Pictured: Jo Allen

An inspirational healthcare professional, who successfully launched a charity from scratch that eventually had a turnover of nearly £1million and won national awards, has joined Telford-based complex care specialists the Complete Group as Clinical Commissioning Manager.

Jo Allen, an RGN with 32 years experience in high dependency and intensive care units, joins the Complete Group having successfully developed Herefordshire-based Megan Baker House (MBH) from a small local project to a national charity with a turnover of £800,000.

Following her nursing career, she also started her own care and nursing agency which she sold on to a national company.

Jo developed MBH into an award winning charity after seeking conductive education for her daughter Megan who suffered from Cerebral Palsy.

Although Megan died in 2001, she continued to develop the charity including the implementation of a commercial arm in order to maximise income possibilities, and a dedicated training arm that secured contracts throughout the UK.

"The key lesson I learnt through my time at MBH, which I believe is true for all endeavours, is that, the story that really counts is that of service users and their families, the difference great services can make to their lives," she said.

Jo's work with MBH led to the title of Tesco Inspirational Mum of the Year in 2008 and a runner's-up spot in the Clarins Most Dynamisante Woman of the Year awards that year.

As a former Chief Exec of MBH, Jo brings a wealth of financial and business development skills to the role.

"The financial management of Megan Baker House was a critical part of my responsibilities, especially given the challenge of raising funds for a voluntary sector organisation," she said.

"There was particular pressure within this process, given that services were provided free of charge to service users and many of our conductors had relocated with their families from abroad in order to join our service.

"My experience in preparing 'the business case' is demonstrated through the development of Megan Baker House.

"Central to this is the development of relationships with individuals, charities, corporate supporters, statutory funding bodies and influential people.

"It involved negotiating ways in which they would support the charity in order to meet the needs of children and adults with complex care and development needs."

Jo's experience of business development includes the refurbishment of two buildings at MBH, both used as centres for delivering services; the development of sessional services, intensive block placements, parent and child services, hemiplegia, stroke, acquired brain injury, dyspraxia and Parkinson's groups.

As Clinical Commissioning Manager she will work closely with operational and clinical colleagues, internal and external to the business.

Her role is to nurture relationships with much valued existing clients, to develop new business opportunities and build new partnerships.

In starting her new role as Clinical Commissioning Manager, Jo is profoundly aware of the funding challenges that are currently affecting the sector.

She said: "With the significant recent changes in the way funding is managed in the health care sector, I feel it is vital that we work in partnership to ensure that we deliver high quality, client centred and cost effective services, thus ensuring that The Complete Group remains at the forefront of complex home care delivery.

"The current financial circumstances regarding public funding demand a demonstration of value for money as part of process of sustaining services.

"However I have demonstrated this previously through the development and growth of the charitable services provided by MBH.

"The funding provided to pay for these services all required evidence based demonstration of measurable outcomes.

"The ability to quantify value for money in this financial environment is more essential than ever."

Sally Yandle, Complete Group MD, said Jo's sector knowledge and experience of commissioning complex care services made her the outstanding candidate to take on the position.

She said: "Having worked in healthcare throughout her life in all sectors, Jo has a clear understanding of the current health provisions and priorities, the most up-to-date clinical guidance from NICE and contacts with key centres of excellence.

"She has a great appreciation of the current market opportunities, commissioning and procurement with an ability to identify unmet needs in groups of potential service users.

"We are extremely confident that Jo will help to continue Complete Group's progression and development as we look to meet the needs of complex care users in the years to come."