Colin DALE
www.caringsolutionsukltd.com
PROFILE
Dr Colin Dale is the Chief Executive of Caring Solutions (UK) Ltd a mental health consultancy company
based in the north west of England which carries out national, regional and local health care projects
throughout the UK. He is the Joint Violence Project Manager for the National Mental Health
Development Unit (NMHDU) and a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Central Lancashire.
Colin led work for the Offender Health Services at the Department of Health on liaison between the
police and mental health services and court assessment and diversion. In 2006 Colin acted as adviser to
the National Patient Safety Agency on mental health, and since then he has led and reviewed a series of
independent investigations into Serious Untoward Investigations on behalf of four of the ten Strategic
Health Authorities in England. He is currently the Vice Chairman of a NHS mental health foundation
trust and has functioned as an executive Director of Nursing with three previous NHS Trusts for a period
spanning 11 years. He continues to work on a freelance basis as an independent Nurse Consultant and
expert witness, combining this work with research and writing.
PARTICULAR SKILLS
 A thorough understanding of healthcare gained during 37 years working in a wide
variety of clinical, educational and managerial posts and settings.
 An experienced line and operational manager who has wide experience of managing
large groups of staff and budgets
 Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Quickly establishes a rapport with
colleagues at all levels that contributes to the delivery of high quality collaborative
and client centred services.
 Has advanced investigative skills in reviewing services and care delivery.
 A qualified teacher and Nurse Tutor who understands the current issues in health
education.
 A wide experience of handling complex and delicate high profile issues with all
sections of the media including live and recorded TV/radio and the national press.
 A good understanding of research methodology and writing for publication.
Completed his Doctoral studies (PhD) in 2002 and was the lead editor of four forensic
care textbooks. Has presented papers to international, national and regional
conferences and written extensively for professional publication. Edits the Journal
Learning Disabilities and Offending Behaviour.
 Has good personal IT skills and understanding and has advised the Chief Nursing
Officer for England and Wales on Information Technology (IT) in nursing. Hosts a
healthcare website.
EDUCATION and TRAINING
1997 – 2002
1995
1989 - 1990
1984 - 1986
1982
1982
1976 - 1978
1972 - 1975
Doctor of Philosophy - University of Central Lancashire
Diploma in Management Studies - University of Central Lancashire
Certificate in Advanced Study in Education “Counselling for
Professionals” - Liverpool University
MA in Applied Psychology - University of Keele
Registered Nurse Tutor (RNT) - General Nursing Council for England and Wales
Certificate in Education - College of Ripon and York St John - Leeds University
Diploma in Nursing (London University) - Sheffield City Polytechnic
Registered Nurse - South Cheshire School of Nursing
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
1999 – present Independent Consultant and Researcher
Formed his own mental health consultancy company, Caring Solutions (UK) Ltd, in 2002
after securing a research contract to investigate Nursing in secure Environments as the
joint project leader for a UKCC funded study. Has completed contracts as an independent
advisor for the UKCC (on drafting their responses to the proposals for the revision of the
Mental Health Act (1983) and Dangerous Severe Personality Disorders (DSPD); the Dept
of Health (on setting standards for mental health services in the independent sector); the
University of Central Lancashire (lecturing and research) and was invited by the Royal
College of Nursing to edit their management newsletter (Leader). Alongside contract
work Colin was the lead editor of four textbooks on Forensic Psychiatric Care in 2001,
2002, 2003 and 2004; he completed his Doctoral studies (PhD) in Forensic Psychiatry in
2002. Colin was also a member of the editorial board for a WHO project writing guidance
for primary care mental health services for the UK prison service. Since 2001 Colin has
conducted a large number (nearly 200 to date) of independent investigations and reviews
into serious untoward incidents in NHS mental health services. In 2001 he led the Post
Graduate Certificate programme for the prison service pilot DSPD site at HMP
Whitemoor and has been conducted reviews into healthcare at HMP Wakefield (2008)
and Altcourse (2006). Between 2002 – 2004 Colin was engaged as an adviser to the
Royal College of Nursing on Mental Health, Primary Care, Learning Disability and
Education and was involved with introducing a revised electronic Care Programme
Approach system in a large London Trust. He was a senior policy adviser with Offender
Health Services at the Department of Health for two years ending in 2008. He is currently
the Violence Project Manager for the National Mental Health Development Unit
(NMHDU); a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Central Lancashire; a member
of the Mental Health Review Tribunal for England and Wales; and the Vice Chairman of
5 Borough Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
1992 - 1999
Ashworth Hospital Authority - Executive Nurse Director
Responsible for managing all aspects of the Nursing Services, with 750 staff and a budget
of £18m. The Hospital has 500 beds and provides care and treatment for mentally
disordered and impaired patients who require a secure environment due to their
dangerous, violent or criminal tendencies.
1990 - 1992
Special Hospitals Service Authority - Nursing Development Officer
Responsible for initiating and developing change within the nursing discipline at the
three high security psychiatric hospitals of Broadmoor, Rampton and Ashworth.
1987 - 1990
Assistant Unit General Manager - Care Services
Operational management responsibility for the Day and Residential Services in a 250 bed
hospital with 300 staff and a £5m revenue budget. Led the County’s development for
Project 2000 in conjunction with the Welsh Office.
1982 - 1987
Nurse Tutor/Senior Nurse Tutor
Responsible for pre and post-registration nurse education and was a honorary lecturer at
the University College of North Wales contributing to their Master’s Degree in
Community Care.
1979 - 1982
Nursing Officer
Responsible for the management of 6 wards, day care, social activities and recreational
services as well as managing community nursing.
1970 - 1979
Earlier Career
On qualifying worked in a variety of clinical settings and with a variety of client groups
including children, adolescent, adult and the elderly.
Professional Activities
2010
2010
2009
2008
2008
2007
2007
2007
2005
Appointed to the Ministry of Justice Restraint Accreditation Board
Appointed Vice Chairman of 5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Appointed Editor of Journal for Learning Disability and Offending Behaviour
Appointed to the Mental Health Review Tribunal for England and Wales
Appointed as Non Executive Director for 5 Boroughs NHS Trust
Appointed as a Reviewer for the Journal of Forensic Nursing
Elected Chairman of the RCN Forum for Independent Nurse Managers
Appointed by the Healthcare Commission to their national panel of reviewers
Appointed Academic Referee UK Forensic Mental Health Research Programme
2003
1998
1998
1997
1996
1995
1988
1988
1985
1983
Appointed as a specialist adviser to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence
Member of the National advisory committee on nursing information systems
Appointed reviewer for Mental Health Practice (Nursing journal)
Elected Chairman for the RCN Forum for Nurses in Executive Roles
Book Reviewer for the Howard League of Criminal Justice
Elected Treasurer for the RCN Forum for Nurses in Executive Roles
Co-opted by ENB on to the Project 2000 working group for Learning Disabilities
Appointed as Nursing Specialist Advisor to British Institute for Learning Disabilities
Elected County Tutor for Gwynedd to the British Institute for Learning Disabilities
Elected to Executive of the RCN Society of Learning Disabilities Nursing
Publications and Conference Presentations for the last six years
Books
Dale C, Storey L (Editors) 2004 Learning Disability and Offending Behaviour. Nursing Praxis
International, Chichester.
Dale C, Storey L (Editors) 2002 Care and Treatment of Offenders with a Learning Disability. Nursing
Praxis International, Chichester.
Dale C , Thompson A and Woods P (Editors) 2001 Forensic Mental Health: Issues in Practice.
Baillière Tindall, London.
Book Chapters
Dale C, Gardner J and Philogene S (2002) Overcoming Barriers to Change: case of Ashworth Hospital
in Howkins E and Thornton C (Editors) 2002 Managing and Leading Innovation in Healthcare. Baillière
Tindall. London
Dale C and Storey L (2001) Mentally Disordered Offenders in the Community: a UK perspective in
Landsberg G and Smiley A (Editors) 2001 Forensic Mental Health: Working with Offenders with Mental
Illness. Civic Research Institute Inc. Kingston, New Jersey.
Dale C, Woods P and Thompson A (2001) Forensic Services in the 90s: An overview in Dale C,
Thompson A and Woods P (Editors) 2001 Forensic Mental Health: Issues in Practice. Baillière Tindall.
London
Dale C, Thompson A and Woods P (2001) The Professional Contribution: Nursing in Dale C,
Thompson A and Woods P (Editors) 2001 Forensic Mental Health: Issues in Practice. Baillière Tindall.
London
Dale C (2001) Staff development, awareness and monitoring issues in Dale C, Thompson A and Woods P
(Editors) 2001 Forensic Mental Health: Issues in Practice. Baillière Tindall. London
Dale C (2001) Dual Diagnosis in Dale C, Thompson A and Woods P (Editors) 2001 Forensic Mental
Health: Issues in Practice. Baillière Tindall. London
Dale C and Gardner J (2001) Maintaining a Safe Environment: Strategic issues and building design in
Dale C, Thompson A and Woods P (Editors) 2001 Forensic Mental Health: Issues in Practice. Baillière
Tindall. London
Dale C and Gardner J (2001) Maintaining a Safe Environment: Operational and procedural issues in
Dale C, Thompson A and Woods P (Editors) 2001 Forensic Mental Health: Issues in Practice. Baillière
Tindall. London
Musker M, Woods P and Dale C (2001) Mental Illness in Dale C, Thompson A and Woods P (Editors)
2001 Forensic Mental Health: Issues in Practice. Baillière Tindall. London
Williams P and Dale C (2001) Values in Practice in Dale C, Thompson A and Woods P (Editors) 2001
Forensic Mental Health: Issues in Practice. Baillière Tindall. London
Storey L and Dale C (2001) Developing Forensic Mental Health Care in the United Kingdom in
Landsberg G and Smiley A (Editors) 2001 Forensic Mental Health: Working with Offenders with Mental
Illness. Civic Research Institute Inc. Kingston, New Jersey.
Storey L and Dale C (2001) Professional Issues for Nurses in Secure Environments in Landsberg G and
Smiley A (Editors) 2001 Forensic Mental Health: Working with Offenders with Mental Illness. Civic
Research Institute Inc. Kingston, New Jersey.
Storey L and Dale C (2001) Pre-qualifying, post-qualifying and induction training in secure
environments in the United Kingdom in Landsberg G and Smiley A (Editors) 2001 Forensic Mental
Health: Working with Offenders with Mental Illness. Civic Research Institute Inc. Kingston, New Jersey.
Williams P and Dale C (2001) The Application of Values to Professional Mental Health Work in Secure
Settings in Landsberg G and Smiley A (Editors) 2001 Forensic Mental Health: Working with Offenders
with Mental Illness. Civic Research Institute Inc. Kingston, New Jersey.
Dale C, Wallis E V and Taylor P (1999). Professional, Contractual and volunteer relationships –
Maintenance of strengths and prevention and management of breach in Taylor P and Swan T (Editors)
Couples in Custody. Heinemann. London
Dale C, Woods P, Allan G and Brennan W (1999) Violence in High Security Hospital Settings:
measuring, assessing and responding. In Kemshall. H and Pritchard. J (Editors) Good Practice with
Violence. Jessica Kinsley. London
Refereed journals
Inglis P and Dale C (2010) Justifications of detainment – from ideology to practice. Journal of Learning
Disabilities and Offending Behaviour. Volume 1 Issue 1, pp 44 – 58.
Dale C and Storey L (2004) High, Medium and Low security care: Does the type of care make any
difference to the role of the forensic mental health nurse? Nursing Times Research Vol 9, No 2, pp 2-18.
Dale C and Woods P (2002) Caring for prisoners: their professional, educational and
occupational needs. Nursing Management Vol 9, No 5, pp 16-21
Storey L and Dale C (2002) Staff Development in Personality Disorder Services. Prison Services
Journal, No. 143, pp 23-27
Storey L and Dale C (2001) An Examination of the pre-registration preparation of nurses to work in
secure environments. Nursing Times Research. Vol 6, No 3, pp 770-783
Dale C and Woods P (2000) A Risk Assessment and Management Strategy for Community Nursing.
British Journal of Community Nursing. Vol 5, No 6, pp 286-291
Storey L & Dale C (2000) Personality Disorder: The personal and professional development of staff. Il
Reo e il folle, pp93-110 (The Italian Journal of Psychopathology, Penitentiaries and Transgressors)
Dale C (1999) Supervising People with co-occurring disorders in community settings: the American
experience. Mental Health Practice. November, Vol 3, No 3, pp 18-20
Bradshaw C and Dale C. (1999) Informed Choice. Nursing Management June 6 (3): pp 8 -12
Dale. C (1998) Gender Differences. Nursing Management. Vol 5. No 7. November 1998
Storey L and Dale C (1998) Nursing in Secure Environments. Psychiatric Care. 5(6), pp 122-123
Storey L and Dale C (1998) Meeting the needs of patients with personality disorders. Mental Health
Practice Vol 1, No 5, pp 20-26
Dale C, Storey L and Green P (1998) Mental health Nursing in Malta. Mental Health Practice. October.
Vol. 2 (2) p 18. ISSN 1456-8720
Duffy D, Clifford M and Dale C (1997) Mental Health Inquiry Reports: the Lessons for Nursing. Mental
Health Practice. October .Vol 1 No 2
Storey L, Dale C and Martin E (1997) Social Therapy: A developing model of care for people with a
personality disorder. Nursing Times Research Vol 2, No 3, pp 210-218
Dale C and Lynch J (1996) Blueprint for Care. Nursing Management October Vol. 3, No 6, pp 22-24
Research Reports
Caring for Prisoners (2002). RCN London.
Nursing in Secure Environments (1999). UKCC, London ISBN 1 901922 14 6
Conference papers-published
DeMontfort University and Leicester Royal Infirmary. Preparing for practice in secure care. Nursing,
Midwifery and Therapies Research Conference (2001). Nursing Praxis International: London. ISBN 1903625-05-X
New York University Forensic Mental Health: Working with Offenders with Mental Illness. June
1999 - Professional Issues for Nurses in Secure Environments
ENB Mental Health Conference. Leicester University. 17 June 1997. Social Therapy- Occupational
Standards Project
European Mental Health Nursing Conference. 20 February 1998, Europa Hotel Belfast. Mapping the
Care of People with a Severe Personality Disorder.
Commonwealth Nurses Conference. Malta. 27th March 1998. Maintaining the Balance- caring for
people with a personality disorder
New York University Personality Disorder Conference- Florence Italy 16th March 1998. Maintaining
the Balance- caring for people with a personality disorder.
New York University - Decriminalizing Mental Illness. New York June 17th 1998. Developing staff to
manage Personality Disordered Patients.
English National Board Mental Health Nurses. Cambridge 29th July 1998. Nursing in Secure
Environments
Home Office Prison Service. 14th July 1998. Palace Hotel Manchester. Nursing in Secure
Environments.
Membership of Professional Bodies:
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (Pin No 755738401)
The Royal College of Nursing (Membership No 1086972H)