About Us

Michael Mainwaring

Workforce Learning and Development Manager

Michael has overall responsibility for leading a workforce learning and development service that is both responsive and proactive in meeting the current and future needs of the organisation. This includes partnership working and collaboration with other external organisations and the identification of new business opportunities to support the growth and sustainability of the service.

Michael previously worked for an organisation called Change, Grow, Live (formerly CRI) and was the Workforce Learning and Development Lead for all CGL services operating across the North and Midlands Region. Michael was responsible for providing expertise and support to large-scale change programmes including new service implementations, annual training needs analysis and the development and commissioning of training programmes (both face-to-face and eLearning) to meet on-going service needs.

In 2005 Michael gained a Master’s Degree in Public Health and has worked across a number of sectors which include drug and alcohol recovery services and sexual health. This includes substantial front-line experience working with service users and the wider community. This experience has given him an in-depth understanding of the practicalities of service delivery, and a crucial insight into the lives of the people requiring support.

Anne Hawksworth 

Anne Hawksworth joined the CLC Team in July 2019.

Anne has spent just over 27 years working within various departments in several different roles within the Civil Service.  During that time, she became a National Trainer within the Learning and Development section of the National Offender Management Service (as it was known at the time). Anne was involved in developing and delivering mainly Security and Intelligence Courses and is herself a trained Security Intelligence Analyst.

For the past year, Anne has worked for the Charity Commission as part of their Learning and Development Team and is looking forward to working with the CLC Team.

James Cole

James has been training for Sefton for over 15 years. He has overall responsibility for providing First Aid training to Sefton and its partners.  This is enhanced by his 16 years experience working with the Emergency Services.

He is also responsible for Health & Safety training for Sefton and its partners.  This includes Health & Safety, Moving & Handling, Food Safety, Fire Warden training & COSHH.

James provides training in relation to ICT software, including Microsoft Word, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations.  This includes designing and creating E-Learning software to support all of the above software training.

Jonathon Jackson

Jonathan joined the team as a Learning and Development Officer in March 2020. He is responsible for the design and creation of e-Learning solutions and for the development and delivery of Leadership courses.

Jonathan has 33 years’ experience working in a customer centric environment with 21 years’ experience delivering a range of learning and development solutions to adults working in the public and private sectors; to students participating in vocational and leisure courses and to volunteers within a charitable youth organisation.

Having spent 20 years with Sefton, Jonathan transferred to Arvato UK and Ireland, where as part of their UK training team he instigated a Management Development Programme across Arvato’s 4 key UK sites. He developed a range of online content working closely with stakeholders that’s included; Sefton, Slough and Chesterfield Borough Councils; BMW, Renault and the DVLA relating to topics such as GDPR, Compliance, Adult & Child Vulnerability and Anti Money Laundering.

Jonathan is a qualified Adult Tutor with a  City and Guilds 7307 qualification. He also attained a Level 3 Award in First Line Management and a HND in Graphic Design.

Lorraine Akins 

Lorraine joined the Learning and Development Team in July 2014, and holds responsibility for the commissioning, development and delivery of blended learning primarily in the area of Children’s Social Care in Sefton. This can also include delivery to a broader audience in terms of our multi-agency partners, neighboring and wider Local Authorities.

Lorraine qualified as a Social Worker in 2005, initially working with children and their families referred to the Initial Assessment Team in Lancashire, gaining a very broad range of experience in terms of issues impacting upon the safety and welfare of children. This work involved the assessment of children from being unborn to the age of 18, and were identified as being; children in need, children in need of protection, as well as supporting children who were looked after either in foster care, or who were adopted. Her experience also involved court work within private and public child care proceedings.

Lorraine then moved to a Family Support / Locality Team in Sefton in 2010, where she continued to work with children and families in a similar vein.

Prior to this, Lorraine’s background includes having worked as a residential child care worker in Lancashire for some 13 years. The ages of the children then ranged from 5 to 18 years old.

Lorraine also has a degree in politics, and a level 3 qualification in Education and Training.

Louise Kearney

Louise joined the team in July 2004 having previously worked as a Social Worker in the Maghull area office and has responsibility for training that covers the whole council such as Safeguarding Awareness,  Human Trafficking Awareness and Managing Aggressive and Violent Behaviour.

Louise works closely with the Adult Social Care teams and with Sefton Adult Care Providers in Sefton. Louise is the Link Officer for Research in Practice for Adults and is still a registered Social Worker.

Nicola Read 

Nicki joined us as an LDO in June 2022 and is the LDO responsible for developing and delivering training opportunities for professionals who work with children and young people around all aspects of their health and well-being.

Nicki’s previous role involved responsibility for delivering and embedding Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for the Families Programme.  The programme provides support, advice and skills to prevent or de-escalate crisis for workers to teach Parents and Carers skills, knowledge and techniques, so that they are able to be the conduit through which Children and Young People can positively modify their behaviours, responses and maladaptive behaviours.

Nicki has over 17 years’ experience working with Children, Young People and their Families in Liverpool.  This includes in an education setting (11- 18yrs), as a Residential Childcare Worker (11- 17yrs) and a number of roles within Family Support Service (0-18yrs).

Nicki has a degree in Disability Studies and has more recently gained a qualification in Leadership and Managership.

Her Interests out of work include travelling, spending time with family, lots of laughing, and anything food related or crafty!

Rachel Kenny

Rachel joined the team as Learning and Programmes Coordinator in September 2018. She has responsibility for the Assisted and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) and progression for Social Workers as well as student placements and support.

Rachel qualified as a Social Worker in 2007. After qualifying Rachel worked in Education Welfare and then several Substance Misuse Teams with both adults and young people, working with people on Alcohol Treatment Requirements and arranging inpatient rehabilitation. Rachel then worked for 4 years in a generic Adults Social Work Team in Wigan before moving to Sefton where she has spent the last 4 years in a Community Mental Health Team. Rachel is also an Approved Mental Health Professional, Practice Educator and Best Interest Assessor.

Vicki Harrison

Vicki joined the team in October 2018, with over 15 years experience delivering training and personal development opportunities to adults and young people. She has a passion for empowering people and supporting them to be as effective as possible in their role.

She is an experienced systems and soft skills trainer and has worked in local government for over 13 years in a variety of roles. Vicki has a degree in Psychology and a Level 5 qualification in Coaching and Mentoring.

In previous roles she worked for the charity set up by Falklands War hero Simon Weston OBE, working in cities across the UK and Ireland with young people who were not in employment, education or training and as a Development Worker for a women’s group in Knowsley, developing services to reduce poverty in the local community by maximising income for residents.

Vicki is responsible for delivering training on Management Information Systems across the organisation including both children’s and adult’s social care and iCasework.

Outside of work she is passionate about traveling and seeing the world and can usually be found with her head in a travel guide researching and planning her next adventure.

Angela Hiddleston

Learning and Development Administrator Angela has over 33 years Administration experience.

Angela started her career with Royal Sun Alliance and spent over 20 years there in various different roles including Administration Assistant, Personal Assistant and as a Financial Systems Administrator.

Angela joined Sefton Council in June 2007 working within Sefton Equipment Stores.  She then moved into the Corporate Learning Development Unit – this became the Corporate Learning Centre in 2011.

Angela has achieved a NVQ Level 2 and Level 3 in Business Administration through the Apprenticeship Programme. 

Nigel Corrin

Nigel Corrin is our newest member of the team having joined the Learning and Development Workforce Administration Team at the end of June 2022.  

Nigel comes from a strong customer service and sales background with over 20 years managerial experience in the motor trade, working as an Area Manager for Fiat and Alfa Auto UK covering the north of England, before owning his own transport business for 5 years. After retraining, he joined Sefton council in 2021 when he made a move into education, working in a primary school supporting SEND.

Debbie Rayfield

Corporate Apprenticeship Manager

Debbie joined the Workforce Learning and Development Unit in 2016 during a secondment to the team.   During her secondment Debbie was successful in gaining the position of Corporate Apprenticeship Manager in February 2018 and now has responsibility for the day to day apprenticeship programme.   This includes the recruitment of around 60 apprentices into Sefton Council, who will study for a recognized qualification, liaising with training providers to ensure success and giving support where needed.   Debbie’s role includes engaging the existing workforce and encouraging staff to upskill their qualifications via apprenticeship training.

Debbie joined Sefton Council in 1986 where she was in a support role for the Planning Services department dealing with recruitment and personnel support.   Debbie left Planning Services and joined the Business Support Unit in 2001 and later the HR function was moved into the central Personnel Team where Debbie supported Personnel Officers with sickness absence, disciplinary matters etc.   The opportunity for a secondment to Workforce Planning took Debbie out of Personnel and into the Training arena.

On leaving College in 1983 Debbie worked for Merseyside County Council in Liverpool in  the Joint Transportation Unit for two years until leaving for a role with Merseyside Police Authority based in Southport Police Station.

Amanda McNally 

Workforce Planning Support Officer

Amanda graduated from Edge Hill University in 2003 with a Business Management Degree and whilst completing her final year of study she started working with Sefton MBC as a part time Clerical Officer. Upon completion of her degree she was then successful in gaining an Administration Assistant role in Personnel in September 2003; after a short time she was then promoted to CRB Coordinator in April 2004. Whilst undertaking the CRB coordinator role, she had a temporary acting up role as an Assistant Personnel Officer to cover maternity leave and in 2006 was seconded 2 days per week into UNISON to carry out a Union learn Project, which was carried out alongside the CRB coordinator role until 2009.

During a successful Union Learn project, relationships were forged with the Corporate Learning Centre, working alongside Emma Finnigan and the Apprenticeship programme. Upon successful completion of the Union Learn project, Mandy then joined the Corporate Learning and Development team in June 2009, whilst continuing to support the Union Learn project and was awarded Apprenticeship Champion in 2011 by Union learn North West TUC.

Mandy has supported a significant number of learners onto various forms of learning, training and qualifications including Skills for Life (Maths, English and ICT), NVQs and Apprenticeships. Her main role is now to support the recruitment and development of Apprentice’s within the organisation.

Helen Evitt

Workforce Planning Support Officer

Helen qualified as an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) in 1992 and has worked in several large Local Authorities including Leicester City Council, Bristol City Council and Reading Borough Council. She then located back to her northern roots where she was appointed as an EHO at Sefton Council in an enforcement and regulatory capacity.  During her time as an EHO she worked across several disciplines including Pollution, Health Promotion, Food Safety and Health and Safety.

Helen left Sefton in 2015 to take up an opportunity within the private sector as a Health and Safety Advisor. She has always enjoyed developing and coaching people and chose to redirect her career in 2017 towards education and workplace learning.  She has recently worked as a Work Placement Officer at Southport College supporting Traineeship students and those undertaking vocational placements.

Having recently joined the Apprenticeship team at Sefton, Helen is looking forward to working with and supporting Apprentices, as well as sharing her knowledge and experience of working on the front line in customer facing roles.

Bobbie Forshaw

Bobbi graduated from Liverpool John Moores University in 2015 with a degree in Criminal Justice. Whilst studying Bobbi volunteered as a mentor for the Probation Service and completed a Work Based Placement at Phoenix Futures, a therapeutic based rehabilitation service for those suffering from drug and alcohol addiction. 

After gaining experience in a SEN college setting, dealing with complex needs, this led to her completing an Assessor Award, which enabled her to assess occupational competence in the workplace. Bobbi delivered level 2 & 3 frameworks in Business Administration and Customer Service therefore, she has both knowledge and experience of Apprenticeship delivery and requirements.