North West Staff List

Regional Director

Cynara Ogden-Smith BA (Hons), Applied Social Sciences
Joined SWIIS Foster Care November 1999

Cynara qualified as a Social Worker in 1970.  She has developed and managed Children’s Services including Adoption and Fostering Provision within Local Authority Social Services Departments.  Cynara’s commitment  to Fostering Services spans thirty years, serving on both local and national bodies committed to improving the Fostering Service for both children and carers. 

Regional Operations Manager

David Schofield DipSW, CQSW, CMS, BA in Social Welfare Administration
Joined SWIIS Foster Care April 2000

David qualified as a Social Worker in 1985 and has worked since then in a variety of local authority social work settings including Child Protection, Hospital Social Work (Paediatrics) and Family Assessment and Support.  He is an experienced Trainer, and was a Manager of a Family Assessment and Support Centre in a local authority for several years before joining SWIIS Foster Care.

Principal Social Worker

Lesley Sharman CQSW
Joined SWIIS Foster Care October 2000

Lesley began her career as a Trainee Generic Social Worker before qualifying in 1976.  She worked in a Children and Families Team for a local authority for 15 years, before moving into Family Placement Work.  Lesley left local government and worked as an Adoption Worker in the voluntary sector for four years before joining SWIIS Foster Care.

Senior Social Workers

Wendy Keillor DipSW, CQSW
Joined SWIIS Foster Care in February 2003

Wendy qualified as a Social Worker in 1989 and has worked since then in a variety of local authority social work settings including Hospital Social Worker (Adults, Child Protection and Family Assessment and Support.  Wendy is an experienced Fostering and Adoption Social Worker with a Diploma in Social Work and an Accredited Child Care Award. 

Elaine Taylor CQSW
Joined SWIIS Foster Care September 2003

Elaine qualified as a Social Worker in 1980.  Elaine worked in Children and Families Teams for a South London Borough for four years.  In 1985 Elaine moved into Family Placement Services, joining the Adoption and Fostering Unit in the London Borough of Wandsworth where she remained for 11 years. Elaine moved to Manchester in 1997 working in Family Placement in Manchester where she worked for six years prior to joining SWIIS Foster Care.

Helen Payne CQSW
Joined SWIIS Foster Care September 2003

Helen started work as a Social Worker in 1978 and qualified in 1983.  Helen has worked in a variety of local authority and voluntary sector settings including Services for Disabled Children and Adults, Older People and Family Placement Services.  Helen was involved in setting up a family based Respite Care Service for Children with Disabilities and has worked for a number of years in Fostering and Adoption.

Ed Mason BA (Hons), CQSW, Diploma in Applied Social Studies, Dip. Counselling, BACP/UKREP Registered Counsellor
Joined SWIIS Foster Care in September 2004

Ed has over 25 years experience working with children, young people and their families in Health, Education and Social Services, as well as in the private and voluntary sector.  He is an experienced Trainer and Counsellor, and previously managed ROSTA, the UK’s first Therapeutic Fostering Programme. He is particularly interested in creating therapeutic packages for children with complex needs.

Jackie Line BA (Hons), DipSW, MA in Social Work
Joined SWIIS Foster Care in January 2005

Jackie has 10 years experience of working with children and young people with Attachment Difficulties and/or a diagnosis of an Attachment Disorder.  She has supported many children, young people and their families/carers through Therapeutic Treatment Programmes addressing a child’s past experiences and how they impact on current difficulties at home, school and in the community.  Primarily Jackie has worked within the field of Residential Social Work as a Care Worker, Unit Manager and Area Manager for a specialist Independent Child Care Provider.

Julie Holland   BA (Hons), CQSW
Joined SWIIS Foster Care in April 2005
Julie qualified as a Social Worker in 1994 and worked for six years as a Child and Families Social Worker and four years as a Team Manager.  Prior to qualifying Julie worked as a Residential Social Worker with young people.

Pam Hulme DipSW

Joined SWIIS Foster Care in October 2007.

Pam qualified in 2004 and worked for 3 years as a Children and Family Social Worker in an Assessment and Family Support team before joining us.

Health Advisor

Ann Schofield RGN, Registered HV
Joined SWIIS Foster Care January 2004

Ann qualified as a Registered Nurse in 1973 after working in hospital settings.  Ann moved into Community Nursing in 1985, Initially School Nursing, then latterly as a Health Visitor.  Ann has experience of working with children and families, and in multi-agency collaboration within child protection and looked after children areas.  She has health education/public health interests.

Education Case Workers

Dawn Henderson M.A. Cert Ed
Joined SWIIS Foster Care January 2004

Dawn has been a qualified Teacher since 1973 and taught in a variety of educational establishments teaching English, Literacy, Language and EAL, including primary, secondary and higher education.  Dawn has held senior management positions in various schools and has wide experience in working with children with special educational needs.  An experienced Trainer, delivering in-service training to other teachers and has lectured on a Foundation Degree Course.

Pam Raymer Cert. Ed
Joined SWIIS Foster Care January 2004

Pam is a qualified Teacher with over 20 years’ experience in many varied fields of education.  She has taught children throughout  the country in KS 1-4 in mainstream, special schools and a residential assessment centre.  Her work as an Outreach Teacher for Special Schools have her expertise in supporting both children with disabilities and their parents.  Most recently, Pam has worked for a children’s charity as a Family Support Project Worker and has been organising courses for parents in behaviour management. 

Education Support Worker

Janet Burrows – NNEB
Joined SWIIS Foster Care on 1st September 2004

Qualified as an NNEB in 1979.  Worked in a Social Services Day Nursery with pre-school children and their families.  Worked in mainstream and special needs schools supporting children with various educational, physical and medical needs.  Janet has also done voluntary work as a Group Leader for a pre-brownie group.

Placement Support Worker

Laura Iddon – BTEC National Diploma in Caring (Childcare)
Joined SWIIS Foster Care on 2nd May 2005

Laura worked as a Registered Childminder before qualifying with BTEC National Diploma in 1994.  She was employed for four years in mainstream/special education then four years as Community Nursery Nurse within Health Visiting Team.  Latterly Laura has worked three years as Community Facilitator for Surestart.  Laura has experienced in support for families with a range of parenting issues.

Administration Team

Office Administration Manager

Jackie Roderick RSA III, ULCI Group Secretarial Certificate, BAAF Panel Administrator Course
Joined SWIIS Foster Care January 2000

Jackie has worked in a variety of administrative positions prior to joining a Local Authority Child Protection Team in 1991.  Jackie moved to work on the Family Placement Team in 1994.  Here she provided administrative support to the Panel as well as the Family Placement Team, and she has been able to build upon this experience since joining SWIIS Foster Care when the service was set up. 

Administrators

Rebecca Hare RSA II CLAIT, NVQ 2 Business Admin,  Level 3 Media & Communication, BAAF Panel Administrator Course,.
Joined SWIIS Foster Care April 2002

Rebecca worked in various reception/administrative posts before joining SWIIS Foster Care, since then she has completed various administration courses including a panel administrators' course. 

Claire Schofield   Btec National Diploma and HND in Hotel, Catering and Institutional Management
Joined SWIIS Foster Care in September 2004

After completing the Btec course in Hotel and Catering, Claire went on to work as Hotel Receptionist and In Hotel Reservations in several hotels around the country.

Independent Fostering Panel Chairperson

Andy Stott
Experienced Local Authority Team Manager in Adoption and Permanency Team