Sylvia Barker

Sylvia Barker has had many years of experience in family issues at both policy and practice levels. She has worked for both central and local government and within a range of statutory and voluntary agencies, both directly and as a consultant. Recent consultancy has included published guidance on research findings and best practice within the field of family care, together with the development of associated training materials.

Ten years of voluntary work as a statutory consumer representative within the privatised rail industry have extended Sylvia’s knowledge of contractual, regulatory, public information, marketing and investment issues as well as of customer care, advocacy needs, and disability provision.

Sylvia has an Economics degree from Cambridge University and postgraduate qualifications in both Social Administration and Social Work (Birmingham University) and Public Sector Management (Aston University Business School) where her research project looked at social market and cost benefit issues in relation to voluntary (unpaid) foster carers.

Sylvia is representative of the many older people directly involved at every level of the POPP project in Dorset (including the POPP Board), who help shape its agenda for promoting person centred approaches to meeting need which both recognise and use the potential of older people as a community and organisational resource.