Emily Brearley (Chair)

Emily is a qualified dance / music therapist. Has worked in counselling practices, mental health agencies and addiction centres. Emily has a heart to use her training creatively as a therapist for children and adults from all walks of life.

Helen Gray
(Vice Chair)

Helen is our panel medical advisor. Helen is a registered nurse of over 25 years experience and currently works as a diabetes specialist nurse within the local community. She is also a foster parent along with her husband for an independent therapeutic foster agency. She and her husband also have an adopted daughter.

Stuart Lindsell

Stuart and his wife Jayne are Supported Lodgings Providers and have a long history of involvement with charities and the voluntary sector. Stuart is also a co-facilitator in delivering training in Social Pedagogy and its application to fostering, child care and Social work.

Ronke Coote

Ronke is a qualified solicitor and is a former foster carer for Phoenix Community Care with her husband. Ronke brings understanding of the law and legislation. Also she bring expereience of her foster caring history.

Adrian Hawkes

Adrian is the PCC company representative on the panel, he is a Director of the company, but he and his wife also Fostered for a local borough for 15 years for 30+ children.  Adrian also chaired the local borough Foster Care association. As chair he was the first on call when foster carers had accusations made against them by their placements. Adrian contributes the company’s thinking into the assessment before recommendations are made to the decision Maker.

Sara Arain

Sara is our panel independent Social Worker and in 2021 was a student social worker in our foster care department. In that time Sara completed a F form and was a tremendous support to our foster care department. Sara also has a seven-year experience working with children and families in different settings and currently works as a Supervising Social Worker in an independent fostering agency.

Lisa Veness

Lisa is a supervising social worker with West Sussex County Council.

Eravina Kunasingam

Eravina is a recent care leaver and currently doing degree at bournemouth university in sociology and criminology.

Sara-Jane Bailey

Sara-Jane is a qualified social worker who has worked in a variety of teams covering child protection, LAC and family support. Sara-Jane has a passion to support Care Leavers and assist them into building positive steps for their future.

Inas Winstanley

Inas Winstanley holds an MSc in Social Work from Buckinghamshire New University and a BA (Hon) in Psychology. Inas has worked extensively with refugees abroad and in the UK prior to her social work, which provided her the opportunity to observe and understand the impact of displacement, trauma, and separation from family on children’s mental health. Since February 2023, Inas has been practicing as an independent social worker, specialising in all aspects of social work services, including Merton Compliant age assessments, age assessment training, human rights assessments, and triple planning for Local Authorities.

Samuel Kelly


Sam Kelly was born and raised in North London and recently graduated from the University of Hertfordshire with a degree in paramedic science. Growing up in a household where fostering was a central part of family life was an incredibly rewarding and insightful experience. His parents opened their home to many young lads from the UK, Albania, and Afghanistan. Seeing his family’s impact on these young boys’ lives developed a strong sense of empathy and understanding within him from a young age.