Leadership team

Jonathan is motivated by a deep commitment to support people to have control over their lives. As founding Chief Executive, Jonathan brings this drive and determination to his role leading VoiceAbility’s work across the UK. 

Jonathan established VoiceAbility in 2010 by bringing together Advocacy Partners, which he had led since 1998, with Speaking Up, an award-winning social enterprise. 

Jonathan’s earlier career, in the late 1980s and through the 1990s, included worked as a care worker and in supporting the early development of individual budgets and self-directed support in social care. 

In addition to delivering improvements to practice and models of support, Jonathan also has expertise in shaping national practice and policy. In 2018, he was Chair of the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Guideline Committee for development of the 2018 service model for people with learning disability and behaviour that challenges.

Jonathan chaired the board of SHP, the Single Homeless Project, a leading provider of support and housing services for people who are at risk of social exclusion, from 2003 to 2019. He ensured effective governance to steer the organisation’s transformation to serve people with the most complex needs, and to greatly increase its positive impact on people’s lives. 

Jonathan has played a crucial role in legal reform to improve people’s rights and the control they have over their lives, including work to shape the Care Act (2014) and mental capacity legislation. 

In March 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Jonathan set up a network of advocacy organisations, where those in leadership roles came together to share challenges, solutions, and best practice, as well as to jointly influence policy changes that impact on people who draw on advocacy support. The network continues to thrive and is now a vibrant community focused on pushing advocacy forward. 

Jonathan is responsible for the overall leadership of VoiceAbility, making sure that we have a clear strategy, provide quality support, and are constantly striving to ensure that people have a voice when it matters most. 

“Throughout my personal and professional life, I have seen first-hand the difference it makes when people are heard and have real control over life decisions. That’s what motivates me every day to lead VoiceAbility, whether that be shaping our strategy, meeting with people who draw on our services, our staff and volunteers to understand their day-to-day experience, or sharing insights and working jointly with external organisations. But most of all, it’s why I know that it’s so important that VoiceAbility is here to support people to be heard.” 

Sam joined VoiceAbility as Director of HR in June 2017 and later became Director or Operations and People, before his latest role in the leadership team as Chief Operating Officer since October 2021. 

Before joining VoiceAbility, Sam was Vice Principal at Oldham College, where he provided HR and organisational development leadership for a complex multi-site workforce. He brings a strong commercial understanding from his senior roles in Tesco and a very clear commitment to our aims, together with the drive to help us to achieve what we’re here to do.

Sam’s remit covers leadership of our operations and service delivery, business development, marketing and influencing. 

“I see this role as an exciting opportunity to embed the ​‘value our people’ part of our strategy and to help us improve how we work together. I want to make sure this leads to more impactful outcomes for people using our services.”

Richard joined VoiceAbility in January 2017 as our Director of Finance and since October 2021 has been our Chief Finance Officer. Richard has a wealth of experience gained across a number of sectors including charity, and, before joining VoiceAbility, was the Commercial Operations Director of an animal conservation charity. 

As our Chief Finance Officer his role includes keeping the organisation compliant with financial, company, charity and data protection laws and regulations and making sure the organisation has the financial and systems resources required to deliver its mission, now and into the future

“I am passionate about seeing see everyone valued and empowered and able to live life to the full. I’m proud to work with an organisation that works with and helps people to overcome obstacles and constraints, and to take control over their lives.”