Meet the team

Meet the Social Partnership Forum team and learn how they work together to discuss, debate and influence workforce policy across the NHS.
Team meeting and collaborating

About the team

The national SPF has co-chairs from the NHS trade unions and NHS Employers. There are also leads from the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England who represent their organisation in Wider and Strategic group meetings.

In addition, the SPF has a supporting team carrying out the day-to-day work of the forum. This ensures that the partnership dialogue continues between formal meetings and agreed outcomes are delivered.

Meet the co-chairs

Headshot of Helga Pile

Helga Pile

UNISON acting head of health

Helga is the trade union chair of the national SPF.

Round headshot of Ben Morrin in a blue suit jacket and white shirt on a plain grey background.

Ben Morrin

Chief Executive

Ben became NHS Employers' chief executive in July 2026. He leads the organisation on all matters relating to workforce policy and practice.

Meet the SPF secretariat

Headshot of Rebecca Smith

Rebecca Smith

Director of Staff Experience and Social Partnerships

Rebecca provides leadership to the SPF team, represents NHS Employers and provides an employer perspective in meetings.

Headshot of Nick Entwistle

Nick Entwistle

Trade Union Secretary, NHS Social Partnership Forum

Nick is responsible for coordinating trade union involvement in NHS social partnership structures.

Headshot of Rabia Nasimi

Rabia Nasimi

Head of NHS Staff Partnerships

Rabia is responsible for supporting ministers, senior officials and the SPF co-chairs in the delivery of the SPF, its meetings and work programme.

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Liv Graves

Staff Experience and Partnership Policy Advisor

Liv arranges and supports the delivery of SPF meetings and the SPF work programme.

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Kate Evans

Head of Office

Kate coordinates input from NHS England into national SPF meetings and work.

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James Shepherd

SPF Programme Manager

James is responsible for the SPF subgroups.

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Nicola Syslo

SPF Programme Officer

Nicola provides administrative and communications support to the SPF.

Melanie Schneider headshot

Mel Schneider

Senior Programme Officer

Mel supports SPF stakeholders in influencing policy development in relation to the NHS workforce.

What we do

Discover the work and aims of the Social Partnership Forum, how we bring partners together to shape policy and improve outcomes.

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