Our People
Kay Harris
Chief Executive Officer
Hi, I’m Kay, the CEO of The Fircroft Trust. Everything about my career has been focussed on making a positive difference to people’s lives, and as CEO for The Fircroft Trust, every day is wonderfully different.
I feel very privileged to lead such a diverse and caring organisation with the amazing staff that walk alongside me, all of us led by the people we support, who are simply inspirational.
My career began over 40 years ago as a nurse specialising in mental health, and I am also a qualified counsellor, where I worked in the local community as a mental health practitioner.
I visited Fircroft (the Wellbeing Hub as it is now known) with a local authority commissioner at that time, and made a flippant comment that my aspiration would be to manage it. A few years later that same commissioner reached out to me and invited me for an interview – and the rest, they say, is history!
What a journey – one I am still as passionate about today.
Learning is about growing, and being a part of the people we support’s journey is an utter privilege.
Our Board of Trustees are incredibly supportive to me and all the people connected to The Fircroft Trust.
The ups of my job are amazing, the not so good parts are sometimes a challenge but that helps me to remain grounded, focussed and ambitious about the next steps.
To me, the people we support, their families, and friends deserve the best, and as CEO I will always strive to achieve this.
Thank you for giving me this great opportunity at The Fircroft Trust, I am so excited as we embark on the next phase of our journey together, co-produced with the people most important to us, those we support, their families and friends, and our incredible team members across the charity.
Gaja
Wellbeing Hub Manager
Hi! I’m Gaja, the Wellbeing Hub Manager at The Fircroft Trust. I am ambitious and focussed on supporting the people who access our services to stay healthy, motivated, and engaged in developing their skills.
We do this at the Hub by creating a healthy, supportive environment that promotes independence and choice, and ensures people are safeguarded.
I hold NVQ Level 5 and PBS Level 3 qualifications along with an in-depth knowledge of our services, which helps us to focus on continuous improvement and best practices. With extensive experience in leading and managing teams, I ensure they are effective in supporting people toward a better quality of life.
By championing good practice, I strive to inspire and engage my team, helping them reach their full potential. I am committed to amplifying the voices of the people we support, ensuring they have choice and control over their lives while encouraging innovation at both service and organisational levels.
David
Firs Court Service Manager
Hello! I’m David, the Service Manager at Firs Court, The Fircroft Trust’s supported living and residential care service in Chessington. I am passionate about a person-centred approach, ensuring the people we support have as much control over their lives as possible.
With 25 years of experience in social care, I have worked across various supported settings, supporting individuals with complex behavioural, health, and physical needs. Over 20 years in management, I have led teams of various different sizes and believe in self-managing skilled teams through engagement rather than setting directives.
I have worked with a variety of different stakeholders including the CQC, achieving GOOD ratings and always striving towards OUTSTANDING with my teams. I believe in building strong partnerships with families, friends, and stakeholders of the people we support to promote healthy partnerships based on trust, ensuring the support we deliver is bespoke and of the highest quality.
Damien
Organisational Development Lead
Hello, I’m Damien and I work as Organisational Development Lead for and with The Fircroft Trust. This means that I work with Kay, the Trustees, and the whole leadership and operations team, around development of the services, both in terms of business development, quality, strategy, and training/Positive Behaviour Support development, so that we can support people to live the lives they choose, supported by team members to a very high standard of support.
My background is focussed around leading operations at a regional level, and I specialise in specialist services, in regards to supporting complex behaviour needs. I also work 3 days a week for a local authority as a Head of Service/Assistant Director for Disabled Children’s services, and am a Duty Director/GOLD for them. I have extensive experience in both public and private sector organisations. The majority of my experience, however, has been in adult social care, and I am really focussed on ensuring that services are strengths-based. This means that we focus on the likes, aspirations and skills people have, and ensure we support people to improve their quality of life, rather than focussing on any disabilities or problems people may face. This change in frame enables a culture where people are more involved in their own support, and also in co-producing how services they access are run and evolve. I am a huge advocate of PBS, and by supporting people to live a better quality of life, and in learning new skills through Active Support (through a constructional PBS approach), we can sustainably support people towards independence where possible, which not only helps people live the lives they choose, but also decreases spend for commissioning partners that we work with.
Outside of work, I love spending time with my daughters. I run a mountain group, and regularly climb in the UK and beyond. In October 2022, I was part of a team that went to Kilimanjaro, which we climbed in three and a half days, and raised money for The Fircroft Trust, and another charity.
Tina
HR Consultant
Hello, I am Tina and I am a Chartered Member of the CIPD and an HR generalist.
I have worked with The Fircroft Trust for circa seven years and I am considered a safe pair of hands when going through times of change, by providing a friendly but practical approach.
I spend my free time running, and have recently completed my 5th Marathon. I am a keen golfer and am on the Surrey Ladies’ Golf committee. My social life mainly consists around playing poker.
Kathleen
Fundraising Manager
kathleen@thefircrofttrust.org
I have over twenty years' experience securing and managing small and large-scale charitable funding for a range of charities and social enterprises. This includes devising Outcome Frameworks, implementing monitoring/evaluation reports and impact assessments and ensuring the funds make a real difference to the quality of peoples' lives.
Karen
Community Fundraiser
Hi, I’m Karen, as a dedicated, focussed and passionate Community Fundraiser with over 20 years’ experience in the charity sector. I don’t just raise funds, I build lifelines. My role centres on building strong and lasting relationships with local businesses, schools, rotaries and community groups to raise vital funds and awareness, by organising engaging events, and talks to local businesses and individuals. I help ensure that essential wellbeing services remain accessible to those who need them most. I am passionate about reducing stigma, fostering local partnerships, and turning collective community energy into life-changing support.
