The new chief executive officer of the Mental Health Commission has said he wants to ensure the commission plays "a central role in the ongoing transformation of mental health services".
John Farrelly made the comments as the Commission announced he will take up the position of CEO on October 30th next.
Mr Farrelly, who has resigned from his current position as CEO of the Charities’ Regulator, has some 30 years experience in health and social care services.
He has been CEO of the Charities’ Regulator since 2016 and before that was deputy chief inspector of social services with the Health Information and Quality Authority.
Welcoming his appointment, Mental Health Commission chairman John Saunders said it was "delighted to have someone with John's experience and commitment to take up this position".
Ireland’s mental health services “still have a considerable journey to make in order to attain the standards required” and Mr Farrelly’s “proven expertise in risk-based regulation, quality and safety and person orientated public services will be an enormous asset as we work to safeguard the rights of service users”, he said.
Royal College of Surgeons
Mr Farrelly is a graduate of The Royal College of Surgeons, Smurfit Business School, UCD, the Honourable Society of King’s Inns and the Harvard Kennedy school of Government.
He has worked with mental health service users and professionals in hospitals and community settings.
He worked as Accord, a counselling and family support organisation, and prior to that with Shine, which advocates and provides services to enhance outcomes for people with schizophrenia and severe mental illness and their families.
The chairperson of the Charities’ Regulatory Authority, Patrick Hopkins, wished Mr Farrelly every success in his new post.
The Charities’ Regulator had in September 2016 received its powers under the Charities Act 2009 to protect charitable organisations and Mr Farrelly’s experience as a regulator had ensured the Charities Regulator used those powers “proportionately and effectively,” Mr Hopkins said. “John made a significant impact regarding measures to increase trust and confidence in Irish charities.”
A recruitment process to fill the role of CEO of the regulator is underway, he added.
