A panel of young people with experience of tackling inequalities offer their thoughts and responses to the symposium.
Chief Executive of Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE).
Andrea joined SCIE as Chief Executive in April 2012. She was previously Chief Executive of the Appointments Commission for four years. Prior to that, Andrea was Deputy Chief Executive at the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Andrea’s career started in the health service at Tower Hamlets Health Authority in 1986, progressing to Bloomsbury and Islington Health Authority. In 1992 she moved to Camden and Islington Community Health Services, managing services for older people; and then to St. George’s Healthcare NHS Trust, as General Manager for Children, Women and Neurosciences Services. Before joining NICE, Andrea was also an Assistant Director in the Social Services Department for the London Borough of Camden.
Zara Todd is a youth participation worker at the Alliance for Inclusive Education (ALLFIE) and is a member of the British Council’s Disability Advisory Panel. She was previously Liberation Campaigns Assistant (Disabled Students) for NUS Connect. A Psychology graduate from Lancaster University, she has just completed a Masters degree in Eastern European Studies from University College London, specialising in Nationalism and Identity. An electric wheelchair user, Zara has extensive experience of improving access for disabled people and this has taken her around the UK and to other countries including Canada, China, Lithuania, Qatar and Russia.
Named as a Young Star in the Klevis Kola Foundation ‘Woman of the Future Awards’ in 2010, Tabitha volunteers as part of the ‘young-volunteer’ scheme at the KKF, assisting younger children at the after-school club and providing a positive role model for other refugee children, as well as undergoing full-time studies.
Cyra Mutesi-Kirenho is a student at the University of Kent. She is a care leaver, and a lay member of the NICE advisory group developing a pilot quality standard on thedevelopment of a quality standard for social care on the health and wellbeing of looked after children and young people for use in England.
Member of the Youth Parliament for the Basingstoke, Eastleigh and Winchester constituency.
Benjamin is also involved within the National Children’s Bureau as a Young Research Advisor, and has taken part in research projects centred on the services available for young people with mental health needs and schemes to reduce alcohol consumption amongst the young.
Benjamin is studying Late History, Economics, Law and Politics at Peter Symonds College Winchester, where he is in his first year.
