Jill Pitkeathley trained originally as a social worker and led the carers movement for twelve years, creating Carers National Association (now Carers UK) and turning what had been a private, hidden trouble, the needs of Great Britain’s six million carers, into a public issue. She remains a Vice President of CarersUK.

She was Chair of the New Opportunities Fund, responsible for allocating £2 billion of lottery money for six years and Chair of CAFCASS (Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) for five years, from 2003 to 2008.

She is currently Chair of the Advisory Body for the Office of the Third Sector and of the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE)

She was raised to the peerage as Baroness Pitkeathley in 1997, and is a very active working peer as well as Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords.