Our Governors

I have worked for nearly 25 years in mental health and social care settings with marginalised communities such as BAME groups, homeless people and people with drug and alcohol problems in both voluntary and statutory sectors. During these years, I was also involved in setting up and running a community mental health charity.

My experience includes:

• Promoted the Delivering Race Equality programme at the Commissioning Support for London, which led to an award of a clinical trailblazer project
• Ppromoted the innovative approach of using films and arts to destigmatise attitudes towards mental health problems that led to many funding awards of the Happy Soul projects
• Marketing the value of delivering psychological services in a culturally appropriate ways including choice of centres resulted in commissioning of provider sites BME communities

I have been working in NHS for nearly 20 years, the last 5 years managing SLaM’s Mental Health Promotion Service as a public mental health expert. This role has given me a good opportunity to deepen my knowledge on the mental health needs of the local communities and staff experience. As a former governor, I understand the importance of greater participation of staff and the public to improve the quality of service delivery. I am particularly interested that the views and concerns of Black, Asian and other ethnic groups are fairly represented to improve treatment, care and outcome of the people who use our services, as well as our staff experience.

I will utilise the significant experience, skills and understanding I gained through the years to support staff development, represent the views of staff and members. I will continue to appropriately challenge and guide the trust leadership on behalf of the members, ensuring their voices are heard, acknowledged, considered and valued. In the last 2 years, as a chair of the council of governors membership & involvement working group, I have actively promoted the overall staff wellbeing within the trust. I was also instrumental in organising various members’ seminars and film that has led to popular response from staff and the public. Moving forward, I am keen to make effective and meaningful contribution around the trust’s new strategy as well as mental health prevention and Patient & Carers Race Equality Framework (PCREF) initiatives, as I have strong passion about both subjects due to my background in public as well as transcultural mental health care.