Introducing our speakers

We are delighted to welcome our speakers and have set out a short biography for each of them below

Thursday 31st January

Opening the conference: Understanding the future: Brendan Sarsfield CEO Family Mosaic

The session will review where Supported Housing is today and what we have to do to make it a healthy and vibrant sector in the future.

Brendan was appointed Chief Executive of Family Mosaic at its point of merger in 2006. He joined Mosaic Homes in 2001 as Chief Executive. Previously, he was a Director at Family HA for seven years. He spent five years at London & Quadrant as a senior manager and has also worked in local government. He has worked in Supported Housing for the last 20 years.

Family Mosaic is a large Housing Association which has Care & Supported Housing at its heart. It now provides support services across London and the South-East to 8,000 adults, across a wide range of client groups and home improvement services to 24,000 people per annum. It is also a landlord to another 24,000 homes, a property developer and community catalyst. Its goal is to ‘Improve the Health, Wealth and Well-Being of Customers through Housing.’

Driving up Quality: Vic Rayner CEO Sitra

Vic Rayner – Sitra CEO – Vic has many years experience of working in the housing related support sector. She sat on the HCA Vulnerable and Older Peoples advisory panel, has a place on the recently launched ‘Driving up Quality Alliance’, a project aimed at improving quality in learning disability services and has a place on the Right to Control Advisory Group. Vic has a specialism in management development and has provided a wide range of management programmes within the third sector. Vic has an MBA (Distinction), MA and BA (Hons) in Politics, Philosophy and Economics. She is also a qualified verifier and assessor.

Sitra is the leading charity in the housing, care and support sector providing training, consultancy and advice. Established since 1984, we have 30 years experience of providing technical support to providers and commissioners. Sitra also now brings expertise in the field of social care and health with its recent incorporation of the Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), whose objective is the promotion and integration of social care, health, housing and public health. We are recognised as a leader and representative of the sector and regularly consulted by central and local government departments including DCLG & DWP for our expertise in housing, health and social care. HSCP now adds a close relationship with the Department of Health.

You can keep in touch via our Bulletin, widely recognised as a key source of technical information and policy development throughout the sector, our website (www.sitra.org) and our Twitter and Facebook pages.

'Old and New Partnerships': Ann Skinner: CEO – Resolving Chaos

Ann has a strong track record in working with people with multiple needs, helping improve services and outcomes for vulnerable people across London.

In August 2010, Resolving Chaos became one of 12 Cabinet Office- sponsored pathfinders, exploring new ways of delivering services to the public. As a ‘spin-out’ from the Department of Health, Resolving Chaos became a new Community Interest Company in February 2012.

Since its creation, Resolving Chaos has been building on the experience and methodologies developed through the Department of Health’s Tackling Multiple Disadvantage Programme in London – as well as other similar initiatives. Its most recent success is becoming lead agency for the BIG Lottery ‘Fulfilling Lives Programme’: Lambeth, Southwark & Lewisham

Ann has worked in the voluntary and community sector, the private sector and in local and regional government. Ann’s track record includes:  Front line and managerial roles within the community and voluntary sector in volunteering, welfare rights and homelessness services.  The role of a joint commissioner of mental health services in LB Lambeth Social Services  The Lead Officer for the Supporting People programme and managing a successful and well-respected Supporting People Commissioning Team in LB Lambeth  The Corporate Lead for Partnerships Commissioning with the Lambeth Local Strategic Partnership  Socially Excluded Adults Programme Development Lead, Department of Health (London Region)  Founding Director of Resolving Chaos C.I.C.

Ann has also been the Chair of Homeless Link since December 2009.

Alison Meacher, Barrister at Hardwicke Chambers. Alison is a public law barrister. Her practice covers all aspects of Housing Management and Policy, Regeneration, Contracting by and with Local Authorities, Social Welfare, Human Rights, the provision of Adult Social Care, Best Interest decisions for adults who lack capacity, DOLS authorisations, appointment and revocation of welfare and financial deputies. Friday 31st January

Against the Odds: Framing a Case for Support Services Domini Gunn-Peim; Director of Health and Well Being: CIH

Domini is leading on the development and delivery of a wide range of CIH tools and products to support the housing sector in developing and delivering a collaborative and partnership approach to improving the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities. Prior to joining CIH in 2011 Domini worked at the Audit Commission as the national lead for vulnerable communities and a lead housing inspector. Domini chaired the Hospital 2 Home Advisory Group and is a trustee of Care & Repair (England) and the Extra Care Charitable Trust (ECCT). She has had papers published in a number of journals and participated in international projects.

‘Care Support Plus’ Michelle Crouch: Head of Mental Health One Housing Group

Michelle Crouch, leads One Housing Group’s mental health division. Michelle has worked for One Housing Group for 8 years and is passionate about delivering high quality recovery focused support services to our customers and ensuring that we have a highly skilled and well trained staff team to make this a reality.

Michelle is a qualified Social Worker who has significant experience of and expertise in the delivery of the full range of community, housing-related and registered support services. Michelle is also a Chair of a small mental health charity based in Redbridge which she oversees in her spare time. Michelle Crouch. MA Social Work. PgDip Social Work.

Jake Eliot Policy Leader National Housing Federation (NHF)

Jake Eliot leads the Federation's policy work on health, social care and support for vulnerable and older people. The National Housing Federation is the trade body for housing associations in England and exists to support and promote the work that housing associations do and campaigns for better housing and neighbourhoods. Prior to joining the Federation, Jake was a consultant in strategy and impact at the National Council for Voluntary Organisations. He has worked as a researcher in the House of Lords and for an educational social enterprise and has several years' experience of working in the voluntary sector in different policy and project management roles. He also is chair of a voluntary arts and culture agency for London

Harnessing Customer Insight: ‘Experts by Experience’ Look Ahead Care and Support

Look Ahead supports around 8,000 people across London and the South East each year. We provide specialist support and care services which help our customers to achieve positive change and move forward with their lives. We work with customers to design and deliver innovative, flexible and personalised services, putting them firmly in control. We support people with challenges related

Ceri Sheppard

Ceri is the Transformation Manager at Look Ahead Care and Support, and is responsible for leading on personalisation and co-production across the organisation. Previously she led on the Look Ahead Coventry Road trial in partnership with LB Tower Hamlets, which successfully developed a model to personalise block contracts. Ceri has worked in various housing, homelessness and social care organisations, including Broadway, Homeless Network, Crisis and Cast. Working freelance, she has also delivered work on outcomes, evaluation, strategic planning and independent complaints investigations, as well as completing several interim management appointments.

Bruce Menzies, Peer Mentor, Look Ahead Care and Support

As a peer mentor, Bruce supports people in their recovery from addiction. He is also a key member of Look Ahead’s Experts by Experience team which trains care and support staff in core skills. In addition, Bruce calls on his 11 years experience of using services in his role as quality checker, visiting and assessing Look Ahead services across London.

Bruce has many years experience of working in the hospitality and building trades, and has lived and travelled extensively in Europe. Hailing from Monarch of the Glen country, he is now based in London. What inspires Bruce is; “Seeing others gain the freedom from addiction that I have achieved, and helping those who provide services to improve.”

Time to take stock: Welfare reform: presentation and debate Joe Halewood

"Joe Halewood is the outspoken founder of HSM a supported housing consultancy that have advised 200+ service providers since 2000. Joe also blogs under SPeye (keeping an eye on SP!) which for the past year has challenged and critically deconstructed the ill considered welfare reforms of the current government in the same way he did with SP and the ODPM all those years ago Joe is passionate about vulnerable people not being shafted by any government or authority."

Joe’s presentation is kept simple and asks attendees to think about the welfare reform and supported housing overlay and to be creative and proactive.