August 5, 2024

Meet our new CEO, Jill Sheldrake

A few months ago, the people we support made a video about what they wanted to see from our next CEO. What they told us became part of the list of things we looked at when we interviewed the people who applied for the job. Things like being kind and caring, listening to the voices of people we support, showing empathy and getting involved were top of the list. Well, we’re very excited to let you know that we’ve found just the person for the job. The brilliant Jill Sheldrake MBE is going to be our next chief executive when Lesley, who’s our current CEO, takes semi-retirement later this year.

Jill’s got 30 years of experience in social care and education, and she’s also a qualified social worker. She knows what’s important to us when it comes to giving people top-notch support, and she’s super passionate about making sure the people we support have a voice and a choice in how they’re supported.

Jill’s currently working at another charity called Together Trust as service director and deputy CEO, looking after 47 different services that support both adults and children. In 2016, Jill was given a shiny MBE for her services to children, which is pretty special, and shows just how much she’s given to supporting people.

Jill’s just as chuffed to be joining us as we are to have her as our next CEO: ‘I’m so excited to be part of PSS, an organisation I’ve admired for a long time. PSS has a brilliant reputation for giving people fantastic support, and it has a warm, person-centred culture where people work together and care about what they do. I’d like to thank Lesley for her outstanding leadership, which has laid a solid foundation for us to keep growing from. I’m looking forward to working with our team, partners and people we support to carry on making our services better and our impact bigger. Together, we’ll make sure that PSS stays a strong pillar of strength and support in our communities.’

Julie Cooke, PSS’s Chair of Trustees was in charge of recruiting a new chief executive for PSS. She said: ‘Jill’s an excellent choice for PSS. Her understanding of PSS and all that we do stood out to us from the beginning. Jill will be a brilliant role model, an inclusive leader and will challenge how we do things to make sure we’re around for future generations to come.  She’s clearly someone who will relish the PSS culture and she’s going to do great things with us. We’re delighted she’ll be at the helm when Lesley takes semi-retirement.

Lesley has been an incredible leader, well-respected by everyone at PSS and beyond. She’s created a happy, growing organisation that is forward-thinking, puts the people it supports at the centre of everything, and provides life-changing support to thousands of people. We’re very sad to see her go, but we know it’s the right time for her. I’d like to say a huge thank you to Lesley for all she’s done at PSS: she should be so proud of everything she’s achieved and we wish her all the very best in her retirement.’

After almost 15 years at PSS, current CEO Lesley Dixon is taking semi-retirement in September to spend more time at her York home with her family. Talking about her time at PSS and how she feels about Jill taking over, she said: ‘I’ve truly loved working at PSS. It’s fed my soul from the beginning in so many ways, and after 14 years, I still feel as inspired and proud of the work we do as I did on my first day – and I’m confident Jill will feel the same way as its next CEO. The people I’ve met, the stories they’ve told me about their experiences in life, and the ways our work has supported them will stay with me forever. I’m so pleased the PSS Board has appointed Jill to be my successor: I’m pleased for the organisation, because I think Jill will lead it brilliantly; I’m pleased for Jill, because this is the best job ever and she’ll get to work with the most big-hearted, committed and brave people who are willing to go the extra mile for others every day; and I’m pleased personally, because I’m leaving PSS knowing it’s in the best hands.’

Lesley leaves PSS in September, with directors Sharon Edwards and Harriet Michael-Phillips leading the organisation for three months until Jill takes over as CEO in January.