Our Board

Our Board

Vice Chair, Fiona Barber

Fiona has spent over 40 years working in the public and voluntary sectors across the East Midlands and at national level, with experience in health, social care, public safety and regulatory issues.

Currently she works with Leicester City Council as an Independent Member of their Standards Committee and as a Co-opted Trustee with the Royal Air Forces Association, leading on the provision of Wellbeing.

Fiona’s’ first career was policing, particularly operational command, and on retirement she moved into the voluntary sector working as a Director of Services and sitting on a number of groups aimed at developing services for people primarily over 50.

For a number of years, she brought external strategic perspective and challenge to NHS England as a member of the Primary Care Strategic Oversight Group and also the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group.

Portfolio area: Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny – County

Kash Bhayani

Kash’s’ motivation to get involved at Healthwatch stems from his keen interest in the history, heritage and future of Leicester and Leicestershire, to ensure a high quality of life for its residents. His board level experience is both as Chair and Secretary in voluntary sector organisations. 

Kash’s early career was in social care in various settings and client groups including problems with drink, drugs, offending and mental health. Later, he worked with Police Forces around England and Wales conducting psychometric testing and behavioural assessments in scenario based exercises. In recent years his area of interest is Linguistic Psychology in therapy and coaching.

Portfolio area: Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny – City

Amanda Bland

Amanda is proud to be a Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOS) trained Registered Sick Children's Nurse  and came to Leicester as a GOS student to complete the Registered General Nurse part of her training over forty years ago and has lived locally since. 

She has a wealth of clinical and managerial experience in Health and Social Care with 20 years experience in quality improvement across provider and commissioner organisations and in NHS England and the CQC. Patients and Users have always been at the center of her work. 

She holds a Masters Degree in Quality and Service Improvement in Healthcare with her final thesis based around patient and public involvement and as a Board Member strives to ensure that every one who wants to speak about their health or social care experience is heard.

Portfolio area: Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) 

Linda Deazle

Linda is a local person, born and raised in Leicester. Linda’s work experience has been in the social care sector (adults and children) and youth work. Linda has experience of supporting vulnerable individuals to access health services and is a strong advocate of promoting the voices of the marginalised. Linda has a commitment to equality and welcomes the opportunity to be influential in helping to improve our local services.

Portfolio area: Mental Health

Andrea Scigliano

Andy was a former Bilingual Secretary and Customer Relations Manager for a large, international toy company before becoming a Languages Teacher and Senior Leader in education.  In 2012, she became a self-employed Educational Consultant working as a Primary Programme Manager – teaching Cambridgeshire trainee teachers to teach – whilst being a QA Tutor with University of Bedford and Language Tutor for “Teach First”.

Andy has lived in Leicestershire since 1983 and has over 40 years’ volunteering experience in various roles. She is a member of her surgery’s PPG and represents the group at Hinckley & Bosworth PCN meetings.  Finally, she’s an Independent Custody Visitor with Leicestershire Police (checking up on detainees’ health and well-being whilst in custody) and is a Lead Volunteer Advocate with the Royal Osteoporosis Society. Andy loves to make a difference!

Portfolio area: Learning Disabilities