Cheshire and Merseyside is benefiting from a talented group of Health Protection practitioners working on behalf of the subregion’s nine local authorities, within the Champs Support Team.
Many of these colleagues were originally working within Cheshire and Merseyside’s Contact Tracing Hub for Complex Cases, a joint venture with Public Health England (now the UK Health Security Agency) and joined the Champs Support Team following the closure of the Hub.
The sub-team works on a number of Health Protection duties and projects, including supporting with vaccine tracing, onboarding of IT software, working on the subregion’s contingency plan and much more.
These colleagues supported by Lucy Hill, Programme Manager for Contact Tracing in the Champs Support Team. Find out more about them below…
Meet the team
Name: Dannielle Goulding
Role: Advanced Public Health Practitioner – Health Protection
About you: I am a specialist public health nurse and registered general nurse. I have also worked for the UK Health Security Agency as a team leader within the Cheshire and Merseyside Hub and have been part of COVID-19 response since March 2020. I also supported Wirral’s schools’ COVID-19 helpline and work for Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust as Contact Tracing team leader.
Why you’re passionate about working in Health Protection: I am passionate about empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their health choices.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Walking my dog and running
Name: Caroline Lean
Role: Public Health Practitioner – Health Protection
About you: I have a BSc in Dental Hygiene and Therapy and I am currently studying at the University of Liverpool to gain a Bachelor of Dental Surgery qualification. I have previously worked for the NHS Professionals Test and Trace programme and the Cheshire and Merseyside Hub.
Why you’re passionate about working in Health Protection: I believe it is important for the public to be provided with accurate information on topics such as infectious diseases and vaccinations. By communicating key messages to the public, they are then able to make an autonomous decision based on facts, not misinformation. I enjoy working with individuals and empowering them to set goals for their health and wellbeing.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I enjoy keeping fit with yoga and squash. I also enjoy cooking and spending quality time with friends and family.
Name: Laura Gledhill
Role: Public Health Practitioner – Health Protection
About you: I qualified as a veterinary surgeon in 2009 and worked in clinical practice both in the UK and developing countries. In 2015 I undertook a Master’s in Immunology of Infectious Diseases and from here spent two years working for the Civil Service licencing drugs for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). I recently completed a Welcome Trust funded MPhil in Immunology at the University of Liverpool before beginning work for the Cheshire and Merseyside Hub as a contact tracer in July 2020 and joining the Champs Support Team in May 2022.
Why you’re passionate about working in Health Protection: Working in developing countries with very little access to any form of medical care or health education has made me appreciate the value of access to medical care and health protection. I am passionate about infectious diseases and ensuring equality in access to medical care and health education through accurate and easy to access resources.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? During my spare time I enjoy swimming, travelling and scuba diving.
Name: Lee Gulwell
Role: Public Health Practitioner- Health Protection
About you: I’ve been working within Health and Social Care for over seven years. In that time, I have worked with adults, children, and young people. I qualified as a drama therapist (MA) in 2019. I also have an NVQ Level 3 in Childcare. I started working as a Contact Tracer in June 2020 and moved to the Cheshire and Merseyside Hub. I am currently completing my Master Classes in Public Health and aim to commence my Public Health Practitioner portfolio in the near future. Additionally, I offer training sessions within mental health and child development.
Why you’re passionate about working in Health Protection: My passion is making a positive impact on people’s lives. I’m also passionate about making connections and understanding people. Working in Health Protection allows me to achieve those goals.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? One of my core values is family and I enjoy spending quality time with family and friends. I enjoy cooking and baking (although I need to lay off the cakes!). I like going for walks, reading, going out for meals, going to the theatre and concerts. Moreover, I believe it’s important to ensure I spend time focusing on myself, whether that be going to the gym or meditating.
Name: Melissa McCarthy
Role: Public Health Practitioner- Health Protection
About you: I have worked in healthcare for over 15 years within the Dental sector. I work three days clinical as a Dental Hygiene Therapist alongside this role.
Why you’re passionate about working in Health Protection: Working in public health protection allows me to help and reach more people in a different way.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I enjoy spending time with my 17-month old son Louie, my husband and two miniature Dachshunds Minnie and Mabel. I also enjoy pilates, yoga and long walks.
Name: Kate Walker-Springett
Role: Public Health Practitioner- Health Protection
About Me: I am a human physiotherapist and have worked in a variety of NHS roles as well as in academia both in a teaching and research capacity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I started working as part of the National Contact Tracing team but moved to the Cheshire and Merseyside Hub when it was created. As well as being part of the Vaccine Tracing Team in the Champs Support Team, I went back to university in September 2021 to study Veterinary Medicine and Surgery at Nottingham Vet School, following my lifelong dream to become a vet.
Why I am passionate about working in Health Protection: I’m passionate about working in health protection having seen first-hand the impact of preventable diseases on people’s lives and wellbeing. To me, health protection is the key to improving quality of life and reducing the impact of disease and I am keen to empower people to make small changes that will have significant positive effect on their lives and that of their families too.
What I enjoy doing in my spare time: In my spare time I enjoy walking my two border collies, Pi and Indy, as well as doing agility and scent work with them. My husband and I enjoy camping and love finding beautiful parts of the UK to explore.