Our Team

Sharon Lewis - Executive Manager and Safeguarding Lead

I am a highly motivated Early Intervention Manager and Safeguarding Lead at Home-Start Thanet, with 30 years' experience of recruiting, training, supervising and leading a staff team and outreach Mentors in the community. In my current role I develop training for our Mentors and Trustee Board and continue to deliver the induction and ongoing training in a wide range of subjects.

My main focus is managing the operational side of the scheme, including analysing needs and writing funding applications to meet the demands on our service. These added support programmes enhance the core Home-Start service and utilise fully the qualifications, experience and skills of our staff team. My responsibility for triaging and allocating referrals, plus continued interaction with families, ensures my understanding of the complex needs of many of our families living in a deprived part of Kent.

Having worked directly with clients for over two decades by offering individual and group interventions, I have developed a diverse range of assessment skills, enabling me to undertake individual assessments of need, create bespoke packages of support and work collaboratively with a wide range of statutory and voluntary agencies, both locally and nationally.

I have worked closely with East Kent College and Kent University for many years attending and contributing to their Community Learning Forums. As part of the Home-Start Thanet bespoke package of support, I provide individual and couples counselling sessions. I have also acted as an onsite learning facilitator/supervisor for Student Social Workers (Christ Church University) and Student Nurses.

I am a trained Freedom Programme Facilitator (Group support for victims of domestic abuse) and in addition have worked alongside other professionals to deliver perinatal group support, my specialist area is physical and mental health including perinatal and post-traumatic stress. As Safeguarding Lead I am aware of risk, safeguarding both vulnerable adults and children and am trained in risk assessment, plus deliver safeguarding training sessions and triage our child protection concerns.

Qualifications and training

Following a fulfilling career in nursing as a Registered Nurse and Health Advisor/Counsellor in family planning, I studied at Kent University in Psychodynamic Psychanalytical Psychotherapy, Family Therapy and Relationship Counselling, obtaining certificates in all subjects. To enhance this I went on to obtain qualifications in Counselling and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and having placements on maternity and psychiatry find that these are key areas of interest. In studying with the University of Lancashire I obtained a teaching qualification which has supported the training we deliver at Home-Start. I have completed training in Autism and Spectrum Disorders, Mental Health, Children's Challenging Behaviours and a wide range of health training. Over the years I have studied and obtained qualifications in: management; staff supervision/appraisals; group facilitation; addiction issues; conflict management; motivational interviewing; corporate fundraising; and project management including evaluation and monitoring.

Karina Vogan - Project Co-ordinator

The focus of my role is to provide support to families, empowering them to address various challenges, reducing problems and risks with minimal impact on children. I worked in finance and human resources before retraining as a Counsellor ten years ago. I used this new skill to offer emotional support while volunteering in a London women's refuge.

My current work at Home-Start has several facets, involving working with parents and children with a range of social and personal issues. I now specialise in particular areas such as isolation and sense of loss as a result of moving locations, divorce, bereavement, debt.

I communicate sensitively and effectively with children and adults and pride myself in my ability to build good relationships with families that may be cagey and unfriendly at first. I help parents who suffer the trauma of losing their support network as a result of moving to a new country, or going through divorce. My interaction with them empowers them to deal with the impact of isolation and loneliness and to develop the life skills they need: resilience; self-reliance; ability to face the challenges (rather than hide from them) and resolve these challenges in a calm, confident manner. I have also developed links with local schools and delivered workshops around Money Management and multicultural ‘Cooking for Health' sessions.

Qualifications and training

I am trained in Psychodynamic Therapy and Counselling, Safeguarding, and Post-traumatic Stress Disorders. I hold BA (Hons) in European Culture and Intellectual Thought. I trained in Equality & Diversity, Suicide Prevention, Understanding Domestic Abuse, Mental Health, Nutrition, and Child Development. Born in Russia I am able to converse with families from Eastern Europe, which has proved to be a useful link into a local primary school where 51% are non- British families.

Fran Zec - Administrator

I joined Home-Start Thanet in June 2019, taking over responsibility for the administrative side of our work. My main areas of focus are ensuring that we maintain a robust statistical data system to record the families' journey of change; managing bookkeeping; liaising with agencies and referrers; and supporting our volunteer Mentors and staff team.

My experience in a range of secretarial, administration and voluntary sector roles has given me the flexibility, essential skills and knowledge to provide full support for the Home-Start team. My roles have involved working with people from a wide range of backgrounds with a variety of needs and has required good listening skills, diplomacy and respect for confidentiality.

Qualifications, Experience and Training

I studied with the Open University, obtaining a BA in Arts, specialising in History subjects. I worked in London for many years in publishing and in the music press and on youth magazines. I have also worked as a legal secretary to a set of barristers' chambers in the Inner Temple in the City of London. I am trained in Microsoft Office applications and RSA office skills including speedwriting and minute-taking. I have also trained in proofreading, copywriting, freelance journalism and sight and hearing impairment. Since joining Home-Start Thanet I have undertaken Mentor induction training, Mental Health Awareness and Impact of Trauma: Mental Health Needs of Asylum Seeking & Refuge Children.

After moving to Thanet I started work in the voluntary sector, recruiting, matching and supporting volunteers. I spent 10 years working with older people, helping them find practical support including transport to medical appointments and providing them with volunteer befrienders. I was involved in creating a partnership of support services and networks for older people and organisations to access, including an online directory of services available. I was also involved in creating and running a weekly social club to help ease isolation and loneliness in older people and encouraged volunteers of all abilities to become actively involved in the weekly programme. This has provided me with a good knowledge of local needs and contacts with organisations and services across Thanet.

Ruth Brown

Background

I have lived in Thanet for many years but was born in Chatham.

I brought up my 4 children in Ramsgate and now have 10 grandchildren.

I have spent most of my working life in teaching/education spending 14 years teaching in primary schools where I set up projects related to children developing confidence and self-esteem.

I then worked for 14 years at Canterbury Christ Church University training teachers.

Working at CCCU heightened my interest in research related to child development, well-being and resilience.

Qualifications/Conferences/Experiences

BA Hons 1st in Art and Education from CCCU

National Qualification for Headship

Certificate in Emotional Literacy

I have presented at conferences in London, Brighton, Glasgow and Chicago

Visited First Nation People in Canada as part of a group Resilience research project

Worked as a volunteer at Camp2 Orphanage, Accra for 3 weeks