Meet the board

Dave Appleton: Director of Nursing

I am pleased to be joining ISL as a Director of Nursing. I am a Registered Mental Health Nurse and I have worked within the NHS for 30 years, initially as a care assistant working on inpatient Wards where I realised my passion to work in this area. This led to me training as a mental health nurse with me qualifying in 2004. Over this period of time I have worked in clinical roles as a senior clinician but also within Senior operational roles where my portfolio covered inpatient and Crisis services.  I am an advocate for those experiencing mental health issues and am keen to work to address stigma and ensure that people receive support when they require it.

I have worked closely with partners across Cheshire and Mersey including the Integrated Care Board (ICB) and  Local Authorities to develop services that support people at the right time in the most effective way based on their needs. In addition to this I am keen to support staff to be the best that they can be so that they are empowered to deliver the support required to the people we serve. I look forward to continuing this work in my role within ISL moving forward.

Zoe Young: Director of Central Services

I joined ISL with over 8 years’ experience in finance, housing and management, this included liaison with educational boards, overseeing housing options for international students, supporting their diverse needs and managing the administration and finance details attached to this. I am passionate about people and these roles gave me the opportunity to support others practically and realise that passion.

Since joining ISL I have taken a lead of the strategic management of the central services team, embracing development opportunities and supporting the business in realising its potential around staff wellbeing, recruitment and retention.  As part of the ISL Board I am responsible for ensuring the central services department adequately meets the needs of the operational teams and continually evolves to meet new challenges.

My values are important to me, and I’m proud to be part of an organisation and team that empowers others, drives innovation, challenges the status quo, and makes a real difference in our communities.

Andrea Roach: Director of Operations

I have been working in the Health and Social Care Sector for over 30 years, working in different roles from a support worker, progressing through the management tiers, this has given me valuable insight into the expectations and challenges of each role.

I have extensive experience of senior management overseeing services for people with a Learning Disability and Mental Health needs across the North West of England, which has included leading on CQC inspections for regulated services. I have worked with many Local Authorities and Integrated care boards (ICB’s) to develop services to meet the needs of their local area, delivering a range of tailored service models that support individuals to develop skills, independence and vocation.

As the newly appointed Director of Operations, I look forward to demonstrating my passion for developing teams to achieve outcomes with people that bring opportunities to life.  I have a clear focus not only on compliance but on quality and believe in always striving to improve. I am committed to support being tailored around each person supported, to deliver true person-centred support in everything we do.

Sarah Bull: Director of Finance

I support ISL as the Director of Finance. I’ve been working in the health and social care sector for over 15 years, originally working in mental health services after finishing my psychology degree.

Since starting as a support worker my passion for this type of work has never changed and I have worked across a number of different services and with individuals of all needs and abilities. My focus remains centred on creating and delivering services that can really impact on individuals and the people around them, winning regional and national awards for ensuring this becomes a reality. I see each day as an opportunity for myself and my colleagues to support our teams in delivering the very best services in the places people call their home.

Dave Young: Chief Executive and Co-Founder

Starting as a support worker over 20 years ago I am now the Chief Executive of ISL, holding overall responsibility for making sure services deliver what people need. Previously being on the front line and progressing through the management tiers has given me a valuable insight into all parts of service delivery, enabling me to support teams to deliver quality services and positive outcomes for our clients.

I am values driven and volunteer for organisations when I can to make sure that even though I am now in a senior position I never lose sight of what’s important, current and where our main focus should be. I have delivered a number of initiatives to create opportunities for people we provide services to, I believe that even in these challenging times we should not accept less and collectively work towards perfection to ensure we are always striving to do things better. ISL will provide choices and not options wherever possible.