Prosecution Service; the Environment Agency; Trading Standards; and the Health & Safety Executive.

In addition to health and safety and environmental matters, he has a particular specialism in food, product and consumer law.

He is also a solicitor advocate with rights of audience in the Crown Court.

Tingle said: “Gordons has a longstanding reputation for both delivering excellent commercial advice and having an entrepreneurial environment.

“I am very pleased to be working with like-minded colleagues, and being able to lead a highly capable team which is committed to developing and growing our regulatory practice.

“We will do this by supporting clients to navigate the ever-changing regulatory landscape and assisting them with the increased threat of enforcement and the dramatically increasing consequences of that enforcement.”

Managing partner, Victoria Davey, added: “Simon is an excellent hire for Gordons. He has a long track record of building strong and lasting client relationships and is a proven operator.

“Simon’s retail, logistics and food and drink experience is ideal for a significant number of our clients.

“He has the ambition and ability to significantly grow our regulatory practice and we look forward to supporting him and his team to do so.”

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Recruitment company, Nicholas Associates Group, has strengthened its sales team following the appointment of Jenny Begley as group bid manager.

With a national remit and a central role at the company HQ in Sheffield, she joins the team to fortify the firm’s strategy to increase its stronghold in securing volume contracts with employers in the industrial, engineering, construction, apprenticeship, graduate, and white-collar sectors.

An accredited member of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals, Begley has over 20 years of experience working in senior roles in the recruitment sector as a bid and proposal specialist.

She also successfully led the bid management process for the recruitment of 1,500 employees and volunteers for the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham.

Reporting to group sales director Sunny Singh, she will manage the entire bid and contract renewal process.

Her mandate encompasses managing the complete tender process, from pre-qualification to contract award.

She will co-ordinate and project-manage national stakeholder teams, ensuring the timely delivery of responses for various recruitment solutions including Managed Services, RPO, Total Talent Management and Consultancy.

Singh said: “Jenny and I have previously worked together very successfully, and I have first-hand knowledge of an exceptional bid-to-win ratio.

“Her expertise will undoubtedly benefit the group’s positioning in competitive tender situations.”

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National law firm, Weightmans, has confirmed Ben Troke is its new partner in the regulatory healthcare team in its Leeds office.

Troke, formerly of Hill Dickinson, has 25 years’ experience working as a lawyer in the health and social care sector.

Acting for health and social care providers and commissioners nationwide, including the NHS, Local Authorities, and the private sector, he has been rated as one of the leading Court of Protection lawyers in the country for more than a decade.

He will be working to develop the health advisory practice in Leeds and nationwide, as well as the wider health practice.

Troke said: “I was attracted to join Weightmans by the quality of the practice here, the brilliant reputation for looking after its clients and its people well, and its great potential for further growth.

“I am thrilled to be able to play a part in the firm’s ongoing success.”

Richard Jolly, partner and head of health at Weightmans, said: “This is a significant appointment for the firm, with Ben’s reputation and decades’ worth of experience second to none in the healthcare space.

“Ben is well placed to bring something special to our clients, and I look forward to seeing what his contributions will be in our ambitions to grow the department further over the coming years.”

Troke’s expertise covers issues of consent and mental health and mental capacity/best interests decision making, both for adults and children, as well as wider issues around delayed or disputed discharges, deprivation of liberty, safeguarding, confidentiality and duty of candour.

He is also a qualified mediator, with a particular interest in the use of mediation to resolve medical treatment disputes outside of court.

With a decade of experience of sitting on the clinical ethics committee of a large acute NHS trust, he is a current member of the Law and Ethics Policy Unit of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, and the Mental Health and Disability specialist committee of the Law Society, as well as a research associate to the Essex Autonomy Project.

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A North Yorkshire social care body has added a new member to its Board to strengthen its commitment to workforce and training.

The Independent Care Group (ICG) represents providers across York and North Yorkshire and has confirmed that Claire Barwick is joining its Board of Directors.

She is head of curriculum, health, education and nursing at CU Scarborough and has more than 30 years’ experience in the health and social care sector.

Barwick said: “Joining the ICG board is a huge honour, and I am looking forward to having the opportunity to support the independent and voluntary care industry as they navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead.

“I am hoping I can bring a wealth of experience not only of health and care but also the education and training opportunities and influences that could support the sector going forward.”

Barwick gained extensive experience in the fields of learning disabilities, secure care and community care during her time with the NHS before entering the world of Higher Education.

ICG chair, Mike Padgham, said: “Claire’s years of experience in health and social care added to her expertise in the field of education and training will add extra skills to the board and help us support our members in this area.”

Earlier this year the ICG added a further five new directors to strengthen its Board and add new skills.

Padgham said: “In recent months we have brought more expertise to the table in terms of residential and nursing care, marketing, legal services, supported living, accountancy and now education and training.

“Our members and the hundreds of thousands of people they care for are looking to the ICG to provide strong leadership at this challenging time for social care.

“With a newly-revitalised Board we can do that and can step up our campaigning activity to make a difference to social care in our region and across the country.”

The other new directors are: John Russell, director at Holt Retirement of Hutton Buscel; Lizzie Hancock, managing director and owner of Fulford Nursing Home; Jill Baker, marketing manager with Hempsons solicitors in Harrogate; Paul McCay, CEO of Wilf Ward Trust in Pickering and Aaron Padgham, a director with Saint Cecilia’s Care Group in Scarborough.