Today’s podcast guest on Ascend Radio is Harry Cayton, one of the world’s leading regulatory authorities.
Although it is difficult to sum up Cayton’s varied experience and diverse portfolio of work in one statement, he is most well-known as an advisor on professional regulation and governance and is widely sought after for his deep experience with regulatory practices.
In addition to previously serving as chief executive of the United Kingdom’s Professional Standards Authority, which he helped create, he pioneered right-touch regulation, a well-known approach to regulatory decision-making that has been adopted by regulatory bodies across the world.
His considerable career spans special education, disability rights, public policy and the role of regulation in promoting the public good. Consistent themes across his work have been consumer interests, public engagement, and promoting wellbeing. Describing himself as a “committed internationalist,” he has always sought clarity of ideas and simplicity of solutions.
In addition to his work with regulators and the PSA, he was National Director for Patients and England’s Public at the Department of Health and previously chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Society and Director of the National Deaf Children’s Society.
Notably, in 2018 Cayton completed a statutory Inquiry into the College of Dental Surgeons of British Columbia at the request of the Minister of Health. The recommendations in his report have brought about sweeping changes in the governance of the College and informed the provincial government’s plans for health regulation reform.
Other recent or current clients include, The College of Dental Surgeons of BC, Hong Kong’s Food & Health Administration, Professional Engineers Ontario, the College and of Registered Nurses of Alberta, The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the Veterinary Council of Ireland, and the list goes on and on.
Cayton has published more than fifty articles, papers and book chapters and has received a number of awards including the OBE for services to people with dementia, the CBE for services to health and regulation reform, a Fellowship Through Distinction from the Faculty of Public Health and an Outstanding Leadership Award from the World Health Executive Forum.
In today’s podcast, Cayton and host Paul Leavoy discuss topics ranging fairness, equality, diversity, the regulatory challenges of the pandemic, and moral duty in the context of regulation.
Further reading:
- Does good governance need good character?
- Cayton Report sets stage for regulatory reform in B.C.
- ‘New normal’ asks us to question original regulatory requirements
We’ll soon be rolling out Ascend Radio on all traditional podcast channels, but in the meantime, you can listen to the conversation through the media player above. To learn more about Ascend Magazine or Ascend Radio, write editor@ascend.thentia.com.
Disclaimer: Harry Cayton is a member of the Board of Directors at Thentia.
