Welcoming Dave Appleton as Director of Nursing

We’re pleased to welcome Dave Appleton to Independence Support as our new Director of Nursing.

Dave brings over 30 years of experience working within the NHS, having started his career in 1994 as a support worker before qualifying as a Mental Health Nurse in 2004.

Throughout his career, he has worked across a wide range of mental health services, including psychiatric intensive care, acute inpatient services, crisis and home treatment teams, rehabilitation services, low secure services, eating disorder services, psychiatric liaison and community mental health provision.

Dave has held both senior clinical and operational leadership roles and brings a deep understanding of the pressures facing mental health services across the health and social care system.

Having previously worked closely with ISL during his NHS career, Dave joins the organisation with a strong understanding of our services and values. He has seen first-hand the role ISL plays in supporting the NHS through admission avoidance, step-down pathways and person-centred community-based support.

Commenting on joining ISL, Dave said:

“Throughout my NHS career, I have worked closely with ISL to develop services that help reduce pressure across mental health services. My experience of ISL is that it offers a vital safety valve for the NHS at a time of increasing demand and complexity.

ISL is an organisation with strong values, high standards, and an innovative approach to improving people’s experiences and outcomes. These principles align closely with my own clinical and personal values, and I am really pleased to be joining the organisation.”

In his role as Director of Nursing, Dave will focus on strengthening clinical leadership and governance, supporting high standards of care across services, and continuing to build strong partnerships across health and social care. His early priorities include exploring opportunities for closer system working to help reduce pressures across the sector, in line with national ambitions for integrated care.

Internally, Dave is passionate about supporting and developing staff. He is keen to be visible across services, act as a mentor to colleagues, and ensure clinical excellence is balanced with the realities of operational delivery.

We’re delighted to welcome Dave to ISL and look forward to the positive impact his leadership will have for the people we support, our staff teams, and our partners.