Rosie Hodgson-Whittle - Hospital Manager

Rosie joined Cygnet Appletree as a preceptor nurse after she qualified with a First Class Honours as a registered Mental Health Nurse in 2017. She has diverse clinical experience and a passion for delivering outstanding care for a wide variety of patients and their families.

In 2022, Rosie received a distinction in a Level 3 Team Leader Apprenticeship and she strives for high quality standards for patient care and coming together as a team in providing these standards. She is currently in the middle of a Level 5 Operations/Departmental Manager apprenticeship.

She has presented in a number of forums such as the Cygnet’s Quality Improvement (QI) Conference 2024 and Cygnet Annual Nursing Conference 2024 to present a quality improvement project that implemented on the use of the 7Cs Tool, how the site went about the project and what impact this had on everyone involved.

Rosie was a finalist in the Cygnet Nursing Awards 2024 for Nurse Education. This award recognises an outstanding Registered Nurse who has made a significant difference to the development and/or delivery of high-quality education to those who deliver health care via the use of innovative teaching methods to maximise learning.

Rosie was appointed Clinical Manager in 2023 before later being appointed as Hospital Manager.

Victoria Taylor – Clinical Manager

Victoria qualified as registered nurse in 2009 and has worked in a variety of roles. She joined Cygnet Appletree as a Clinical Team Leader and was appointed as Clinical Manager in 2024.

Victoria is known to be highly passionate about supporting students and staff to develop their own skills and knowledge, and has also been involved with induction of new staff to the team. She works hard to ensure high standards of care are delivered, maintained and improved.

Victoria is thoroughly committed to promoting a positive image of people with learning disabilities and mental health issues and highly driven in leading a team that provides an excellent standard of care.

Dr Asem Karrar - Consultant Psychiatrist (Pippin Ward)

Dr Asem Karrar has been working as a Consultant Psychiatrist with Cygnet Health Care since April 2024. He obtained his primary medical qualification MB BS in 1994. Prior to joining Cygnet, Dr Karrar was working as inpatient and community consultant Psychiatrist in general adult with TEWV NHS Foundation Trust for where he started his tanning in 2001. He passed DCP and completed his specialist training competency CESR in General Adult Psychiatry with special interest neurodevelopmental disorders.

Dr Karrar has a special interest in medical education and training. He was SAS tutor doctors and CESR tutor in TEWV medical education faculty. He is a dedicated, honest and hardworking clinician and always aim to have service users driven interventions in their journey to recovery.

Dr Mahathir Chan - Consultant Psychiatrist (Bramley Ward)

Dr Mahathir Chan is a General Adult Psychiatry consultant with a subspecialisation in Liaison Psychiatry. After completing his medical training at the University of Edinburgh, Dr Chan went on to undertake his core psychiatry training in the Southeast of Scotland Deanery, and subsequently furthered his higher psychiatry training in the Northeast of England Deanery. Following completion of training, he has worked as a Consultant Psychiatrist in the NHS since 2017, primarily within the adult working age acute in-patient sector.

Dr Chan first moved to Cygnet Health Care in October 2022. He is a dedicated consultant who strives to provide good clinical care, providing optimal and evidence-based treatment, and collaborating with both patients and relatives/ carers alike to support in their journey to recovery. He is committed to effective multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary working with the various services and agencies at the interface.

For his efforts in clinical excellence, Dr Chan was shortlisted for the Consultant of the Year Award at the National Annual Cygnet Psychiatric Conference for the consecutive years of 2023 and 2024. Dr Chan also has a keen interest in education and imparting his knowledge. Over the years he has supported with the career development of young Psychiatric Trainees and Specialty Doctors in the region, and is a regular examiner for the annual Royal College of Psychiatrists’ CASC examinations.

Dr Iboh Afolabi – Specialty Doctor

Iboh works as a Specialty doctor at Cygnet Appletree. She has been practicing as a Medical Doctor since 2007, where she has gained vast experience in providing outpatient and inpatient mental health care services to both children and adults.

She had her first Medical Degree in Nigeria, and she also has fellowship with West Africa College of Physician (Family Medicine). She has a MSc Degree in Occupational Health, Safety and Environment (Distinction) from the University of Birmingham where she carried out research centred on psychological hazards in the workplace which was awarded a runner up prize by IOSH in 2014.

She has a particular interest in the psychological wellbeing of both adults and children as it is one of the fundamental basis of an individual’s likelihood to live healthier and longer lives.

Dr Emmanuel Etuk - Specialty Doctor

Emmanuel works as a specialty doctor with Cygnet Appletree. He obtained his primary medical qualification in 2013 and has worked as a general medical officer, including selfless services with INGOs in the northeast of Nigeria supporting areas affected by insurgence crises, both as a senior medical officer and a medical team manager.

Prior to joining Cygnet in Appletree, he has taken some short-term roles in acute psychiatry wards, neurorehabilitation, and with the community mental health team. To further consolidate his knowledge, he is actively completing a Masters degree in clinical psychiatry with South Wales University. Dr. Etuk is keen on growing his knowledge in psychiatry and specialising in the near future in this field to improve his quality of service provision within the team to his clients and their families.

Takudzwa Ushe – Ward Manager (Pippin Ward)

Taku has been qualified as a nurse since 2015. Working across the NHS and independent sector, she has gained valuable experience across a wide range of roles, including staff nurse, clinical team leader, and now ward manager. Taku has also worked with various Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) across the country, enhancing her expertise in coordinating care and ensuring high-quality services across different regions.

Taku particularly enjoys working with adults with learning disabilities and mental health issues, especially those with challenging behaviours, forensic needs, personality disorders, self-harm, autism, and enduring mental health problems. Since joining Cygnet, Taku has worked as Team Leader and Ward Manager, managing PICU secure female/male services.

Kelly Curtis – Ward Manager (Bramley Ward)

Kelly is a highly motivated, quality driven Registered Mental Health Nurse with four years' experience within PICU and acute settings. She started working at Cygnet Appletree in 2020 as a Staff Nurse initially, progressing to Clinical Team Leader in 2022 and now is in her substantive post as a Ward Manager.

She is a caring and reliable person with a reputation for building a great rapport with colleagues, patients, and their families. Committed to delivering high quality care and improving patient satisfaction. She is known to act with integrity and with the best interests of patients while adhering to policies and procedures.

Kelly is committed to supporting others to cope and respond successfully to work challenges, resulting in more engaged and motivated staff with high levels of well-being.

Dr Samuel Parker - Clinical Psychologist and Regional Lead for Psychology North East Region

Sam qualified as a Clinical Psychologist in 2017, completing his professional doctorate at University College London. His career in mental health has spanned working across various settings since 2012. This includes inpatient settings including forensics wards, community complex care teams, specialist clinical CAMHS in social care and looked after children’s teams. Prior to working in psychology Sam worked as a project manager in the third sector within drug and alcohol services. He was also a non-executive director at a mental health CIC specialising in ‘Personality Difficulties’ and training mental health staff in this area for around 3 years.

Sam specialises in trauma and complex mental health difficulties and offers an integrative approach which draws on models including but not limited to Compassion Focussed Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, CBT and Trauma informed practices. He is also trained in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). Sam is dedicated to training and development of staff in trauma informed approaches and is highly involved in Cygnet’s drive to become in trauma informed organisation.

Theresa Maseko – Hospital Social Worker

Theresa is a Mental Health Social Worker, Deputy Safeguarding Lead, and Practice Educator who has worked at Cygnet Appletree since 2021. Theresa is a highly skilled mental health social worker with a wealth of experience in providing compassionate care within Psychiatric Intensive Care Units (PICU) and Acute wards. With over 10 years’ experience in the field in different settings, she has developed a profound understanding of the complexities surrounding mental health treatment and the importance of safeguarding vulnerable individuals.

After completing her degree in Social Work at the University of Chichester, Theresa pursued postgraduate training to become a Best Interests Assessor, equipping her with the expertise to make critical decisions in the best interest of individuals lacking the capacity to consent. This role is complemented by her position as the safeguarding lead, where she is dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of all patients within the wards. Her commitment to safeguarding is reflected in her proactive approach to risk assessment, policy implementation, and staff training.

As a mental health social worker in the PICU and acute settings, Theresa collaborates closely with multidisciplinary teams to provide tailored interventions that address the immediate needs of patients experiencing acute mental health crises. She is known for her empathetic approach, actively listening to patients and empowering them throughout their recovery journeys.

In addition to her clinical work, Theresa has recently taken on the role of practice educator, mentoring and guiding new social workers and students in their professional development. She is passionate about fostering the next generation of social work professionals, sharing her knowledge and insights to cultivate a supportive learning environment. Theresa is actively involved in community initiatives aimed at promoting mental health awareness and reducing stigma. She believes in the importance of education and advocacy in creating a more inclusive society.

Her ongoing professional development reflects a commitment to staying current with best practices and innovations in the field of social work.

Sarah Lillico – Specialist Occupational Therapist

Sarah joined Cygnet after she qualified with a Masters degree in Occupational Therapy in 2019. Prior to this, Sarah obtained a psychology degree and worked within a learning disabilities and autism service.

Within Cygnet, Sarah initially worked in female high dependency rehabilitation before going onto Psychiatric Intensive Care. Sarah has an interest in Sensory Integration and has completed Cygnet’s Sensory Integration Preceptorship.

The Occupational Therapy department provides specialist support to help people achieve their recovery-focused goals. Their aim is to improve health and wellbeing through meaningful activities and promoting independence.

Lauren Blair - Hospital Administrator

Lauren started working at Cygnet Appletree in 2017 as a Support Worker. She progressed in her role to become Clinical Support Administrator then later becoming Funding Administrator before being appointed in her current role as Hospital Administrator for the service.

Lauren enjoys the variety of her role and strives to empower and work alongside the admin team to provide the best possible support for our clinical team here at Appletree. You can occasionally find Lauren in the kitchen giving a hand to our catering team during busy periods.