Meet the members of the Skills for Care Race Equity Reference Group (RERG), supporting Skills for Care’s commitment to championing and achieving equity, equality, and diversity in adult social care.
Dudley Sawyerr – Co-chair
Dudley Sawyerr is a Care Consultant and Business Strategist at People Care Services. Passionate about the health care sector, he has over 15 years’ experience from working in both start-up and established environments to managing multiple projects with commissioners and regulators.
Currently working with NHS Keeping Well South East London mental health and wellbeing project to engage the staff and community, Dudley's aim is to engage the workforce in overall health and wellbeing. He is Chair for the LCaS Registered Managers Groups across 14 London Boroughs to facilitate and drive change.
Dudley is a champion of diversity, inclusion and technology. He is Co-Chair of the Race Equality Reference Group at Skills for Care and is part of Care Vision care management software which is on the NHX’s assured supplier list.
Carmen Gardier
Carmen Gardier, Head of Learning Disabilities and Mental Health Services in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, is of Caribbean heritage and qualified as a social worker in the late 90s.
With over 20 years of experience, Carmen has attained several advanced qualifications such as BIA, AMPH, and Hearing Voices expertise. Her experience spans children's services, health and adult services, and the private sector.
Carmen is a member of the Social Care Workforce Race Equality Standards (SC-WRES) Advisory Group, the EDI Strategic Group in Health and Adult Services Greenwich, and the ADASS EDI Lead for Greenwich. She contributes to the Equity Change Project development group, increasing equity in adult social care through intersectionality.
She joined Skills for Care RERG to drive systemic change, stating, “substantive change is needed in the social care arena, starting at the institutional and policy level.”
Rachel Pearce
Rachel Pearce is an Assistant Team Manager in Wiltshire Council’s Kinship and Fostering Service. She has over 20 years’ experience in a range of Children’s Services in Wiltshire. Rachel champions equality, diversity and inclusion within the organisation and has been a longstanding member of the Race Equality Reference Group. Her passion is direct work and creating and delivering training. Rachel is a member of the Social Care Workforce Race Equality Standards (SC-WRES) Advisory Group.
Felix Ogundeyin
Felix Ogundeyin, Principal Social Worker (Adults) with Lewisham Council, has over 20 years of social work expertise. As an approved mental health professional, he is able to maintain operational currency alongside his senior management / strategic role.
Felix's experience encompasses adult mental health practice, adult safeguarding, and workforce development. At Goldsmiths University of London, Felix serves as a teaching consultant, drawing from his diverse background to enrich social work education.
Mindful of his identity as a Black British man, Felix navigates professional interactions with sensitivity to issues of race, sexuality and culture. Currently, he is immersed in a range of quality assurance programmes including the embedding of policies and practice guidance, undertaking service audits and work relating to CQC assurance.
Cintia Santoianni
Cintia Santoianni, Head of Learning, Development, and Transformation at Excelcare, started her journey in care in February 2009 as a care assistant in London. Noticing her team's diversity, she recognised the significance of cultural and ethnicity in the workplace, drawing from her own experiences migrating from Brazil.
Cintia advocates for inclusivity, believing it to be essential for human rights and societal progress. She asserts that education is pivotal in combating discrimination and ensures it is a central focus in Excelcare's agenda.
As part of Excelcare's business plan, Cintia spearheads policy and training material reviews to embed equity, inclusion, and diversity across all levels. She strives to ensure representation of all groups in training materials, fostering a culture of belonging and acceptance.
Meera Spillett
Meera Spillett, former Director of Children’s Services, brings 36 years of social care experience to her role. With a background in social work, including senior positions and HMI for the London Region, Meera's expertise includes residential care and leadership roles.
Meera's dedication to diversity and inclusion is evident through her initiatives such as the Black and Asian Leadership Initiative (BALI) for The Staff College (TSC). As an author and speaker, she addresses crucial topics in her works like 'Black Leaders Missing in Action' and 'Leading in Colour: The Fierce Urgency of NOW!'
Identifying as cisgender and disabled, Meera lives with several long-term health conditions, which inform her advocacy efforts. She actively participates in various advisory groups, including the Social Care Workforce Race Equality Standard (SC-WRES) Advisory Group and the Department for Education Fast Track Advisory Group.
As an associate for organisations like TSC and Cordis Bright, Meera champions anti-racist and culturally competent approaches for organisations and practitioners alike, fostering inclusive environments for all.
Munira Thobani
Munira Thobani is a passionate advocate for equality and inclusion in public services, emphasising responsible and inclusive leadership. She provides consultancy support to enhance capacity and capability for creative engagement and sustainable action towards equality and equity.
At the core of Munira's practice is race equality, which she champions through various roles, including as chair of a Black-led social care charity.
An activist, leader, and practitioner in the field, Munira has developed an inclusive leadership model aimed at guiding leaders in practicing equality and equity. Her model has been adopted by organisations in the public and third sectors, driving organisational development and cultural change.
As a member of the Race Equality Reference Group, Munira aims to establish the Social Care Race Equality Workforce Standard, promote Black and Asian leadership in social care, and combat racism, harassment, and bullying in the sector. She advocates for effective collaboration in the social care workforce to foster genuine equality and quality, alongside culturally dynamic social care practice.
Cherelle Wilson-Morrison
Cherelle Wilson-Morrison, a Workforce Development Consultant at Croydon Council, has extensive experience as a social worker, including crisis intervention (edge of care), child in need, child protection, and court-based social work. Her expertise lies in learning and development, particularly within the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE), practice education, and pathways into social work. Cherelle leads the social work apprenticeship program, serves as a Personal Development and Career Coach, and provides recruitment and selection training to managers.
Beyond her passion for learning, Cherelle holds an Associate Fellowship and actively contributes to Kingston University as a teaching consultant. In this role she collaborates on designing and delivering specialised training for prospective social work students.
As Vice Chair of the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) Black and Ethnic Minority Professionals Symposium (BPS), she empowers global majority social workers through online platforms, employment fairs, and cultural competence events. Cherelle is deeply committed to anti-racist practice and co-authored an article on embedding anti-racist practices in social work with her colleague Anneta Pinto-Young.
Sacha Wheatley
Sacha Wheatley, Registered Manager at the Royal Greenwich Shared Lives Service, boasts extensive experience in both adults and children's social care. With a background including commissioning, quality assurance, and strategic and operational expertise, Sacha has made significant contributions across several care areas.
Currently serving as the Co-Chair of the Shared Lives Plus London Region Meeting, Sacha has a keen interest in fostering equality and diversity within care.
As a staunch advocate for Autism awareness, Sacha focuses on supporting Autistic children and adults, particularly those with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), advocating for their appropriate inspiration and support.