Richard is a Senior Fellow at the King’s Fund where he leads on social care and work with local government. He began his social work career in 1977 after graduating from the LSE. He has worked in a variety of social work practice, policy and management roles, before becoming Director of Social Services and Housing for Herefordshire County Council in 1998 and subsequently Chief Executive of Herefordshire Health Authority in a combined role, the first in England.

From 2002 to 2007 Richard worked for the Department of Health in supporting the implementation of national health and social care policy, initially as Director of the Health & Social Care Change Agent Team, and then Chief Executive of the Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP). He is joint chair of the ADASS Associates Network; non-executive director of Housing21 and a trustee of a national charity for older people, IndependentAge . He is a Fellow of the RSA.