Our Founder

Gary Spencer-Humphrey
BA (Hons) LL.B (Hons) MA PgD RSW MBASW FRSPH

Gary is the Consultant Director and Founder of Nova Care Consultants. He is an experienced Independent Social Worker (ISW) registered in England and Wales and registered expert witness with NEWA.

Legal and healthcare professionals highly regard Gary for his solution-focused expert reports, care and capacity assessments.

In addition to his social work qualifications, ​he is a Social Supervisor (forensic social work), an Approved Mental Health Profesional (AMHP), a Best Interests Assessor (BIA) and DoLS Authorising Officer.

Gary holds a law degree (LL.B), a postgraduate diploma in adult safeguarding (PGDip) and a master's degree in advanced mental health (MA), and is working toward a professional doctorate. Gary is a certified cognitive rater using the MoCA cognitive assessment and holds the Bond Solon Expert Witness Certificates for Family and Civil Law (FPR & CPR). Gary has held seasonal posts as an academic tutor for a leading distance learning institute and has guest lectured at Bournemouth University for the School of Nursing and Midwifery.

In 2012, Gary was appointed by the Lord Chancellor to sit on the Mental Health Review Tribunal as a Specialist Member, hearing various referrals and appeals under the Mental Health Act 1983. In 2017, he won a national social work award for his contribution to community-based social work, and in 2019, he was nominated by a specialist NHS Continuing Healthcare solicitor and won the Lawyer Monthly Expert Award.

Gary can be instructed in mental health and mental capacity matters in the Mental Health Review Tribunal for Wales, the First Tier Tribunal (Mental Health) in England. He is also a regular capacity assessor for cases before the Court of Protection and can support appeals unde from a RPR or a Rule 1.2 Representative. He can act as a single joint expert (SJE) for a Local Authority and P (protected party).