Governance

Bert has a background of being a Chair of Trustee for other Charities working with children and young people, having previously been on the Board of Trustees at St. Christopher’s Fellowship (SCF). During his time on the Board at SCF, Bert served as Vice Chair until 2018, before becoming Chair of Trustees from 2018 until he stood down in 2022. SCF is a national charity that works with children and young people in care or on the edge of care.

Bert spent 32 years working for the 3M company with assignments based in Ireland, UK, US, Belgium, Hungary, and India, he retired in 2013. During these assignments he ran substantial businesses in several industries across Europe, Asia, and the United States.

Since 2017, Bert has also sat as a Magistrate in the adult criminal courts in Surrey. He also sits as a committee member of the Surrey Magistrates Association and as a member of the Justices’ Training, Approvals, Authorisations and Appraisals Committee for Surrey and Sussex.

In late 2023 Bert joined the board of Paper Boat, a charity working with children and young people from marginalised communities in India.

Bert has a certification, diploma and post-graduate diploma in Marketing and a degree in Social Science.

Michael is based in Norfolk and has a background in the NHS. Michael began his career at the frontline as a Care worker with adults with a Learning Disability before becoming qualified as a Social Worker.

He was an NHS Chief Executive for almost 20 years with a track record of delivering performance and improvement in provider trusts and commissioning organisations. He has held national roles in the Department of Health Modernisation Agency and subsequently led the Agency.

Michael is also a trustee for a residential community for adults with learning disabilities .

Paul Anderson was the first recipient of the YMCA Peace Medallion in Toronto, Canada for his community service. He has worked as a Frontline Social Worker for twenty years with Children and Family’s Team in Canada and England. He supported the merger of three Local Authorities Adoption and Fostering service, in 2011, before opening a Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre in London.

He continues to work as a Fostering and Permanency Panel Advisor and is the link to the Adopt London South, Regional Adoption Agency. He has joined The Adolescent and Children’s Trust in 2020; with a commitment to better the outcomes of children and young people who are care experienced, by supporting the foster families who have generously opened their homes to those in need.

Jennifer brings experience both as a lawyer and as an executive search professional. She currently leads the European Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Practice at Russell Reynolds Associates and works closely with the Board & CEO Advisory Partners Sector on a range of senior-level assignments.

Before joining Russell Reynolds, Jennifer spent six years at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, advising clients on legal issues related to mergers and acquisitions, securities transactions, and corporate governance matters.

Jennifer studied Law with German at the University of Birmingham. She is a qualified solicitor.

Tom, who is based in Rutland, has over 25 years’ experience as a communication and reputation management professional.

He has worked in the UK and abroad for a variety of commercial organisations such as Accenture, Diageo and the BGL Group and is currently the Communications Director for St Andrew’s Healthcare, a specialist mental healthcare charity that looks after 1,500 people with complex mental health disorders and conditions.

Chizoma has worked for over 20 years in Human Resources within the public sector, previously with the Open University and before that, spent 10 years at Milton Keynes Council. She joined the University of Hertfordshire as Assistant Director of HR in October 2017 before her appointment as Director of HR in January 2021.

Chizoma leads the management of the full range of Human Resources services and associated staff and non-staff budgets, which include EDI, Strategic Business Partnering, Employee Relations, L&OD to name a few. She has taken opportunity following a service review to introduce new areas of focus – Benefits & Reward and Staff Experience – to help direct and inform the strategic people focus of the University’s next strategic plan for 2025.

Chizoma is a member of the Senior Women of Colour SWOC, (a subgroup of WHEN {Women in Higher Education}). She also chairs her professional association’s local CIPD branch and is on the CIPD Council. She is a qualified relationship counsellor and served as a Foundation Governor on a Cathoic School Foundation for 19 years.

Based in North-East London, Richard brings significant senior financial management experience from both the private and not-for-profit sectors.

Following audit and finance roles at Ernst & Young and Capita, Richard has 17 years senior management experience in the charity sector with a particular focus on strategic financial leadership, process and performance improvement, risk management, governance, board engagement and IT. His charity roles have included Director of Finance, IT & Performance and Deputy Chief Executive at Parkinson’s UK during a period of significant growth and Director of Finance at Barnardo’s. Richard is currently Director of Finance at Haven House Children’s Hospice.

Richard has direct experience of being a foster carer and has held other non-executive trustee and audit committee roles in the not-for-profit sector.

Francisco is a technology professional with a passion for social impact and over 20 years of experience in digital transformation and data management. Based in London, he has held senior roles in various non-profit organisations, including The Health Foundation and Independent Age.

Currently, Francisco serves as the Chief Information & Technology Officer at The Health Foundation, where he leads initiatives focusing on improving digital capabilities, security, and organisational efficiency.

Francisco’s background also includes significant contributions to social and health services. He is committed to leveraging his skills to support vulnerable and marginalised communities.

Philip is a Tax Consultant and a Partner in the Sidcup Accountants of Opass Billings Wilson & Honey LLP. Philip is involved with several charities including The Rotary Club of Sidcup Educational Trust, Friends of Queen Mary’s Hospital Sidcup Limited and Young Enterprise South London.

Marium was born in Pakistan and came to the UK at a young age to start a colourful life in the Midlands.

Marium brings a multi-faceted set of experiences including being care experienced and a respite foster carer. Marium has over a decade of working as a qualified Social Worker, as well as working with TACT in different capacities.

Marium is currently a Service Manager in the South of England, with a focus on starting and developing a broad spectrum of projects for local authorities across the UK.

Lorraine is a consultant clinical forensic psychologist, an Associate Fellow of The British Psychological Society, a visiting professor at the centre for child and youth justice at the University of Strathclyde. Prior to becoming an independent practitioner, Lorraine worked in the NHS for more than 25 years where she held senior posts (delivering clinical, managerial, strategic and governance roles) across all types of forensic mental health settings (community, low, medium, and high security), Forensic Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Tier 3 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, specialist services for Looked After Children. Lorraine also developed and led the Interventions for Vulnerable Youth Project hosted at University of Strathclyde, between 2013 and 2020 and most recently worked as an interim co-director of a secure children’s home.

As well as her extensive clinical experience working with children, adolescents, adults and families, she has consulted to organisations nationally and internationally. She has also maintained an academic career. and has published in peer-reviewed journals and edited books on various clinical and forensic psychology topics. Lorraine has held research grants and prepared research reports on various topics. She has presented at national and international conferences in North America, Europe, and the UK. Lorraine has also won three awards, including the Gillian Birrell Prize (accepted 2001), the Division of Forensic Psychology Junior Award (accepted 2007) and the Butler Award (accepted from HRH Princess Anne, March 2016) as had several of her students. Lorraine also teachers, trains and supervises colleagues.