2017 ASM - Prof Simon Brake

Professor Simon Brake BA (hons), MPA, FIHM Chief Officer, Walsall Clinical Commissioning Group Background Simon has been qualified since July 1995, having graduated from the University of Warwick, and gained his professional membership of the IHM (the Institute of Healthcare Management) in 1996, appointed a fellow of the IHM (by Assessment) in 2004, and a Masters of Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Warwick (2007) and a Post Graduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution Studies (2008) from Coventry University, and holds visiting academic professorships at the University of Warwick & Coventry University.

Simon has worked in a variety of general and senior management roles across health and social care, within the National Health Service in hospitals, commissioning, and central government policy until 2006, then as a senior officer for Coventry City Council and for the past 2 years as a chief officer working in primary and community care across the NHS for Coventry & Rugby. Since April 2017, Simon has been working as Chief Officer for Walsall CCG. Brief Biography Simon is a health service and local government chief officer, having worked in the field in a variety of roles at local, sub-regional, regional and national levels for the past twenty years. After graduating from the University of Warwick with a degree in Politics with Intercalated Studies, Simon trained as general manager in the National Health Service, and has worked as an operational general manager in several acute hospitals, as a specialist health commissioner on a regional and national level, and as a civil servant in the national Department of Health. Simon has also completed an MPA (Masters in Public Administration) at the University of Warwick, an ERASMUS year at the Sciences-Po Bordeaux, France, as well as completing post graduate studies in conflict resolution. Working with clinical colleagues, Simon led the transformation of maternity and neonatal services across the West Midlands whilst commissioning specialist services for children from 2002 - 2006, and from 2006 – late 2014, worked in local government, leading an uppertier/unitary council for Public Safety & Housing, Health, Resilience, Libraries, Information and Advice and Adult Education. In addition, he supported elected members in reducing inequalities and improving services for residents of the city, responding to and delivering the significant reductions in funding for local government and scrutinising and overseeing the city's health services and chairing the local Coventry Citizen's Advice Bureau, managing a staff of some 900 and an annual budget of approximately £24 million. Finally, Simon also led adult serious case reviews, represented the City Council within a number of health structures, sat on the board of the city's 2 CCG clinical leadership teams, Arden Urgent and Emergency Care forum, the West Midlands LRF, and currently sits as a member of the West Midlands Clinical Senate Council and is a vice chair of the Senate Council. In his current role, since 2017, as Chief Officer for Walsall CCG, Simon is strategically and managerially responsible for leading the commissioning and planning of health and care services for the population of Walsall (280,000 people) with a commissioning budget of £460m PA. In his previous role, as Director of Primary Care for Coventry & Rugby’s CCG and Chief Executive of the GP Federation, Simon led on primary care development, and the establishment and growth of a GP federation and primary care provider for the Coventry & Rugby as its Chief Executive, as well as leading the successful application for a significant Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund programme. Simon regularly participates in national policy working groups and workshops, leading and exploring new policy directions within the changing landscape of NHS, social care and broader policy. Simon holds visiting Professorships at the University of Warwick Medical School & Warwick Manufacturing Group’s institute for Digital Healthcare, as well as Coventry University’s school of Health & Life Sciences, teaching and working on a variety of degree courses, university committees and research projects. Simon is also Chair of the Coventry Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) and has led, working nationally and regionally, on the housing, care & welcoming of Syrian Refugees to Coventry. Finally, Simon enjoys singing in choirs (to a not quite but almost professional standard), working as a local churchwarden, skiing, spending time with his wife and sixteen year old daughter, as well as watching as many movies as he can. April 2017