Council

CSP Council identifies and agrees CSP policy and strategy. The work of Council is supported by two standing committees - the Industrial Relations Committee and the Practice and Development Committee - and a number of sub committees and working groups.

Council meeting dates for 2013 are on Wednesday 20 March, 19 June, 18 September and 11 December.

Key roles on Council are now held by:

• Dr Helena Johnson (chair)
• Sue Rees (vice-chair)
• Sue England (treasurer)

Country boards

The Society has three country boards for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. These each operate as a large committee, drawing their membership from a wide range of interested constituencies in their area. The prime function of the boards is to act as the first line of contact between Council, its committees and the membership. As all branches send at least one representative to board meetings, there is also a channel of communication with the entire membership at branch level.

English regional networks

To respond to recent changes in health care in England, the Society has now introduced regional networks to facilitate new ways of working. Each CSP regional network covers an NHS Strategic Health Authority (SHA) region. Funded and supported by the CSP centrally, the new English networks have now replaced the old regional boards.

For more on the national and regional operation of the CSP, see the Nations & Regions section of this website.

Council profiles

Chair of Council Dr Helena Johnson

Chair of Council, Dr Helena Johnson (right) currently works in higher education, leading a team of physiotherapists, who deliver on pre-and post-registration physiotherapy programmes.

Helena has experience as an external examiner on physiotherapy programmes at 4 other institutions, experience as an external panel member/advisor on pre and post-qualifying physiotherapy programmes in the UK and abroad. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Her present research interests focus on continuing professional development, and she has presented her research at national and international conferences. Prior to the move to higher education in 1998, Helena was employed for over 20 years in the NHS, specialising in community paediatrics, and promoting inclusive education.

Helena was a member of Northern and Yorkshire Board from 1999 to 2008, alternate to Council 2007-8, NE rep to Council 2008-9, Educator rep on Council since 2009, vice chair of Council 2009-11, and elected chair in October 2011. And as chair of Council, she is also a member of the Allied Health Professions Federation (AHPF). She was elected to sit on the Education Matters Working Group of the European Region of the World Confederation of Physical Therapy (ER-WCPT) in June 2012.

Follow Helena on Twitter - @CSPchair - or find out more via her profile on the York St John University website: w3.yorksj.ac.uk.

Council vice chair Sue Rees

Council vice-chair Sue Rees (left) works in the NHS as a Senior Manager in a University Health Board in Wales. She has represented physiotherapy on a number of steering and advisory groups at national level and is a former Chair of LAMPS. Sue has been re-elected to serve her 2nd term of office as an NHS directly elected representative to Council. Prior to this she was the alternative Welsh Board representative. During this period she has been an active member and contributor to a number of committees and working groups including the Strategy Working Group, Management Group, and the Industrial Relations Committee.

As vice-chair, Sue is keen to assist the chair and Council in its representation of members, and support of them, in the promotion of physiotherapy, the benefits it provides to patients, and the formulation and delivery of the strategy to and for members. Her knowledge and experience of clinical care, service delivery and strategic awareness equip her to do this, together with her enthusiasm for promoting the profession and in general.

Council treasurer Sue England

Sue England (right) works in private practice in Warwickshire and has been re-elected to serve a second term representing the independent private sector. She has been a member of several CSP committees and working groups for a number of years and has served on Council for the last four.

As treasurer, she is keen to ensure the Society is managed as efficiently as possible while delivering its strategic priorities to all members and external parties including patients. Her knowledge of both service delivery and the value of high level clinical skills to influence stakeholders on the value of investing in physiotherapy as part of programme of care will be a great asset to this key role.