MEET THE TEAM
The people behind the Care Professional Organisation
We are a small, dedicated team. We are passionate about the care profession and committed to making a difference.
Paul Featherstone - Founder and Chair
Paul founded the Care Professional Organisation in 2016, driven by his own experience working as a carer.
Having worked the long shifts, carried the responsibility, and felt the quiet pride that comes from making a real difference, he knew the sector needed somewhere that understood care from the inside. A place where Care Professionals could be respected, listened to, and supported. That conviction remains at the heart of everything the organisation does.
Liz Blacklock - CEO
Liz is a nurse by background, with nearly 38 years of experience across health and social care in a wide range of roles. She is deeply passionate about ensuring that Care Professionals receive the recognition and respect their work deserves. In 2015, Liz co-founded an award-winning domiciliary care business, in which she remains actively involved, and has also founded a technology product supporting the identification of delirium in care environments.
She stays closely connected to the day-to-day reality of care because, for Liz, that connection matters.
Our office team
Zoe Jones - Operations Officer
Zoe brings first-hand experience of care to her operations role, having previously worked in community care.
She holds an NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care and a degree in Business Studies from the University of Wales Trinity St David. A combination that gives her both a grounded understanding of what Care Professionals face on the ground and the operational knowledge to support the organisation effectively.
Kelly Thomas - DBS Officer
Kelly's background spans both frontline and operational roles in care, giving her a well-rounded understanding of how the sector works in practice.
She holds a Level 3 NVQ in Health and Social Care and is particularly passionate about dignity in care, safeguarding, and building systems that genuinely work for the people they are designed to support.
Lily Thomas - Membership Officer
Lily has a background in healthcare administration, with a focus on supporting Care Professionals through the processes that underpin their work.
She is passionate about making every interaction straightforward and stress-free and takes pride in ensuring that everyone feel supported and valued from the very first point of contact with the organisation.
Our Non-Executive Board
Andy Millbank - NED, Membership & Partnerships
Andy brings over 15 years of direct care experience across a wide range of settings, from older adults and dementia care to mental health and community support.
Andy is also at the forefront of expanding the Care Professional Register. He is the co-founder of DirectCareHub, a platform connecting nurses and carers with care providers, and has co-authored a book on the future of care. He is currently developing a care app designed to make a practical difference for carers and care companies alike.
Dan Archer
Dan's commitment to social care is rooted in personal experience - a family member's encounter with poor quality care that convinced him there had to be a better way. He is a passionate advocate for placing the carer at the centre of quality home care and has dedicated his career to redefining how carers are valued in society.
Dan brings significant expertise in franchising and self-employment and believes that while each individual Care Professional can make a difference, it is through networks and collective structures that real, lasting change becomes possible.
Kay Mumford - Marketing
Kay has almost two decades of marketing experience, with a specialism in the health and social care sector.
Having worked in with a number of organisations in care, she has developed a deep understanding of the sector and a genuine passion for the people working within it. In 2023, Kay founded Splice of Lime, a marketing agency dedicated to building care brands, and joined the Care Professional Organisation shortly after - bringing her expertise in brand building and marketing strategy to the organisation's board.
Sally Young - Safeguarding
Sally has many years of experience managing community care services and brings a first-hand understanding of both the rewards and the very real pressures the profession carries.
Sally has a long history of voluntary service alongside her professional career, and brings that same sense of commitment to her role with the Care Professional Organisation. She has been involved with the Care Professional Register for some time and believes it has real potential to raise the profile of the profession.
Susan Jones - Training & Workforce Development
Sue has been Director of Social Care for the Institute of Health and Social Care Management since September 2023 and has worked in health and social care for the past 11 years.
With a passion for making a career in care aspirational, she has been involved in creating career pathways through the delivery of leadership programmes from early managers to senior leaders.