Jill Pitkeathley was raised to the peerage in 1997 as Baroness Pitkeathley of Caversham, sits on the Labour benches, is a very active working peer and is a Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords. She is Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary group on Carers and of the All Party Group on Charities and Volunteering and President of the All Party Parliamentary Group on the Channel Islands. She chaired the House of Lords Select Committee on Charities which produced the report 'Stronger Charities for a Stronger Society' and is a member of the House of Lords Select Committee on Citizenship and Civil Engagement.
She has been a social worker for local authorities and a Voluntary Services Coordinator in the National Health Service.
In 1986 she became Chief Executive of what was then the National Council for Carers and led the carers movement for the next 12 years, creating Carers National Association (now Carers UK).
From 1998 to 2004 she was the first Chair of the New Opportunities Fund, responsible for allocating £2 billion of lottery money and also was the interim Chair of the General Social Care Council for its first six months.
Jill Pitkeathley was appointed as Chair of the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (formerly the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence) in January 2009 and served until December 2015. From 2003 to 2008 Jill was Chair of CAFCASS (Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service).
From 2005 to 2008 she was Chair of the Government Advisory Panel on Futurebuilders and was Chair of the Advisory Body for the Office for Civil Society from 2008 - 2011.
Jill is currently Vice President of Carers UK, Chair of Big Society Trust for the Big Society Capital, a patron of Herefordshire Carers, Trustee of Cumberland Lodge and a member of NCVO's Advisory Panel
