Melanie Henwood is an independent health and social care consultant. She is a lay member of the General Social Care Council, a specialist adviser to the House of Commons Health Select Committee, and Chair of the Advisory Board on Social Care to the MS Society.

Previously Melanie has held visiting fellowships at the London School of Economics, the University of Leeds, and the University of New South Wales, Sydney. She has more than 20 years experience in research and analysis, focusing particularly on community care and services for older people, people with disabilities and their carers. Most recently she has been involved in work around the development of personalisation, and in examining the impact of eligibility criteria for social care. She is a frequent commentator on health and social care issues in the professional press and in broadcast media.