Meet the team

Amanda Healy (DPH Durham County Council) is the current ADPH North East Chair

Amanda took up the role of Director of Public Health in County Durham in May 2017 having previously been DPH in South Tyneside and is committed to improving and protecting the health of residents.  She has worked on reducing health inequalities using an assets approach for over twenty years and plays a key role in understanding the health challenges and positive aspects of health and wellbeing locally. Amanda works in collaboration with a range of partners to develop plans e.g., Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy and has a pivotal part in embedding public health across the local authority, with partners and most importantly with communities.

County Durham is the lead commissioner for Fresh and Balance Northeast. She is chair of the NE Association of Directors of Public Health. She is the lead DPH for tobacco control and chairs the NE Oral Health Group.

She has worked closely with NHS partners for many years and is co-chair of the Integrated Health Board Healthier and Fairer Advisory Group. 

Alongside her role as chair Amanda is also one of two regional representatives for the ADPH UK Council.

Responsibilities of the Chair:

• To chair ADPH North East meetings, including the setting of agendas, approval of actions and management of associated business. This includes supervision of and support to the ADPH North East Network staff team.
• To provide leadership and strategic vision to ADPH North East to enable it to fulfil its core purpose
• To have overall responsibility for directing the work of ADPH North East based on agreed priorities with members and in response to emerging issues
• To maintain a high level of awareness of strategic public health issues affecting the North East region and ADPH North East members
• To develop and maintain strategic relationships, including with: OHID, UKHSA, NHSE/I, and the NENC ICB.
• To ensure that ADPH North East works effectively, with good collaboration between its members, encouraging and supporting the development of partnership working between partner agencies, including any sub-groups or officer networks
• To adhere to confidentiality in respect of ADPH North East or individual member business

Mark Adams (DPH South Tees) is the current ADPH North East Vice Chair

Mark has worked in Public Health since 2010, moving into Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council in 2013 after 20 years in the NHS in finance, commissioning, PFI project management and business development.

Mark became Director of Public Health for Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland on 23 March 2020 – the day of the first UK lockdown.

Alongside his role as vice chair Mark is also one of two regional representatives for the ADPH UK Council.

Responsibilities of the Vice Chair:

• To assist and support the Chair in the provision of leadership to ADPH North East, the management of strategic relationships and direction of the programme
• To chair meetings when the Chair is not present
• To deputise for the Chair as appropriate
• To adhere to confidentiality in respect of ADPH North East or individual member business

Lucy joined ADPH North East in January 2022 as the programme manager for the regional Practice Improvement programme, hosted by Durham County Council.

Lucy has a background in Sustainable Development with over two decades of experience with voluntary and charity sector organisations including; partnership management, community consultation, environmental conservation, community regeneration, energy efficiency, waste management and sustainable transport.

Responsibilities of the Practice Improvement Programme Manager

• Support the ADPH North East Chair with regional working
• Increase regional understanding and connectivity of ADPH North East
• Increase national visibility and connectivity of ADPH North East
• Effective project management of the practice improvement programme
• Support ADPH North East to identify future priorities
• Management of ADPH North East election process
• To adhere to confidentiality in respect of ADPH North East or individual member business

Thelma joined Public Health in March 2020 as Regional Support Officer having previously worked in Senior Administrative roles in Children’s Safeguarding and Durham University. As well as Regional Support Officer, Thelma also manages the Business Support team in Public Health in Durham County Council

Responsibilities of the Regional Support Officer

• Coordinate the ADPH North East Network schedule
• Provide administrative support to ADPH North East
• Ensure that a call for agenda items is circulated to the group at least one week prior to the meeting
• Ensure that the group agenda and papers are circulated at least three working days before the meeting
• Ensure that all ADPH North East action logs are kept up to date
• Create and maintain an electronic register of conflicts and potential conflicts of interest
• To adhere to confidentiality in respect of ADPH North East or individual member business