Pluss Leadership Team - the people who drive Pluss
Pictured (from left, clockwise) Tom Bromwich, Martin Davies, Robert Fairbairn, Colin Slow, Paul Love, Cheryl Lewis, David Honeybill.
Martin Davies - Chief Executive Officer
Many, many years ago I left school at the age of 15 and found employment through the Youth Employment Scheme (YTS) as a labourer with a local building company. The economy in South Wales was not particularly buoyant in the mid '70s but I was fortunate enough to get an apprenticeship in carpentry with the same employer. Living proof that job creation can work!
Working on a building site was a great introduction to the 'university of life' but I also got to attend the local technical college! Unfortunately the economy in South Wales was in an even worse state by the late '70s and when the company went into liquidation I spent 6 months 'on the dole'. A real taste of life on benefit and the soul destroying feeling of failure.
However, after many unsuccessful applications, I talked myself through an interview for a Highways Technician with the Local Authority, a place where I got hooked on the technical aspects of construction but also became part of an environment which encouraged personal development through further education, which saw me leaving employment to return to full time education and gaining my Bsc in Civil Engineering.
The continuing economic woes of the valleys saw me moving to the South East and ultimately my new home in East Devon to build my career and bring up my family.
As a career I can heartily recommend Civil Engineering as you do not only get involved in the technical aspects, it also gives a great grounding in most managerial, financial and corporate aspects of business.
A move to the supported employment sector some 14 years ago was prompted by my involvement in the voluntary sector within a befriending scheme for people with learning disabilities. A great experience where I had to deal with many pre-conceptions and personal hang ups.
Returning to the public sector there were many challenges to be faced within the sector and I have been fortunate to be able to be involved in the development of Pluss from its conception into what is now one of the leading Social Enterprises in the Country.
Working within the supported employment sector allows you to meet many passionate and dedicated people, no more so than within the British Association for Supported Employment (BASE) of which I can proudly boast to be the co-founder and for many years, Vice Chair.
Success in any field is often down to building effective partnerships, a recognition of which is at the heart of Pluss' Company values. I am therefore really pleased that Pluss is currently involved in the creation of a new initiative - Disability Works UK, a partnership between the leading national disability organisations in the country. As interim Chair of this new Company I see Disability Works UK as exciting opportunity to further our shared values and principals as well as promoting the Pluss Vision.
As Managing Director of Pluss I work in a Company with people who share my passion and commitment to equality and fairness, and although maybe not every day is a pleasure, most certainly are!
Paul Love - Chief Operating and Financial Officer
After graduating from Bath University with an Economics degree, I started working for the Audit Commission and qualified as an Accountant in 1993.
The Audit Commission was a great place to train, and gave me a very wide exposure to public service delivery within health and local government. I spent eight years with the Audit Commission across three locations (North-East, Yorkshire and the South West) before moving into the emerging housing transfer sector in 1998.
I am proud to say that I helped create and establish the first LSVT housing association in Devon. Decent homes for all - like employment - is a key building block in giving individuals confidence to play full and active roles in their local communities.
The creation of Pluss in 2005 as a new independent Company interested me. I’d really enjoyed my previous experiences with start up ventures, and having a daughter with Down’s Syndrome gave me an added impetus to get involved.
I feel privileged that Pluss gave me the opportunity to be their first Finance Director, and in this role I also oversee HR, ICT and Property Services. The creation of efficient and effective support services in a start up company is always a challenging one, but is definitely made easier when the team around you is passionate, committed and driven to make things work.
Part of what makes Pluss great is their desire to “capacity build” and support other organisations in the Social Enterprise sector. As a non-executive, I am encouraged and supported by the Board to serve as Chair (Designate) of West Devon Homes and sit on the Board of Social Firms UK.
Outside of work, I’m still trying to play tennis competitively and I get to the wonderful Drum Theatre in Plymouth as much as possible to take in new writing. Web streaming also allows me to see Armagh GAA football and keep in touch with my north of Ireland roots.
The pace of change at Pluss continues to excite me, and it’s a pleasure to be part of a young growing company that has high social impact.
David Honeybill - Head of Operations (South)
My first job was as a Food Inspector in Gibraltar working with “typhoid suspect” corned beef. On returning to the UK I had a variety of jobs from tinned fruit and vegetables to plastics. After working in the plastics industry, I decided to take redundancy and have six months off to look at what I wanted to do next. During this time, I helped build our local cricket club pavilion, so I was kept busy.
I then tried to get back into the job market which was not easy, but eventually I moved into supported employment in Gloucestershire which was a whole new world - after six months I was hooked. The passion and the commitment in the industry was incredible and it was all over the country, but it was obvious that some modernisation needed to happen. A catalyst to this modernisation was the British Association for Supported Employment where I currently sit on the National Executive Committee and am secretary of BASE South West.
After 16 years in Gloucestershire, I needed a new challenge but still wanted the addiction of supported employment.
Three years ago I was fortunate enough to join Pluss and a host of good people who I respect and enjoy working with.
The enthusiasm of Pluss staff is best shown at the BASE conferences where they get involved in workshops, network with other organisations, debate the topics of the day - and enjoy themselves!
In my spare time, I have been fortunate to be a football director and travelled the world playing cricket
My motto is that if you cannot make your colleagues smile you need to find a new job!
Robert Fairbairn - Head of Operations (North)
After a summer job working for a construction firm in my native Yorkshire tipping over industrial sized concrete mixers and getting brick acid in my eyes, I opted to seek employment in an office. Starting in the local Treasury Department I worked in both Audit and Accountancy.
My first experience of supported employment was 13 years ago at the supported business in Bradford. Whilst there I fortunate enough to meet some very talented people. The best disability awareness training you could ever have and although the arguments about segregated employment haunt this part of the sector there were some great personal stories.
Since joining Pluss I have been fortunate enough to work with Supported Employment specialists to develop our own progressive Intermediate Labour Market model.
I have represented the British Association for Supported Employment at an executive level and worked closely with DWP, for a time being seconded to the department to look at contracting for the Supported Business sector nationally.
I qualified with a Diploma in Management Studies from Bradford School of Management and am also a qualified marketeer (Chartered Institute of Marketing).
Cheryl Lewis - Head of People and Performance
I am very pleased to be working for Pluss’ as part of its leadership team, taking forward its ambitions and contributing to its success.
I have got to know Pluss well over the last few years, having worked with the organisation in a self employed capacity since its move from within the three local authorities to a social enterprise. I am committed to its values of social justice, equality and opportunity for all.
My first job was for Derbyshire County Council, in the Treasurer’s Department. I have since worked predominantly in Local Government, mostly in Education and Social Services Departments, where I learnt a lot about delivering high quality services for people. I have a degree in Applied Social Science and a Masters degree I completed with the Open University.
In 1998 I moved to Devon and worked for Plymouth City Council in their policy department, before becoming self employed and working independently for a number of organisations. During this period, I ran a range of business support services including project management and facilitation skills. This work was mostly with the voluntary and not for profit sector. One of those organisations was Pluss, and after a number of years, I applied for and was fortunate to get the job I now have.
It is important to me to work for an organisation that wants to make a positive difference to people’s lives – and hopefully to enjoy the job along the way! I am looking forward to making both of these happen in my role with Pluss.
Colin Slow - Head of DWP Programmes
After leaving college I started work as a telephone engineer, driving a green Morris 1000 van, mending peoples’ phones, climbing up telegraph poles and working in telephone exchanges.
A few career changes later, at the age of 24, I was a front seat passenger in a head-on collision, and ended up in Stoke Mandeville hospital with a spinal injury. I left there almost a year later as a wheelchair user.
I spent the next few years coming to terms with how my life would be from then on which included setting off to New Zealand with a round-the-world ticket. I met my wife, grew a family and went to university for 4 years as a mature student studying philosophy and mathematical logic.
I found it impossible to find anyone to employ me so, for the next 15 years or so I was self employed, initially as a financial adviser and mortgage broker and then as a cabinet maker. Being self employed is the best way to understand business and the commercial world; if you don’t make money you won’t survive.
In 2000 we moved down to live in the West Country when my wife became ill and that’s when I saw a job advertised as an Employment Co-ordinator with ISG (Pluss' old name!). Applying for a proper job was really daunting but I felt that my first hand experience of disability and the barriers it imposes was a significant strength. I was totally surprised when I was offered the job.
Since then I haven’t looked back; I have moved up through the Pluss ranks to become a member of PLT. I feel privileged and very proud to be able to help people with disabilities find and sustain employment. I always challenge discrimination whenever I encounter it because I know that having a disability has nothing whatsoever to do with someone’s value to society.
Tom Bromwich - Head of Operations (Devon and Cornwall)
Hello, I am the Head of Operations for Devon and Cornwall. I manage services for people with learning disabilities and mental health issues, I also look after our Enterprise departments throughout Devon and Cornwall.
I was born in Coventry in the West Midlands and I am actually Tom Bromwich the 7th! It is a tradition in our family that the first son is named Thomas Joseph. I am married and have two grown up sons.
My early career was spent in procurement and I have a professional qualification in this field. I worked for Coventry Climax who were world famous at the time for making engines for Lotus racing cars. I also worked for JCB responsible for procurement for their transmissions manufacturing. I then went on to operations and general management.
I joined Pluss in 2001 to project manage an ESF project called STEPS. Since that time I have not looked back and this period in my life was quite a transition. I always felt there was more to corporate life than profit alone and I was very pleased to be involved in the development of Pluss’ Social Value concept. I completed a degree in Psychology in 2005 which I am very proud of as I am particularly interested in people.
In my spare time I go to the gym, I enjoy the theatre particularly opera. I am a member of a mutual wine society and enjoy selecting wines from their list and drinking them, of course!
Working for Pluss is always challenging, especially in the current environment, but if we all constantly keep our vision - to inspire people of all abilities to achieve a career - in mind, we will continue to be successful.
Geraldine Scott-Smith - Marketing Manager
(Not part of Pluss Leadership Team - but the person behind this website!)
Hi. I am Pluss’ Marketing Manager and am responsible for Pluss’ marketing communications.
I joined Pluss in 2001, as a Job Coach and I have worked my way up ever since. I have worked with disabled people all my working life in both the public, private and third sector - including a 2 year secondment to the British Association for Supported Employment. I graduated from Brunel University in 1994 with a BSc (hons) in Applied Social Sciences and then qualified in Marketing at the University of Plymouth in 2005.
I love my job at Pluss with a passion - every day I meet customers who tell me how earning a wage has changed their life, made them feel good and given them real autonomy and control. Yes.... its a great job!
Couple this with being a Mum to two young children (2 and 4 years) and it makes for a very busy and fulfilling life!
Although I don’t sit on PLT, I wanted to make myself known as I am the person behind this website and all of Pluss’ social media – if you have an idea, a story to tell or think we can improve - I would love to hear from you directly!
Contact me on Geraldine.scott-smith@pluss.org.uk
