About Us
On behalf of all of the team we would like to welcome you to Thornton & Lee, a team of Independent Social Workers and Mental Capacity Assessors, located conveniently around England and Wales, who pride ourselves on kindness. Our approach to specialist assessments and services are person-centred, and always professional. Our team are fully qualified, insured and experienced Social Workers, in addition to holding a current registration with Social Work England.
Our team members at Thornton & Lee have extensive experience working across Adult Social Care, working with highly complex presentations and diagnoses. We specialise in assessing and working in partnership with those experiencing dementia, brain injury, Korsakoff’s, physical disability, stroke related dementia, and much more. This includes completing assessments with those who have additional needs, such as communication, visual or hearing impairments. We all hold a strong interest in the area of mental capacity, sharing a common devotion for representing, and when required, protecting those who may be vulnerable. Our Independent Social Workers have a significant level of experience and a high skillset that enables us to deliver the highest quality of holistic assessments.
Founding members of Thornton & Lee; Rebecca Thornton and Faye Lie-Critchley met as practicing Social Workers in a busy acute hospital team in 2016; before going on to co-manage the hospital Social Work team together. Rebecca and Faye personally oversee and quality assure every single assessment completed by our team, in addition to being very much public facing and hands on with undertaking assessments. We are relentless perfectionists, who want to get it right for you, our client, every single time.
We welcome referrals from both professionals and members of the public
Our Team
Rebecca Thornton
Managing Director and Mental Capacitor Assessor
Rebecca Thornton is our Managing Director and an experienced Independent Social Worker, qualified since 2010. She has worked across community adult social care and in a specialist neurological brain injury hospital, developing strong expertise in complex mental capacity assessment and NHS Continuing Healthcare processes. Rebecca also has extensive experience in managing Local Authority social work teams, alongside chairing complex and high risk Safeguarding and Best Interest meetings. She is known for her clear professional judgment, approachable leadership, and commitment to high-quality assessment practice.
Faye Lie-Critchley
Managing Director and Mental Capacitor Assessor
Faye Lie-Critchley is our Managing Director and an experienced Independent Social Worker, beginning her career in learning disability services. She has supported adults in domestic abuse settings, acute hospital teams, and specialist dementia and neurological disorder services, providing both group and one-to-one support. Faye is highly skilled in adult safeguarding, financial safeguarding, and NHS Continuing Healthcare assessments, with experience managing several hospital social work teams. She is recognised for her strong legal knowledge, analytical approach, and balanced decision-making in complex situations.
Dr Jason Corner
Expert Mental Capacity Assessor
Dr Jason Corner is our Expert Mental Capacity Assessor and a Registered Mental Health Nurse. He holds a First-Class BSc, a Postgraduate Certificate in Dementia Studies, an MSc in Clinical Research, and a Doctorate in Health Sciences. Jason teaches widely on dementia assessment, mental state examination, and key legal frameworks within mental health practice. He brings a thoughtful, calm, and knowledgeable presence to complex mental capacity assessments.
Joanne Sutherland
Mental Capacity Assessor
Joanne Sutherland is an independent Social Worker qualifying in 2014 with broad experience in learning disability, mental health, and Local Authority team management. She has led as a manager of a Deprivation of Liberty team, and completed assessments presented in Court of Protection proceedings. Jo adapts communication creatively using pictures, objects of reference, and Makaton to support people to express their views. She is appreciated for her clear reasoning, strong safeguarding knowledge, and calm, supportive approach.
Hayley Lodge
Mental Capacity Assessor
Hayley Lodge is an Independent Social Worker who qualified in 2016, with experience in both adult and children’s services. She is a qualified Best Interest Assessor with experience completing Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards assessments. Hayley also supports developing practitioners through her work as an Advanced Social Work Educator. She is known for her warm communication style, thorough practice, and ability to put people at ease during assessments.
Leanda Brooker
Business Support
Leanda Brooker brings a strong background in customer service from roles in retail, local government, and the NHS. In her business support role, she manages client communication and coordinates assessment arrangements with care and efficiency. Leanda is valued for her organised approach and her warm, reassuring manner when supporting clients. She ensures a smooth, friendly, and professional experience from first contact through to assessment.
Becki Medforth
Business Support
Becki Medforth is a valued member of our business support team and often the first point of contact for clients. She prepares detailed background information to help our assessors understand each person’s needs before assessments begin. Becki has just qualified as a social worker, building on experience supporting both children and adults in health and social care. She is known for her friendly manner, attention to detail, and commitment to providing a smooth and supportive client experience.
Meet the Team at Thornton & Lee
At Thornton & Lee we are so proud of the talent pool of skilled and experienced Mental Capacity Assessors available for face to face and virtual assessments throughout England and Wales. All of our assessment team are qualified, registered and insured Independent Social Workers, and also our Guest Expert Mental Capacity Assessor Registered Mental Health…
Get to know Dr Jason Corner
Today we caught up with Dr Jason Corner so that you can get to know him a little better and what you might expect if you or your loved one has an appointment scheduled with our wonderful, extremely personable and kind assessor; Tell us more about your role and who you work with in the…