Ipswich-based law firm Ashton KCJ has appointed two new solicitors to its East Anglian medical injury team.

Carole Watts and Rosaline Wong have joined Ashton KCJ from Pictons Solicitors in Luton. Their appointment takes the medical injury team to 15, which includes six solicitors and two legal executives, making it the largest hub of clinical negligence expertise in the region.

Team head Sandra Patton said: “We are delighted to welcome Carole and Rosaline. Like several members of our existing team, they have both been recognised by independent legal commentators Chambers & Co for their clinical negligence expertise and have many years of experience.”

: : UCS has made two new senior appointments to its senior management team. Professor Simon Hallsworth and Dr Jill Robinson have been appointed to the new roles of executive dean for the faculties of arts, business and applied social science and health and science respectively. The appointment to these two new senior posts sees the academic management structure at UCS move from five academic schools to two faculties, supported by seven departments from September 2014. They follow the announcement of seven new independent members appointed to the new UCS board, and are part of a move by UCS towards a new governance structure and gaining its own degree-awarding powers as part of the institution’s independence project announced last year.

Professor Hallsworth, previously head of the School of Applied Social Sciences at UCS, is an acknowledged expert in the study of urban violence and in this capacity has written extensively on the subject of street robbery, urban street gangs and weapon use.

Dr Jill Robinson, previously head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery at UCS, is an experienced academic with a PhD in education and extensive experience of managing teaching and learning and undertaking applied research. She has a clinical background in mental health nursing and is an accredited and practising cognitive behavioural psychotherapist holding an honorary contract with Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.

: : Frinton-on-Sea-based staff survey provider, The Survey Initiative, has appointed Alison McKinney as project and quality assurance manager.

The firm has grown over the past 12 months and Alison’s role is to help its on-going development.

Gary Cattermole, director at The Survey Initiative, said: “We’ve grown rapidly over the last 12 months and it is essential we retain our high quality service. Alison will help us ensure standards remain high, as well as offering administrative and organisational support.”

Ms McKinney said: “I’m delighted to be working in such a fast-paced environment and excited to support a growing business,” she said.

: : Oakpark Security Services, based at East Street, Colchester, has appointed a new business development manager.

Beverly Davies has just completed eight years as project manager for Essex County Council and is looking forward to her new challenge.

“This industry is completely new to me, and I believe that is what the directors at Oakpark were looking for – someone with no pre-conceptions about the industry. It will certainly be a challenge, but one that I am keen to get my teeth into,” she said.

Managing director Ken Hilton said: “We are very excited about working with Beverly and are looking forward to reaping the benefits of her business experience in Colchester.”

Beverly has a background in customer-facing roles and particularly enjoys planning exhibitions and events.

“Oakpark has recently started running seminars and I am planning to increase the number of these to help local businesses with various aspects of their security,” she said.

: : Former Toni & Guy colour specialist Wayne Hurr has opened his own hair salon, Wayne Hurr Hair, on the former premises of ‘Hey Gorgeous!’ salon in Bury St Edmunds. Wayne takes over the lease from Melissa Dodd, who will remain on the team.

The salon team will be made up of both old and new faces, five of whom are Toni & Guy trained and ex-colleagues of Wayne, including, Melissa Dodd, Helen Moore, Katie Smith, Marcia Salmon, Jasmine Forbes, Claire Wright, Denise White and Wayne’s brother Nicky Carvalho.

Wayne said: “To have the keys to my own business is like a dream come true.”

: : A former chair of the Association of Law Teachers has joined the University of Essex as the new director of Essex Law Clinic.

Richard Owen, who was previously at the University of South Wales where he founded and ran its Legal and Financial Advice Clinic, is a keen advocate of innovative teaching methods.

His first major challenge at Essex will be to map legal provision and advice services across Colchester to assess priority areas for future expansion of Essex’s Clinic, and identify potential pro bono partners. He will also explore the opportunities for providing immigration case advice for which legal aid has been cut significantly.

Richard, who has worked in clinical education since 2007, said: “Clinics offer a different approach to learning that complements the theory-based teaching in the classroom. You wouldn’t think of training to be a doctor purely in the classroom so why should it be any different in law?”

Richard gained his law degree from the University of Birmingham.