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Ann was appointed to the board of the Social Care Institute for Excellence in January 2007. Ann is a leading Disability Rights and Equalities Consultant, focusing on health and social care as it affects older people. She specialises in Independent Living and Direct Payments and has been involved in the Disabled Peoples' Movement in the UK for many years.
She is currently working with the Older People’s programme on the issues of ‘Voice, Choice and Control’. Ann is a consultant for the National Centre for Independent Living, an 'Expert by Experience' for the Commission for Social Care Inspection and works with the Social Care Institute of Excellence on Projects as well as being on the Commission for Equalities and Human Rights Age Reference Group.
She is well recognised in the local community for her voluntary sector commitment and has roles within Disability and Health Organisations. She received her MBE for her involvement in disability issues and her work with disabled people nationally and internationally.
James Purnell was appointed Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in January 2008 following the resignation of Peter Hain.
He was previously Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, a position he took in June 2007, as part of Gordon Brown's first Cabinet. Prior to this, he was Minister of State for Pensions Reform at the Department of Work and Pensions.
Previously, he had been Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport since May 2005, and, before this, Parliamentary Private Secretary to Ruth Kelly MP in the Cabinet Office. He joined the Government as Assistant Whip in December 2004.
Before entering Parliament in 2001, he was Head of Corporate Planning at the BBC (1995-1997) and then worked as a special adviser on culture, media, sport and the knowledge economy for the then Prime Minister Tony Blair, from 1997 to 2001. He was born in 1970 in London and went to university at Balliol College, Oxford.
Paul is the Director of Policy and Services, responsible for leading the policy and lobbying work at Disability Alliance. Previously, he worked as policy officer at Lasa and as a welfare rights worker for Child Poverty Action Group. He currently chairs the Social Security Consortium and is a leading member of the Disability Benefits Consortium.
His work has covered a range of policy issues including the current welfare reforms, particularly in relation to incapacity benefit reform. He has also highlighted the need for independent advice provision across London, child poverty issues and Legal Services Commission contracting.
Julia became disabled 15 years ago and is a full time wheelchair user. She is married with a twelve year old son in Chelmsford, Essex. She works part time as a Health and Social Care Consultant and is currently working with Local Authorities and Government Departments to help implement Self Direct Support. As well as her paid work Julia is involved in several voluntary roles, including membership of Department of Health’s Individual Budgets Reference Group and CSCI’s Standing Reference Group.
Julia was a trustee of Disabled Parents Network for four years prior to her returning to paid work and during this time she set up and ran their national helpline. Prior to her current role, Julia was a founder Director of Liberation Partnership, a Social Enterprise supporting people onto Personal Budgets. And prior to this she managed the Direct Payment Support Service for Essex Coalition of Disabled People. Julia was a Direct Payment user for ten years and has been on Individual Budgets for two years.
