Staff profiles

Adoption UK brings together people with a range of adoption and professional experiences. This page contains profiles of key members of the team, and details of their roles within Adoption UK.

Hugh Thornbery - Chief Executive

Hugh Thornbery, Adoption UK's Chief Executive Hugh Thornbery joined Adoption UK in October 2012.

Previously Director of Business Development and, prior to that, Strategic Director of Children’s Services for England South at Action for Children, you can find out more about his priorities for Adoption UK in this extract from an interview we published in Adoption Today.

Janet Smith – Director of Adoption Support

Adoption Support Services Manager Janet Smith In her role, Janet has overall responsibility for Adoption UK’s support services including training, membership and volunteer-led services throughout the UK including Adoption UK’s Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales offices activities. Janet is also the Registered Manager for the purposes of registration with Ofsted.

As a prospective adopter and then an adoptive parent, Janet has been involved with Adoption UK since the early 1980s. She became more closely involved with the charity as a trainer in 2000, then as Training Manager in 2003 before being promoted to her current role in September 2006.

Janet is a qualified relationship counsellor, a qualified teacher/trainer and also has extensive experience from working in the financial services and commercial banking industry.

She is currently on the Executive Committee and Treasurer of Attachment in Action Association which was set up to:

Advance the practice of effective attachment therapies by providing a national forum for presentations, debate and discussions with regards these therapies.
Develop training opportunities for professionals by means of organising courses and conferences.

Ann Bell – Development Manager Wales

Ann Bell Development Manager Wales Ann is responsible for developing Adoption UK’s activities in Wales, including liaising with members and local authorities and increasing membership of both, setting up support groups, lobbying Welsh Assembly Government, setting up a helpline facility and library in Wales and generally raising awareness of the needs of adoptive parents. Ann is also responsible for ensuring that Adoption UK works towards providing its services equally in Welsh and English.

An adoptee and adoptive parent, Ann is currently working towards a MSc in Early Childhood Studies and is a former secondary school teacher.

Fiona Lettice – Development Manager Scotland

Fiona Lettice – Development Manager Scotland Fiona is responsible for raising the profile of Adoption UK amongst adopters and professionals in Scotland, participating in the consultation and implementation of the Adoption Act is Scotland, managing and organising the work of the Scotland office and developing the organisation throughout Scotland including recruiting and developing volunteers for the organisation. Fiona organises conferences and workshops to help develop knowledge of adoption related issues. She is also:

Treasurer of Scottish Attachment in Action, an organisation ‘promoting healthy attachments throughout Scotland’
Member of the advisory group for Scottish Adoption and Advice Service (SAAS)
Part of the steering group of a research project being carried out by Glasgow University on ‘Cortisol levels of children with attachment difficulties’

An adoptive parent, Fiona began as an Adoption UK volunteer before taking up the post of Development Manager. She also has more than 30 years experience of working in the catering industry and organising large scale events.

Garry Lucas – Training Manager

In his role as Training Manager, Garry is responsible for the direction and development of Adoption UK training and education activities. He is also responsible for the oversight of workshops, courses, conferences and seminars for adopters, prospective adopters, long term foster carers and practitioners to extend their understanding of adoption issues. Garry manages a small staff team, as well as 30 self-employed trainers.

Previous to his current role, Garry ran his own training company and worked as both a trainer and Buddy for Adoption UK. Prior to this he held senior positions within Learning & Development in Cable & Wireless and Marconi/GEC. Garry is an adoptive parent.