Serving the people of Bradford, Harrogate, Selby and Craven Districts
Heidi Watson is the Chief Executive Officer of Carers’ Resource, a post she took up in April 2024.
She has operated at CEO or Director level in charities or private sector organisations delivering social projects for over 20 years.
This includes strategic oversight and management of various national and local health and support worker teams to assist and empower children and adults with congenital health conditions/disabilities and their unpaid carers.
Her experience also includes running contracts and projects to assist long term unemployed people to return to sustainable work and ex-offenders to rehabilitate.
She has significant experience of working closely with a range of local authorities, national government departments and NHS teams.
Jen Foster has been with Carers’ Resource for 5 years working as the Executive Assistant and has more recently took on the role of Administration Manager.
Jen oversees the day to day administration functions, manages office systems and supports staff as a well as working closely with the Trustees and CEO. Jen’s strengths lie in process improvement, building supportive administration structures, attention to detail and having a proactive approach. Jen takes pride in creating a working environment that empowers staff to work smarter and more effectively.
Melissa Whitley is our Head of Finance, she joined Carers’ Resource in September 2024. Melissa has over 20 years’ experience in finance and for 12 years’ prior to her role at Carers’ Resource, she has worked with other charities and not for profit organisations.
Over the years Melissa’s roles have been varied from being a part of a group setting up a small local not for profit organisation through to Head of Finance with a nationwide charity. Through these roles, she has worked with various funding sources including multiple large local authorities. Melissa has worked on a variety of projects over the last few years, most recently being part of a team working on finance transformation within a large charity. Melissa brings an array of knowledge and experience to Carers’ Resource.
Julie Duerden has gained vast experience in developing and implementing services for vulnerable people in her previous roles in the NHS, DWP, local government and over 20 years in several VCFS organisations.
As a former CEO and a Carer Centre manager she has a wealth of knowledge of the challenges faced both for the individual and the service providers.
Julie is fully committed to providing high-quality services in the right way at the right time for the individual.
Shelley Marshall is our Hospital Services Manager across Bradford. She manages the following teams and services: Home from Hospital, Carer Navigators in BRI and AGH and the MAST team.
Shelley is a results-driven leader with over 30 years’ experience in health and social care across both statutory and voluntary sectors. She specialises in people-focused, high-impact solutions and is known for empowering teams, building strong relationships and supporting staff to be confident in providing meaningful support to clients and carers.
With lived experience as a parent carer, Shelley brings deep personal insight to her work, shaping a compassionate, inclusive approach. She combines a wealth of strategic and operational expertise to foster empathy, resilience, and collaboration. Committed to positive outcomes, Shelley works to ensure the people we support are recognised, respected, and empowered through more responsive and inclusive care.
Rachel Waddington joined Carers’ Resource in 2001 and is now the Service Manager for Craven, Harrogate & Selby, overseeing services to unpaid carers across the districts.
Since joining Carers’ Resource, Rachel has held several roles, including the initial development project that paved the way for wider services to be delivered by Carers’ Resource within Bradford District. She is particularly keen to see that unpaid carers are identified early in their caring journey and recognised for their key role at the centre of support of those with care needs.
Rachel is also a member of the Governing Body of a primary school.
Vanessa Rayner has over 20 years’ experience working in social care, starting her career at Bradford Council as a community care officer. She joined Carers’ Resource in 2015 to a project that supported carers and their families living with a terminal illness.
Vanessa progressed in to a manager role and over the last 10 years, she has been involved in several projects including the counselling service. Vanessa now is the Home From Hospital Service Manager for North Yorkshire and takes a lead on performance across the organisation. Vanessa is passionate about the support Carers’ Resource provides and is keen to ensure, people are given the opportunity to make informed decisions and choices about their lives.
Julie Peacock has over 20 years’ experience in community-based health and social care across Bradford, including roles in domiciliary care, local authority day services, and adult social care.
Julie joined Carers’ Resource in 2017 as a caseworker and progressed into a senior leadership role. She now oversees multiple services that support unpaid carers across Keighley and Shipley. Julie is also an unpaid carer and brings lived experience to her work. She is passionate about providing timely, person-centered support that meets the real-world needs of carers and the communities she serves.
