Quality and Contract Management Team
About the Quality and Contract management team
The Quality and Contract management team has 2 key objectives:
Quality advice and support to providers promoting quality standards and requirements of regulators and Devon County Council.
Contract monitoring and management of contractual obligations and compliance.
If you would like to contact the team please email – qualitycontract-mailbox@devon.gov.uk , to learn more about the team see here
Steve Blandford
Senior Manager – Quality and Contract Management Team
Steve has over 36 years’ experience in social care across finance, strategic planning, performance management, quality assurance and contract management.
Annette Hammett
Senior QAIT Officer (South and West Devon)
Annette has worked in the private, social enterprise, public and Health and Social Care sectors for nearly 40 years at ‘floor to board’ levels, including Executive Operations Director and an Expert by Experience CQC Inspector for GP Practices and Urgent Care Providers. Annette’s passion is to heighten awareness of Governance and Quality Assurance to improve safety and standards within Health and Social Care sector to support and protect the most vulnerable in our society.
Family is the most important thing to Annette, spending time with her sons and their growing families. Outside of work, Annette and her husband enjoy travelling and hope to continue ticking off their travel destination bucket list!
Sandie Graham
Senior QAIT officer (North and East Devon)
Sandie has worked in health and social care for over 26 years within both strategic change and operational management. She also has a wealth of experience in the delivery of care services and the management of these. Sandi is enthusiastic in supporting providers in setting up quality assurance systems and be a sounding board for creativity and CQC compliance.
Jules Shanbury
Contracts and Business Relations Manager
I began working for Devon County Council in October 2017 within the Adults Commissioning and Health Team; firstly, with Dom Care provision and then Extra Care Housing.
Since February 2024 I have taken over the contractual management responsibilities of all Adult Social Care providers, including Dom Care, Extra Care Housing, Care Homes, Supported Living, Enabling and Day Services.
Having worked both in the private sector in manufacturing and in various roles within the NHS, I bring a varied experience to support the passion I have for working with individuals and organisations who really make a positive difference to people.
My team and I are working with colleagues across the council and our providers, monitoring contract compliance and supporting the market to the deliver care to the residents of Devon.
Lisa Pullin
Tactical Provider Support - Senior Officer
Lisa has over 20 years’ experience in Adult Social Cara, predominantly in Domiciliary Care, including Quality Assurance in both the public and private sector.
Whilst working at DCC Lisa has supported provider Quality Assurance, provided Covid outbreak response, worked collaboratively with NHS teams to support hospital discharge initiative and currently has a focus on provider contract compliance.
David Rainbow
Tactical Provider Support - Senior Officer
Dave supports with project implementation and Contract Management across Adult
Social Care Services
Dave for 6 years has worked in the field of adult social care, specialising in governance,
quality assurance and improvement. More recently leading on adult social care improvement projects and contract management development.
Before joining Devon County Council, Dave was the Learning and Development Manager at Hospiscare, a charity in Exeter. Where he had a passion for empowering the workforce with the skills and knowledge required to deliver exceptional end-of-life care.
Prior to this Dave has spent over 10 years working for a Herefordshire council delivery on various projects.
April Dunbar
QAIT Officer (South and West Devon)
April has worked in for Adult Social Care for over 25 years and has experience of working across Care Homes and Domiciliary services in both the private and public sector.
April is one of Devon County Council’s Well-being Supporters.
Debi Tilcock
QAIT Officer (South and West Devon)
Debi has worked in Health and Social Care for over 30 years as a General and Paediatric nurse, post 16 college lecturer and teacher/trainer_ She has also been a registered manager in care homes for people living with a dementia, which is where her passion lies. Her work as a care consultant prior to joining DCC in 2013 included turn-around and crisis management.
Debi has considerable experience in implementing quality assurance and quality management systems in care homes and enjoys working collaboratively — and creatively – with providers, managers, and colleagues in finding ways to support and achieve safe, quality care for vulnerable people.
Claire Wreford
QAIT Officer (East and North Devon)
Claire has worked in adult health and social care for over 20 years and has experience of working across the health and social care and the private sector. Prior to joining the DCC QAIT, Claire managed an NHS urgent community response team.
Claire enjoys supporting providers across a variety of subjects such as quality assurance systems and processes, problem solving and documentation.
Claire is one of DCCs Health and Wellbeing supporters.
Jodie Martin
Contracts and Business Relations Officer (North and East)
I joined the Local Authority in 2004 and have worked within Care Management Teams covering North Devon, mainly as a Social Care Assessor. I enjoyed supporting people to remain living well at home by carrying out assessments and support planning in line with the Care Act.
I joined the Quality Contracts Management Team in August 2024. My role as a Contracts and Business Relations Officer is to support providers, monitoring contract obligations and ensuring safe effective care is being provided to meet individual needs.
I look forward to working collaboratively with providers to meet the changing needs of our local communities and vulnerable people in Devon. You can contact me on 01392 380813 or email jodie.martin@devon.gov.uk
Maria Macallister
Quality Assurance & Improvement Officer
Maria has worked for Devon County Council in Adult Social Care since 2016.
She has worked in a variety of positions including The Strategic Commissioning Team with a focus on engagement and communication with our provider market.
Before joining Devon County Council Maria worked in Local Authority schools as well as in the private sector where she worked with consultants and other professionals to implement and monitor quality assurance systems and processes.
Maria enjoys working collaboratively with Providers, Managers, and the wider workforce promoting quality assurance to achieve safe, good quality care in Devon.
Steve Merchant
QAIT Officer (North and East Devon)
Steve has over 10 years of experience of working within the Adult Health and Social Care Sector. This incorporates arranging support, assessing for, and commissioning care, project work, Safeguarding and Quality Assurance and Improvement.
Steve primarily covers the Northern and Eastern areas of the County. He works with providers on a range of issues including creating Service Improvement and Action plans, establishing Quality Assurance systems and refining Care and Support.
Emily Brookman
QAIT Nurse - South Devon (currently on Maternity leave)
Emily is a Registered Nurse (ADULT BSc Hons) whose nursing career started in the acute sector, specifically in Colorectal Surgery & Gastroenterology and Trauma & Orthopaedics.
Emily moved into the Health and Social Care sector working in a Nursing Home with both Nursing patients and those living with advanced Dementia as Clinical Lead/unit Manager of the Advanced Dementia.
Emily joined DCC QAIT in 2020.
Anita Sharland
QAIT Occupational Therapist (South Devon)
Anita qualified in 2003 and has had several roles over this time including in managerial positions. Anita has experience in a variety of specialities, including acute neuro, trauma/elective, orthopaedics, social care, intermediate care, rheumatology, stroke rehab, brain and spinal injury and general elderly care.
In addition to her QAIT role Anita is involved in a Falls Pilot and teaching Community Post Falls. Anita has a keen interest in Mental Capacity Assessments and is a Train the Trainer in Moving and Handling and Risk Assessment.
Kerry Spencer
Business Support Officer
Kerry has worked in different sectors within the council such as Children’s Services and Adult Social Care. Prior to this Kerry worked for six years in the private healthcare sector.
Kerry likes to keep her social care knowledge current by attending webinars, seminars and training sessions which assists providing the best possible support to herself and her team.
Jody Hooker
Contracts and Business Relations Officer (East Devon)
My role as a Contracts Officer is to support Adult Care providers in the community monitoring contract compliance and ensuring the services they provide are delivered effectively and meet the needs of the people who require care and support.
I have experience in both the private and public sector and my most recent role was part of the Social Care Reablement team, a DCC in house service supporting people to regain their independence in a person-centred manner.
I am looking forward to working with providers and ensuring the quality of the care provided in Devon is of the highest level possible. You can contact me on 01392 388081 or email: jody.hooker@devon.gov.uk
Becky Sanders
Contracts and Business Relations Officer (North, South and West Devon)
As a Contracts and Business Relations Offices I work with Providers and DCC Colleagues to support the Domiciliary Care and Extra Care Markets across Devon. Working alongside my Colleague Jody Hooker we work to support providers through a range of challenges and always have a listening ear for our Provider Market. Having worked for Devon County Council for nearly 20 years I have a range of experience of working in Partnership with a range of organisations from the Private, Statutory and Voluntary Sectors across Children and Adults Services.
Jeremy Smyth
Contracts and Business Relations Officer (North Devon)
I have worked for the local authority for over 18 years and started my employment in Charging for Care, assessing how much individuals would contribute towards their care, assisting with benefit information, and explaining to operational colleagues the regulations for charging.
After 10 years I jointed the Complex Hospital Discharge Team based at the RD&E Hospital as a Social Care Assessor helping individuals and families at a critical time. I was joint working with health and social care staff and discharged individuals from the hospital to their own homes, places for rehab, or a residential/nursing home.
I joined the Market Management Team in 2021 supporting care homes, monitoring their contractual obligations, and looking at the market capacity. Following a restructure, the team is now called the “Quality Contract Management Team.”
My working days are Monday – Wednesday.
Kathryn Gilbert
Contracts and Business Relations Officer (South and West Devon)
As a Contracts & Business Relations Officer I support Care Home providers in South and West Devon, monitoring contract compliance and ensuring the services they provide are delivered effectively and meet the needs of the people who require care and support.
I have worked in social care for 20+ years in the voluntary statutory and public sectors. Before that I worked in the private sector in Finance. Please see my LinkedIn profile if you would like to know more.
You can contact me on 01392 382412 or email kathryn.gilbert@devon.gov.uk
Dean Wall
Contracts and Business Relations Officer (East Devon)
My Role as a Contracts Officer is to support Care Home providers. My initial focus will be on the Eastern area. I will be monitoring contract compliance, ensuring services provided are delivered effectively, meeting the needs of the people and to support colleagues in market development.
I have worked in Adult Social Care for 9 years, mainly as a Social Care Assessor. Prior to this I have worked with and supported young people under the age of 18.
I joined the Market Management Team in 2021 and look forward working with you all to ensure we continue to enhance our services for the people of Devon.
Darren Ketteringham
Contracts and Business Relations Officer
Darren supports the Quality and Market Management functions of the council by providing data and reports relating to supply and demand of services across multiple sectors, but predominately the personal care market. Additionally, he develops and maintains the personal care referral system used by AST.
Darren has worked for Devon County Council for seven years, initially working in the Brokerage team before moving to the current role approximately five years ago.
Alison Snell
Contracts and Business Relations Officer (South and West)
I joined the Local Authority in 2009 and I have worked within Adult Social care in the Arranging Support Team Brokerage covering Direct Payments, Bed based Care, Domiciliary and Enabling Care. Prior to this I have enjoyed a very broad variety of roles within the private sector across Scientific Publishing to the Sports Health Fitness Sector.
I joined the Quality Contracts Management Team in August 2024. My role as a Contracts and Business Relations Officer is to support providers, monitoring contract obligations and ensure safe effective care is being provided to meet individual needs.