Homecare Association appoints head of policy, practice and innovation

Daisy Cooney has been appointed head of policy, practice and innovation at the Homecare Association.

Cooney is currently a senior transformation policy and strategy manager at NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in the joint digital policy unit, where she leads strategy and policy development on digital, data, technology, pathway innovation and improvement.

In this role, she advises senior officials in NHS England (NHSE), government and ministers. She led development of the £3.4bn NHS productivity plan and the national digital, data and technology workforce transformation strategy.

Before this, Cooney held policy roles at NHS England, Age UK, Macmillan Cancer Support and The Royal British Legion. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

‘Daisy is passionate about improving lives. She brings valuable skills and experience in policy and campaigning in fields relevant to our work at the Homecare Association,’ said Homecare Association chief executive officer Dr Jane Townson.

‘Daisy’s roles to date have given her a deep understanding of the issues facing older people and those with ill-health or disabilities. Her time at NHSE and DHSC has allowed her to gain insight into the workings of government and how best to influence decision-makers. We are really looking forward to Daisy becoming part of our team to help advance our mission of shaping homecare together.’

Cooney, who starts her new role on 29 July, said: ‘Over the course of my career, I have seen just how much it matters to individuals and families to have access to high-quality care at home and am passionate about shaping the future of homecare to support this.

‘With “Home First” a stated political priority we have a huge opportunity to build on progress, using both research and story-telling to raise the profile of social care and investment in it for now and the future.’