Maria Mills

Maria has over 30 years’ experience in social care and joined Active Prospects, a leading learning disability, autism and mental health charity in 2015. Since then, the organisation has tripled its turnover with 400 staff and won many national awards including Best Supported Housing Provider, Best Positive Behaviour Support Team and Best Co-Production. In 2022 it gained the highest rating for a care company nationally in the large employer’s section from Great Places to Walk, and 17th overall.

Active Prospects has become one of country’s leading Transforming Care providers, helping nearly 50 people to transition from hospital care to community settings with a 92% success rate with people after three years – many people having been 10 years plus in hospital.

Maria is passionate about personalisation and co-production in health and care. She helped to create the Pro-Active Community, a user-led organisation for people with learning disabilities and/or autism, which has won national awards and in 2020 became a registered charity. We are an innovative provider – creating solutions in the care and wellbeing systems – i.e., a recent groundbreaking collaboration for career pathways in LDA sector called the Care Talent Collective, innovative Wellbeing Apps with tech providers, and a specialist mental health coaching offer for autistic people.

Maria is active within the local Integrated Care System. She represents the Voluntary sector on the Integrated Care Partnership in Surrey. She is Chair of the Surrey Care Association which has 140 Members and chairs several local partnership boards. She leads a Surrey wide EDI Initiatives with groundbreaking trustee and practice development. She is part of the Reinventing Social Care Initiative and Social Care Futures. She co-chairs the VODG Housing Group.

As a potential NCF Director Maria would aim to support key policy initiatives, align, and build across sectors initiatives and helping to create, promote and drive best practice in our sector, supporting the NCF Executive. Maria wishes to support system change so people drive their own care, focused on quality outcomes, partnership and collaboration. She passionately believe in the Voluntary Sector and that we add significant value and investment with our people and community, driven by a belief in the common good.