Sarah Hinton - Hospital Manager (Interim)

Bio coming soon.

Ngaatendwe Chagwedera - Clinical Manager

Ngaa joined Cygnet Hospital Harrogate in January 2025 as Clinical Manager. Ngaa has worked in NHS and independent sector, and has managerial experience in Acute, Forensic, Community services, Patient Flow and Site Management teams.

Ngaa has worked in mental health services since 2011 and completed his Mental Health nurse training at University of Central Lancashire in 2016. Ngaa `s main focus is quality patient care, staff morale and to be outstanding in all domains related to patient care.

Dr Rebecca Lasseko - Consultant Psychiatrist and Medical Director

Rebecca completed her Psychiatry Core and Higher training from Yorkshire and Humber deanery and she is on Specialist register as a General Adult Psychiatrist. She has a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree from Makerere University in Uganda, Master of Science in Psychiatry and Master of Public Health from Leeds University. She is a member of Royal College of Psychiatrists and Regional Specialty Representative for Rehab & Social for the Yorkshire Region.

Prior to joining Cygnet Hospital Harrogate in April 2022 Rebecca worked as a clinical lead for service development strategy group for inpatients wards and rehabilitation in Leeds and York Partnership Foundation Trust. She has extensive experience of working as a Consultant Psychiatrist in a wide variety of settings including substance misuse, rehabilitation, community mental health teams and acute wards.

Rebecca is passionate about patients care and advocate for mental health wellbeing of her patients. In her spare time, she volunteers in various charities to improve health in her community.

Dr Layth Alashqar - Acting Consultant, Haven Ward

Dr Layth comes from Southern California where he grew up and completed his undergraduate degrees from the California State University Long Beach with a Bachelors of Science in Physiology and a minor in Chemistry. During his University years, he also trained and worked as a Phlebotomist for the American Red Cross and later as a Paramedic.

Dr Layth then attended graduate school to study medicine at the University of Silesia where he attained his Medical Doctor (MD) degree. He then moved to England where he completed his Foundation program training. He then trained in GP and Psychiatry and decided to pursue Psychiatry as a career.

Dr Layth has been practicing as a Doctor since 2007. He worked in both the NHS primary and secondary care and more recently moved to the private sector with Cygnet Healthcare. He has vast experience in both physical and mental health conditions and so uses this to treat patients with a holistic approach. He has taught and supervised medical students. He developed and leads our hospital monthly teaching program.

Dr Layth enjoyed living in four different countries and speaks multiple languages. When not at work, he enjoys traveling and riding his motorbike.

Trudy Chapman - General Manager

Trudy joined Cygnet Harrogate in 2015, initially on a temporary contract. She took over managing the HR department in 2016 and then became Administration Manager. Following a promotion to General Manager in 2019 Trudy is now responsible for running all of the non-clinical side of the hospital including estates, catering, admin and housekeeping.

Trudy is passionate about delivering a safe and comfortable environment for patients and staff and is committed to ensuring the hospital runs as smoothly as possible.

Sophie Kirkman - Haven Ward Manager

Sophie joined Harrogate in 2010 as a bank support worker whilst completing her nurse training. She briefly left to work in elderly services after qualifying before re-joining in 2014 as a Staff Nurse. Sophie became Clinical Team Leader in 2016 and was promoted to Ward Manager in 2024.

Sophie is passionate about motivating and empowering the team and delivering high standards of patient care.

Stephen Aidoo - Sanctuary Ward Manager

Stephen began working as a nurse in Ghana in 2018, moving to the UK in 2020. He began his career as a RMN at Cygnet Hospital Stevenage. A year later, Stephen was promoted to Clinical Team Leader and worked in both secure and acute services. As a Clinical Team Leader, he mostly worked in the Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit at Cygnet Hospital Wyke from 2023.

Stephen became the ward manager in 2024 for Sanctuary Ward, the female acute unit at Cygnet Hospital Harrogate. In every service he has worked in, Stephen has a strong commitment to providing patient-centred care, inspiring others, and providing high-quality care.

Gabriel Manyoka - Counselling Psychologist

Gabriel is an HCPC registered Counselling Psychologist with experience practising in both the UK and Zimbabwe. He joined Cygnet Hospital Harrogate in January 2024, bringing a background shaped by work across a range of clinical and cultural contexts.

Prior to his current role, Gabriel has worked in outpatient units providing psychological care to individuals living with chronic illnesses, as well as in acute inpatient settings and low secure locked rehabilitation services.

He has also worked with leading digital therapy providers in the UK, helping to expand access to psychological support and challenge the stigma surrounding mental health. Gabriel is trained in a range of evidence-based therapeutic approaches, including Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Schema Therapy.

Gabriel has published research around, the psychological impact of social phenomena such as HIV and migration, particularly within minority populations. He has a strong interest in trauma-informed assessments and interventions and he is committed to delivering person centred care that fosters resilience, recovery, and long-term wellbeing.

Neil Voakes - Occupational Therapy Lead

Neil has worked as a qualified Occupational Therapist for Cygnet Health Care since 2007. Neil has experience of working across multiple service lines including Acute, PICU, Low Secure and Personality Disorder. In 2019 Neil completed a post graduate certificate in Sensory Integration level 3 to gain Sensory Integration Practitioner status. Neil is currently employed as a Regional Occupational Therapist Lead and Head Occupational Therapist at Cygnet Hospital Harrogate.

Sophie Rhodes - Social Worker

Sophie joined Cygnet Hospital Harrogate in July 2024 as a social worker. Sophie has experience working in the child protection area of social work and community mental health social work. Sophie also has experience volunteering for homeless charities and food banks.

Sophie is passionate about supporting patients with their social aspects of care and supporting partnership working to ensure patients receive continued support in the community.