Raymond has a background in psychology and was trained as a social worker. For many years he was employed in social care, and then cared for 11 years, full-time, for his wife who had a complexity of mental ill health issues.

Raymond became actively involved in the work of the Princess Royal Trust for Carers and took an active role in the College’s Partners in Care campaign in 2004/2005. This campaign was designed to highlight the problems faced by carers of all ages of people with different mental health problems and learning disabilities and to encourage true partnerships between carers, patients and professionals.

Raymond was chair of the East and North Hertfordshire Patient and Public Involvement Forum for three years and was actively involved in a number of local voluntary groups. His particular areas of interests have been education, consultation and recovery.

Raymond became the first carer representative on the London Division in November 1999. He was elected as Chair of the Carers’ Forum in 2008 and had been the Forum representative on Council since that time. He has also represented the Carers’ Forum on the Academy of Royal Medical Colleges’ Patients Liaison Group. Raymond is the carer representative on the London Deanery Psychiatry School Board and has represented carers interests on the Joint Commissioning Panel on Mental Health and attended the Expert Reference Group on CAMHS Transitions.

Since 2009, Raymond has also been a judge for the RCPsych Award for Psychiatrist of the Year.

Raymond has been very active within the College since 1999 and has chaired the Carers’ Forum with great tact and diplomacy. He has always intervened constructively and has been a good friend of psychiatry and to psychiatrists, as well as a champion for patients and carers.