Kate Miles Email & Phone Number

Wales, United Kingdom

The DPJ Foundation is a mental health charity that works within the agricultural industry in Wales. Farming carries one of the highest rates of death by suicide: at least one farmer takes their own life each week in the UK (ONS, 2018). As Manager of the Charity, I can help make a difference to the lives of those farmers who need support when they are at their most vulnerable as well as equipping the farming community to offer support.The DPJ Foundation operates the "Share the Load" service ("Rhannwch y Baich" in Welsh). This is a 24/7 free call line that is staffed by volunteers with Samaritans training who can lend an understanding ear when it is needed most. We also operate an equivalent text service. Our volunteers will then refer those farmers or their families who want counselling to a qualified Counsellor. We have English and Welsh speaking volunteers and work with Counsellors who can deliver their service in Welsh. Our service is completely confidential. We want to ensure our service works for farmers so we can offer counselling on the farm, at a central location, by telephone or even by text. We try to be as accessible as we possibly can be.We also offer training in Mental Health, including our highly recommended bespoke to agriculture Mental Health Awareness training. Watch this space as this is an area that we are currently developing further.We post daily messages on our Facebook platform, intended to keep mental health at the forefront of agenda.

Neath Port Talbot

The Link Up project is a Big Lottery funded project designed to promote good governance practice across the voluntary and community sector in South Wales. My role was to develop this work in the Neath Port Talbot area, recruiting specialist advisers and new trustees and linking them with community and voluntary groups as well as delivering training.I worked with: • existing trustees who would like to strengthen a particular skill;• management committees and trustee boards who need additional specialist support and help recruiting new trustees;• volunteer mentors who can provide specialist time-limited support either as a "one off" or more frequently;• prospective trustees who would like to volunteer their time to support local good causes; and• young people aged 18-25 who would like to become a trusteeI established and facilitated a networking club for Trustees that during COVID-19 moved to Zoom. This provided a conduit for sharing ideas, good practice and also providing support.

Swansea, United Kingdom

I led the team at the Swansea Branch of NFU Mutual, providing General Insurance, Risk Management and Financial Services in the Swansea and Neath Port Talbot areas. My areas of particular expertise were Commercial Property, Food, Drink & Agriculture and Tourism. NFU Mutual as a long-established insurance company values personal service and having a bespoke approach to insurance. As such, I went out of my way to understand my clients' businesses and to ensure that my team did likewise. Using my background as a Solicitor, I was able to give a different perspective to that of my competitors, having seen why when things go wrong having reliable insurance cover in place is so valuable.At NFU Mutual, I developed my sales, business and leadership skills: undergoing extensive training and personal development to understand myself, my leadership style and my areas for development.As NFU Cymru Group Secretary, I provided support, advice and representation to members of Wales's leading farming union. As someone who grew up in farming, I understand that agriculture is a difficult industry, and prided myself on supporting my members and their businesses through challenging times.

Swansea

I spent 12 months with the City and County of Swansea as an in-house solicitor, advising the authority on all aspects of employment law. I worked on various high profile projects, advising the Senior Management Team and Councillors on legal issues. I also worked alongside the procurement team providing contracts advice.

Cardiff

I advised a wide range of public, private and third sector clients on a variety of employment law issues, both contentious and non-contentious. A large proportion of my work focused on advising a number of local authority clients on complex equal pay matters, with advice ranging from managing and defending equal pay claims to advising on the implementation of new terms and conditions and revised pay and grading structures.I also assisted a number of large Welsh public sector employers with various employment law issues, taking into account the public law and presentational considerations. I dealt with Employment Tribunal claims (including carrying out advocacy) for various employers and always sought a pragmatic solution to best achieve the client's aim.As well as advising companies and third sector employers on various employment and HR issues such as attendance, performance and conduct, I prepared and advised upon contracts of employment and other employment documents. I also carried out corporate support work (advising upon TUPE and transfer documents and conducting due diligence) in respect of business transfers and outsourcing arrangements.I have a particular interest in working with third sector employers and advised a number of charities and voluntary organisations.

I joined Ashfords in 2007 as a solicitor in the employment department based at the Bristol office. During my time at Ashfords my responsibilities grew rapidly, seeing me head up the marketing of the employment services from the Bristol office as well as managing a full caseload. My practice covered all aspects of employment law, although I specialised in advising employers and Insolvency Practitioners. I regularly delivered bespoke training for clients and provided training for a number of external bodies, including the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.My clients included a London Borough Council, several state and private schools, voluntary organisations, professional service providers and manufacturing companies.

Advising mainly SME clients on all aspects of the employment relationship - from recruitment to termination. I also worked with (mainly professional) private individuals in bringing claims against their employers or former employers in the Employment Tribunal.During my training contract, I also undertook seats in private client (encompassing wills, probate and conveyancing), personal injury and insurance litigation as well as gaining some experience in respect of insolvency and commercial property matters.

Llb, Law

Activities and Societies: I rekindled my love of netball and was captain of the "sociable" third team during my final year, leading.

Levels 2 & 3 Certificate, Counselling Skills & Counselling Studies

Legal Practice Course, Law, Distinction

Activities and Societies: NetballPostgraduate Diploma in Law

A Levels, Economics

Economics; English Language and Literature; General Studies and Law

Education record

GCSEs