About SCIE - Board of Trustees

SCIE is governed by a board of 13 trustees who guide its work and ensure its independence. Board papers are available on our website.

Click here for information on our Executive Management Group.

Board members

Allan Bowman, Chair of the Board

Allan has been chair of SCIE since March 2006. A qualified social worker, Allan began his career in social work in Scotland in 1972. He has held various posts north and south of the border, he was Director of social work in Fife for 11 years and strategic director for health and social care in Brighton & Hove for six years. Latterly, Allan has been head of programmes for the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. There he had responsibility for a range of regeneration initiatives including the New Deal for Communities. Specialising in child protection and home care, he has spoken extensively on these subjects internationally and provided advice and consultancy on a range of community care and health issues in Europe and Canada.
Nadra Ahmed OBE

Nadra has 24 years of social care experience, particularly in the private sector where she has developed, planned and opened care homes. Nadra has been actively involved in debating social care and has a special interest in workforce development issues.
David Archibald

After completing a degree in psychology, David trained as a social worker in Glasgow, before working as a social worker for several years in Glasgow, and then inner city Birmingham. Following management posts in Hertfordshire and West Sussex, David was appointed as the first Director of Social Services in the new unitary authority of Medway where he established a new department. In 1999 he moved to East Sussex County Council as Director of Social Services. Since May 2005, David has been Executive Director for Children and Adults for the London Borough of Ealing, where he has overall responsibility for Adult Social Services and Children’s Services.
Tina Coldham

Tina campaigns for a better understanding of mental health issues in society, and works to improve service provision. She describes herself as having enduring mental health problems, having used mental health services over many years. Tina has worked in the voluntary sector, across disability, in academia, with regulators and governing bodies as a trainer, researcher and consultant. In 2001 Tina joined the Centre for Mental Health Services Development England (CMHSDE) at King’s College as a project coordinator, working on the successful national pilot to implement direct payments in mental health. Since 2003, she has worked for the Health and Social Care Advisory Service (HASCAS) on various national projects including direct payments work, service reviews, independent investigations, and MARD - the review of user and carer involvement in NIMHE (CSIP). Tina also chairs the SCIE co-production network.
Sam Hudson

Sam Hudson has worked in public services in the UK and Australia for over 13 years and joined the NHS in 2001. Sam is currently Head of Experience and Engagement at the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, where her role encompasses several programmes. These include; the Practice Partner Network - NHS trusts who pilot new ways of working; delivery of the Department of Health - sponsored Patient Experience Learning Programme and High Impact Actions to Improve Patient Experience programmes; and Armchair Involvement - a guide to using technology for health participation. Sam has a special interest in co-design, service experience, service user engagement, new technologies and communications.
Sukhvinder Kaur-Stubbs

Sukhvinder Kaur-Stubbs is Chair of Volunteering England and Board member of Consumer Focus and OPM (Independent centre for the development of public services). Sukhvinder is a member of the Administrative Justice Tribunals Council. Previously, she was CEO for eight years at the Social Justice Agency, the Barrow Cadbury Trust and prior to that, CEO of the Runnymede Trust and founding/elected Chair of the European Network Against Racism. She has served on a number of public bodies, including the Better Regulation Commission, Queen Mary‘s NHS Trust and the Local Government Association’s review into health inequalities. Sukhvinder was a judge on the Guardian Public Service Awards for three years.
Mario Kreft

Mario Kreft represents SCIE's board activities in Wales. Mario has worked in the Social Care Sector for 25 years. He is a provider of domiciliary and residential care services based in North East Wales. He is Chief Executive (Honorary) of Care Forum Wales (CFW), a professional association of primarily independent sector care providers and care professionals. At CFW, Mario is responsible for social care policy and the organisation's working relationship with the Welsh Assembly Government and other public, voluntary and private agencies. He is the founder and proprietor of the award-winning Pendine Park care organisation which he set up in Wrexham in 1985. In 2010 Mario was honoured by the Queen who appointed him an MBE for his services to social care in Wales.
Mike Lauerman CBE

Mike Lauerman works as an independent consultant in social care and children's services. He originally qualified as a chartered engineer and entered Social Services in 1972. In 1989 he moved from Kent to the post of Director of Cleveland Social Services following the child abuse enquiry. Mike was Director of Social Services in Hartlepool following local government reorganisation, Director of the Adoption and Permanence Taskforce and subsequently Looked After Children Taskforce from 2000 to 2006. He recently completed work with the Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP) as Regional Change Agent for Children, Young People and Families in the North East. Mike is also the Chair of Skills for Care North East Regional Committee and Board Member of Skills for Care.
Ann Macfarlane OBE

Ann was appointed to the board in January 2007. Ann Macfarlane is a leading disability rights and equalities consultant, focusing on health and social care as it affects older people. She specialises in Independent Living and Direct Payments and has been involved in the Disabled Peoples’ Movement in the UK for many years. She is a consultant for the National Centre for Independent Living, an ’Expert by Experience’ for the Care Quality Commission and works with SCIE on Projects as well as being on the Commission for Equalities and Human Rights Age Reference Group. She is well recognised in the local community for her voluntary sector commitment and has roles within disability and health organisations. She received her MBE for her involvement in disability issues and her work with disabled people nationally and internationally. In 2009, Ann was awarded an OBE for services to disabled people. Ann is Chair of Shaping our Age Older Peoples Reference Group.
Jo Munyard

Jo has 11 years experience in social care including mental health, domiciliary care, fostering, domestic violence, learning disabilities and is now working for Peverel Care Services as an Estate Manager. Jo was Chair of the West Kent Domestic Violence Forum and set up a voluntary organisation in West Kent offering free counselling to survivors of abusive relationships.
Andy Nash

Andy has a management background in local government and NHS and started his career as a social worker. He has also worked in national inspection and regulation, service improvement and policy development and implementation at the Department of Health.
Jenny Owen CBE

Jenny was appointed to the board in January 2007. Jenny was Deputy Chief Executive for Essex County Council until March 2012 and was President of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) in 2009/10. She has many years experience in the field of Social Services, in local government and as a senior civil servant at the Department of Health. She is a board member of Research in practice for adults (ripfA) and on the Board of Governors for a Mental Health Foundation Trust. She co-chaired the National Dementia Strategy and in 2010 was awarded a CBE for services to local government.
Stephanie Palmerone

Steph Palmerone is employed by Grove Investments primarily to support Barchester Healthcare. Her role concerns strategic planning and developing relationships with public sector partners. Prior to moving into this role Steph worked for a large mental health trust. She was part of the original team established by the Department of Health to implement ‘Valuing People’, which focuses on people with learning disabilities. Steph has worked for over 20 years within health and social care, starting as an occupational therapist. She has worked in commissioning and provision as well as within health and social care.
Ian Sutherland

Ian was appointed to the Board in March 2008 by the SCIE Board and Northern Ireland Assembly. Ian is Director of Children and Young People, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, Northern Ireland. Ian was previously Director of Mental Health Services in the Southern Health and Social Care Trusts. He qualified as a social worker in Nottingham in 1986, and has worked in Statutory Services in Northern Ireland since 1990. Ian has acted for several years as member of the British Association of Social Workers Executive within Northern Ireland.