Meet The Team

UKASSA brings together a team of unparalleled expertise in the workplace drug and alcohol services sector. Each of UKASSA’s service areas are headed by individuals that are renowned in their respective fields.

Richard is the founder of UKASSA and has extensive experience in the drug and alcohol services sector having worked and trained extensively with organisations such as RAPt (The Rehabilitation of Addicted Prisoners Trust) Community Alcohol Teams and local Drug and Alcohol Action Teams (DAATs).

Richard is an experienced business consultant and has trained as a Psychotherapist currently undertaking further training in Psychoanalysis. He has worked with businesses across a diverse range of sectors and his overall aim is to give people who are suffering from addictive disorders direct access to treatment services via their employer.

Richard set up UKASSA in order to raise the awareness of addiction within the UK workplace, helping to increase the understanding of these problems in order for organisations to treat addiction as a healthcare concern.

Richard can be contacted at r.cross@ukassa.org.uk

Caroline Curtis-Dolby (Ad.Dip Psychotherapy, BACP, CS, RCN, EFT)

Caroline is a professional Psychotherapist with more than fifteen years of experience working with people with addiction problems. Specialist areas of expertise include managing and treating drug and alcohol addiction within business environments, having a high level of experience in the corporate sector.

A leading figure in her field, Caroline develops bespoke treatment solutions focused on the individual requirements of each UKASSA client, offering direct access to premier treatment centres and aftercare options across the UK and abroad.

Caroline is able to work with a broad range of individuals at all levels across organisations. The majority of her more recent experience has been focused around working with high profile clients including Chairman’s, CEO’s, Journalists, Media Correspondents, clients from Blue Chip city firms and others in high profile positions of responsibility.

Caroline can be contacted at c.curtis-dolby@ukassa.org.uk

Peter Smith (BA, MSc, PGCE, Dip PTSC, DMS)

Having worked in the addictions field for over 25 years, Peter is one of the UK’s leading experts on workplace drug and alcohol concerns. He has more than 12 years experience acting in a consultancy capacity both in the UK and overseas consulting on the development of workplace drug and alcohol policies, the delivery of staff treatment programmes, alongside company training and development projects.

Peter has worked with a broad range of companies from SME’s to large private and public sector organisations across the UK and with multinational corporations all over the world – providing the best, most up to date and comprehensive drug and alcohol training available. Having worked with a number of well known companies in a diverse range of sectors, including; manufacturing and production, logistics and public transport, aerospace and defense, technology, IT and computing, consultancy firms and other blue chip organisations Peter brings extensive experience to the team.

He is currently a member of an RCGP (Royal College of General Practitioners) advisory panel supporting the development of GP training and a member of a Responsibility in Gambling Fund (RGF) steering group involved in the creation of National Occupational Standards (NOS).

Peter can be contacted at p.smith@ukassa.org.uk

Hilde Sole

Hilde is an experienced addictions therapist who brings a high level of credibility to our employee assessment and intervention services. Hilde holds Hazelden endorsed diplomas in Addiction Studies and Addiction Counseling. Hilde’s diverse experience has been gained from working with treatment centers in Arizona (USA), London (UK) and Ramnes (Norway).

Hilde has also undergone additional training at the Betty Ford Center in Palm Springs, a world-renowned centre for addiction studies. Hilde brings a diverse skill set to UKASSA and is able to work fluently in five languages – English, French, German, Italian and Norwegian.

Hilde can be contacted at h.sole@ukassa.org.uk 

Les Vasey (BA)

Les is an expert in health diagnostic technology and leads the technical delivery of all drug and alcohol testing services to UKASSA’s clients. A senior business consultant and leading authority on the development and delivery of employee drug and alcohol testing programmes, Les has experience in advising private and public sector organisations on strategic development initiatives.

As Former Chief Superintendent of the West Yorkshire Police Force, Les was also Chief Executive Officer for the Drugs and Alcohol Action Team. Further experience includes acting as a Home Office and Foreign Officer Governmental Advisor; Senior Lecturer on the National Drugs Strategy at the National Police Staff College; Chairman of the Community Health Council; and Co-founder of Altrix Healthcare – a multi-million pound oral fluid drug testing company. Les is currently Chairman of a Residential Drugs Rehabilitation Unit working closely with recovering drug users, and is an international business consultant with
Gerson Lehrman Group, advising clients on investment opportunities in the drugs, alcohol, and diagnostic markets.

Les can be contacted at l.vasey@ukassa.org.uk

Elise Simpson

Elise manages UKASSA’s press and media related activities. Elise has over 10 years of experience in marketing communications, having worked for various high profile PR agencies and in-house in the public, private and voluntary sectors. An experienced media-relations professional, Elise has managed a broad portfolio of high profile media-relations campaigns. She has held positions in central Government, with responsibility for media relations, media event management and copy writing. Elise holds a BA (Hons) in politics and languages and a Chartered Institute of marketing (CIM) Advanced Diploma in Communication Studies.

Elise can be contacted at e.simpson@ukassa.org.uk