Dr Richard Harling
Director of Health and Care
What is his role?
Richard is our Director of Health and Care, holding the statutory responsibilities for adult social services and public health for children and adults. He has been with the Staffordshire County Council since 2016 having previously held a similar role in Worcestershire between 2013 and 2016.
What experience does he have?
Richard trained as a doctor in London and qualified in 1993 before working in Accident & Emergency and hospital medicine and entering public health in 1999. More recently he has worked in local authorities the NHS and other public health organisations both nationally and internationally.
Richard has led transformation and improvement of health and care at local and national level. He has led work for the Associations of Directors of Adult Social Services and Public Health regionally and nationally. He has also advised the Department of Health, Home Office and European Commission. Richard has a particular interest in innovation and the use of technology to improve the quality and productivity of health and care services.
Direct reports
Richard’s direct reports are:
- Andrew Jepps, Assistant Director for Care Commissioning
- Jo Cowcher, Assistant Director for Adult Social Care and Safeguarding
- Kelly Gray, Care Services Lead
- Claire McIver, Interim Assistant Director for Public Health and Prevention, Consultant in Public Health