James has worked in healthcare for over 20 years, much of this time spent in the addictions treatment sector. He began his career working as a Substance Misuse Worker, providing support to people arrested for drug related crime. After completing a BSc (Hons) in Addictions in his spare time, James progressed into management positions, complemented by a level 7 certificate in executive management. James led the business development and quality improvement agendas for Wales's largest substance misuse treatment provider through a period of significant expansion. In 2019 he joined Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Trust to lead a 2-year regulatory compliance project, and continues to work in programme management roles within the NHS. He is currently overseeing work to support the expansion of psychology in health and social care.