Meet The Team
We are here to provide training courses and apprenticeships that are designed to help you succeed.
The Team here at Dianthas
Mandy Connick
After starting my career in catering and obtaining a position of head cook in a council-run home in Liverpool, is where I found my passion for individualised high-quality care and support that was 36 years ago - oh my, doesn’t time fly. Throughout that time I have worked in most roles within social care, from support, senior, care manager and training manager. All of which supported me to understand how complex, technical, clinical and emotionally charged social care can be. Throughout all roles, I have been extremely lucky to have managers who saw potential and supported me to be the best I can be and obtain many recognised qualifications which developed my wonderful career in social care. Working with individuals during some of their darkest days whilst supporting them to have their best life and retain as much independence as possible is highly skilled. Contrary to belief social care is highly professional. After many years of listening to the Government and society's perception of social care as low skill low pay, I sought to change the world – well one highly qualified and professional social care worker at a time. Eventually, society will know social care requires a highly skilled workforce who are professional, after all, a workforce of 1.53 million cannot be wrong.
Ann Taylor
I joined Dianthas in March 2024. I started my career in Early Years forty years ago, working directly with babies and children from birth to seven years old. Over the years I have completed a vast amount of training. This has led me to manage teams and projects supporting vulnerable children, teenagers and families. This includes alcohol and drug misuse, domestic abuse, teen pregnancies, lone parents and poor mental health. Over the last twenty-five years, I have been teaching a range of vocational qualifications, supporting adults to develop the knowledge and skills required to work with children, young people and families. I hold many qualifications required to work in this field at levels 3, 4, 5 and 7 including vocational assessor in the workplace at level 4. My most recent professional development is the Advanced Teacher Status recognition for mastery in teaching and learning. I hold the Chartered Teacher Status (C-Teach). It is vitally important to me that children and young people living in our society are raised in a safe, caring and compassionate environment which nurtures them and supports them to become confident, well-rounded adults. Combining this with my enthusiasm and love of meeting new people, especially adults, who share my expectations for the children and young people in our society is what led me into the career I have had and teaching other professionals to develop and grow their knowledge, skills and desire.
Leah-Jane Foster
I started working for Dianthas in 2013 as the Administrator. During my time at Dianthas, I have completed numerous training courses including; a Level 3 Diploma in Accounting, Level 3 Assessing Vocational Achievement and Level 4 in Business Administration. Completing this training gave me the opportunity to further my skills and help the company expand where I was promoted to Administration Officer. I have a very versatile role within the company, some of my tasks include bookkeeping, payroll, HR, Business Administration assessor, managing the information systems, ensuring all apprentices are eligible for funding and general administration duties. In my spare time, I enjoy competing and teaching majorettes, I started majorettes when I was 4 years old. I also enjoy spending time with my friends, family and my dog.
Katie Miller
I joined Dianthas in February 2016 as an administrative assistant. My role is to support the Development Manager and our Vocational Coaches so that they can complete their duties efficiently, and effectively and have the tools available to do so. Whilst working at Dianthas I have had the opportunity to develop and strengthen my skills by completing my Level 2&3 Diploma in Business Administration. In my spare time, I enjoy teaching and competing in majorette competitions, having won several trophies. I also like to think that I am the karaoke queen. My go-to karaoke song is always Whitney Houston's ‘How will I know’.
Martyn Rigg
Our newest member of the team and is an experienced Health and Social Care professional with over 40 years of frontline, leadership, assessment, and education experience across the NHS, independent healthcare, further education, and apprenticeships. He specialises in health and social care training, quality assurance, assessment, and workforce development, delivering qualifications from Level 1 through to Level 5. Martyn has held senior roles as an assessor, IQA, lecturer, end-point assessor, and trainer, combining extensive clinical expertise with a passion for developing the skills and confidence of care professionals. Outside of work, Martyn enjoys cooking, travelling, gardening and gaming, valuing the opportunity to relax, learn new skills and spend time pursuing a variety of interests.
Shannon Williams
I joined Dianthas in January 2021 as a Residential Childcare Vocational Coach. My role involves teaching and providing direct support to learners completing a diploma or an apprenticeship in Residential Childcare. My background experiences involve working with children and young people in a variety of educational and care settings. I am very passionate about the inclusive practice and have a lot of direct experience working with Children and Young People with disabilities and Special Educational Needs. In 2014 I undertook a research project examining the critical identity of D/deaf people from a Disability Studies perspective. Completing this research study, it helped me to develop my own knowledge and skills in supporting the lives of disabled children and young people and to also understand the importance of teaching and learning. My main aim as a residential childcare coach is to help create a safer community and to support my learners to their full potential and ability.
Andy Russell
I joined Dianthas in 2017 to help develop the Functional Skills Maths side of the Apprenticeship programme—and I’ve never looked back. Since then, I’ve qualified as an assessor and picked up a range of coaching certificates to keep growing and supporting others. There’s nothing more rewarding than helping learners prepare for their exams and sharing that moment when the results come in. I’m always on the lookout for fresh, creative ways to teach, and that’s what keeps the job so exciting. Every learner is different, and finding what works for each person is part of what makes working at Dianthas such a pleasure. Outside of work (when the British weather allows!), you’ll often find me on the golf course. I’m not claiming to be great at it, but the fresh air, the company, and the post-round chat make it one of my favourite ways to unwind.
Julie Johnson
I didn’t have the best time at school and left without many qualifications. Life took me down the stay-at-home mum route, raising five amazing kids and becoming a regular face at the school gates. I started volunteering, then somehow ended up running the local mother and toddler group (thanks to a very persuasive headteacher!).
I always had a voice in my head saying, “go to college,” and eventually I listened. A lovely woman handed me an application form for a childcare course, made me fill it out, and even posted it for me. That was the start of everything. I went from thinking I wasn’t clever enough to passing assignments and qualifying with distinctions.
Since then, I’ve worked in childcare, adult care, training, and community development. I’ve run projects with young people, supported grandparents raising their grandkids, and even helped set up environmental programmes in schools. I’ve worked in residential homes, day centres, and with people living with dementia—and I’ve loved every experience.
I came full circle back to where my heart is: supporting others to believe in themselves and achieve qualifications they never thought possible. I’ve been there, I get it—and now I get to help others realise just how capable they really are.
Sharon Blaney
I am excited to join Dianthas Training as Employer Engagement and Partnership Manager, supporting employers and learners to achieve growth through high-quality Social Care apprenticeships, adults and children and mandatory training. With values built on honesty, trust, fairness, and loyalty, I am passionate about creating opportunities that empower people and strengthen businesses. I bring extensive experience in employment and skills development, having worked with NHS trusts, social care providers, and training organisations to design and deliver initiatives that address workforce needs, close skills gaps, and promote inclusion. My background spans employer engagement, apprenticeship development, and workforce strategy, with a strong focus on building trusted, long-term partnerships. I look forward to working closely with our partners to ensure learners gain the skills and confidence to thrive, while employers benefit from a skilled, motivated workforce that supports the future of the Health & Social Care sector. Together we can make a positive sector impact, collaboration is key
Lynne Holmes
My background is in Learning Disability Services. I have worked in support, management and training roles in a wide range of settings. As the manager of a residential service for people with profound learning and communication needs, I quickly became aware of the impact that effective training and development for staff can make on the quality of service and outcomes for residents. I joined the FE and Skills sector in 2001 as a Tutor/ Assessor on several Health and Social Care vocational programmes, where I supported a team of trainers and assessors to offer high-quality training and development to local health and social care employers. I joined the Quality Assurance Team here at Dianthas in October 2018 and have discovered the personal and professional benefits of working with a small, dedicated team. With a small team of like-minded individuals, it is perhaps easier to ensure inclusivity and encourage ownership than in a larger organisation.
Vocational Coach
Looking for a challenging yet rewarding career, helping to ensure that the future social care workforce are professional and working to a high standard. Part time and full time positions available with training available to further your career in education. Come and be part of a fantastic team. Contact us or click the link below.
Internal Verifier
Come and be part of our fantastic team. We currently have a vacancy for an IQA. Use our contact page to let us know you are interested in the vacancy or click on the link below. Part time or full time positions available. Come and be part of a great team.
Vacancies
Are you experienced and qualified in social care or health and thought of using these skills to develop others? If so, give us a call. We are looking for experienced and qualified social care/health workers who want to train to become trainers to support and develop others. Full training with guidance and support will be provided, good pay, career opportunities and qualifications in education and training. We are also looking for fully qualified social care/health trainers who are looking to work with manageable caseloads across the Liverpool City Region, the ability to deliver level 5 is an advantage. If you require further information, give us a call on - 0151 647 1406 or send your CV to enquiries@dianthasltd.co.uk.
Vocational Coach
Looking for a challenging yet rewarding career, helping to ensure that the future social care workforce are professional and working to a high standard. Part time and full time positions available with training available to further your career in education. Come and be part of a fantastic team. Contact us or click the link below.
Internal Verifier
Come and be part of our fantastic team. We currently have a vacancy for an IQA. Use our contact page to let us know you are interested in the vacancy or click on the link below. Part time or full time positions available. Come and be part of a great team.
