Independent Chair, Maxine Lomax
I was born and raised within Greater Manchester and moved to Scotland in 1982 after leaving university with a History and Community Studies degree. I trained as a Registered Mental Health Nurse, while living in Scotland and qualified in 1989. I moved to Bury, with my husband in 1990 and have lived here since then. We have two sons who were born, raised, and educated in Bury. I qualified as health visitor in 1998 and, after a short period in Lancashire, began working, in Bury, in 2000. I remained working within the NHS in Bury until my retirement in 2020. I worked initially as a heath visitor and in 2006 began working, within the health economy, as a safeguarding lead. During my last years before retirement, I was the Designated Nurse for Child Protection and Looked after Children and the Deputy Director of Nursing for NHS Bury Clinical Commissioning Group. I continue to work for the NHS as clinical lead three sessions per month. I am proud to have worked for the NHS is excess of 36 years.
I completed my Masters degree in Comparative Safeguarding at Salford University in 2014 and bring to the role as Interim Chair, a wide experience of working, at a strategic and front line level, in safeguarding. I was a member of the Local Safeguarding Children's Board in Bury, and in 2020/2021, I was also a member of the Manchester Safeguarding Partnership. I have chaired a wide range of meetings and Boards, including as a Chair of Governors for a local school and the Mental Health Programme Board in Bury in 2022.
I am pleased to take up the role of interim Chair of the Bury Safeguarding Partnership at a time of change. Working with the officers of the three statutory organisation, the Local Authority, the Greater Manchester Police and GM NHS Integrated Care System, along with wider partners, there is an opportunity to build n the years of good work, to ensure the safeguarding systems in Bury protect the most vulnerable in the borough.