About the Race Equality Foundation - Staff
Please click on the names below to find out more about the work being carried out by our staff.
Ratna Dutt: Chief Executive
Ratna has been Chief Executive of the Race Equality Foundation since 1990. She is a social worker by profession and has 20 years of social work experience in a variety of settings. As well as managing the Foundation, Ratna is involved in training and consultancy, and has sat on a number of Advisory groups, including the General Social Care Advisory Group and the Adoption Task Force. She was a trustee of the National Family and Parenting Institute, and the Social Care Institute for Excellence, and has stood as Chair and Vice Chair of two adoption panels.
Ratna has produced a number of published resources, training packs and good practice guides, covering issues such as the needs of black children; black communities and mental health; and the recruitment and retention of BME workers. In 2000, Ratna received the OBE for her work in race equality.
Jabeer Butt: Deputy Chief Executive
Jabeer Butt is the Deputy Chief Executive of the Race Equality Foundation.
Jabeer has gained an international reputation for the use of evidence in developing interventions that help overcome discrimination and disadvantage. For example, Jabeer, with Sukhwant Dhaliwal, carried out the research and wrote the award winning guide to better practice in housing for disabled people Different Paths.
His studies have been used to inform Government thinking as well as interventions such as Sure Start. He presently provides leadership for the Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities. This has seen widespread adoption of an effective parent education programme because of its success in reaching parents from all communities. He is also leading the work of the Foundation to increase the use evidence in developing better health and housing support. In addition, he is leading the Foundations work on better engagement of the third sector by the Department of Health.
Jabeer has been on a number of committees and is presently a member of the NHS’s Equality and Diversity Council.
Jabeer continues to write and most recently produced a guide on effective engagement of parents for the Social Care Institute for Excellence.
Susanna Phillips: Admin and Finance Manager
Sue Phillips has recently joined the Race Equality Foundation as Administration and Finance Manager. She will be working closely with the administrative team, and Accountant, to plan efficient use of resources and ensure the smooth running of the Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation, she has fifteen years experience in the voluntary sector across the areas of finance, adminstration and service delivery
Tracey Bignall: Senior Policy and Practice Officer
Tracey is currently the Senior Policy and Practice Officer with the Race Equality Foundation. She has undertaken research within the social care field primarily on disability issues and is co-author of several reports, including
The experience of independent living by young black disabled people and Something to do. Other research has explored the implementation of family group conferences and the career development of senior black managers in social services. In the last few years Tracey's work has concentrated on parenting and family policy issues, including parenting support for fathers. She is currently leading the Partnerships for Better Health project to promote partnership working with Primary Care Trusts, Local Authorities and black and minority ethnic voluntary organisations
Katherine Nower: Information Officer
Katherine Nower is the Information Officer at the Race Equality Foundation. She helps the Foundation better manage and exploit its information resources, by organising and maintaining the library, and improving information provision through the Foundation’s various websites. Katherine has worked in a variety of library backgrounds in both the private and public sectors, including roles with a large engineering consultancy, KBR, and in the third sector, with the Public Commercial Services Union.
Leandra Box: Programme Manager
Leandra is the Programme Manager at Race Equality Foundation. She manages the Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities Programme and was involved in its adaption for use with black and minority ethnic communities in the UK. Leandra's publications include Supportive Services, Effective Strategies (1997, co-authored with Jabeer Butt); Family Centred: A study of the use of family centres by black families (1998, co-authored with Jabeer Butt); Respect: Learning materials for social care staff working with black and minority ethnic older people (1999, co-authored with Jabeer Butt and Suzanne Lyn-Cook); and a series of policy papers on the needs of black and minority ethnic families. Leandra is the Programme Manager at Race Equality Foundation. She manages the Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities Programme and was involved in its adaption for use with black and minority ethnic communities in the UK. Leandra's publications include Supportive Services, Effective Strategies (1997, co-authored with Jabeer Butt); Family Centred: A study of the use of family centres by black families (1998, co-authored with Jabeer Butt); Respect: Learning materials for social care staff working with black and minority ethnic older people (1999, co-authored with Jabeer Butt and Suzanne Lyn-Cook); and a series of policy papers on the needs of black and minority ethnic families.
Janette Bryan: SFSC Parent Programme Officer
Janette Bryan has been the Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities Parent Programme Officer, since 2000. In addition to running parent groups, Janette supports facilitators and agencies through advice, supervision and training in the delivery of SFSC parent programmes. Janette is currently acting as Practice Manager supervising the practice element of the Programme Officers’ work nationally.
Sahira Nafees: SFSC Administrator
Sahira Nafees is the Strengthening Families Strengthening Communities Administrator based in the London office. Sahira supports the SFSC team, by organising training, answering the order line, and ensuring that programmes are registered and receive the resources they need.
Amina Lone: SFSC Regional Parent Programme Officer
Amina Lone is Regional Parent Programme Officer for the Strengthening Families Strengthening Communities programme in the Northwest and is based in the Race Equality Foundation's Manchester office. She oversees training, delivery and provides support for the SFSC parent programme. She is the 'trainer for trainers' for the START young people's programme with freelance consultants, and delivers skills development training alongside Jabeer Butt nationally. She has a background in youth and community work in the West Midlands and London.
Bernadette Rhoden: SFSC Regional Parent Programme Officer
Bernadette Rhoden is a Parent Programme Officer based in London. She has been delivering the Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities programme as a facilitator for a number of years, and provides support for those delivering the SFSC Parenting Programme in London & South East. This includes providing programme visits and delivering peer support group sessions. In addition her role includes developing and delivering training to SFSC facilitators. Bernadette has worked in the voluntary sector for over 20 years and has developed various community projects including a support network for fathers in Croydon and the development and management of the Family Nurturing Project.
Beverley Thompson: SFSC Regional Parent Programme Officer
Beverley Thompson is a Regional Parent Programme Officer for the North and is based in Leeds. Beverley is a trained SFSC Facilitator and provides support for the Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities Parenting Programme, monitoring programmes nationally and delivering peer support group sessions. She organises and facilitates SFSC courses in the Yorkshire area and has recently been commissioned by the Leeds Parenting Unit to organise 6 courses for parents with children aged 8-13. She is currently adapting the programme to make it accessible for parents with learning disabilities, and has worked with others to produce an easy read and pictures version of the parenting manual.
Veronica Turner: SFSC Regional Parent Programme Officer
Veronica Turner is the Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities Parent Programme Officer for the West Midlands. Her role involves supporting existing facilitators, holding peer support groups and delivering advance training skills courses. Veronica will also be focusing on working with fathers. Previously Veronica has worked for the NHS as a Health Promotion Specialist with a focus on sexual health issues; this work included initiating projects as well as writing and delivering training packages.
Norean Yasin: SFSC Regional Parent Programme Officer
Norean Yasin is the Regional Parent Programme Officer for the Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities Programme in the East Midlands, and oversees training, delivery and support for an area covering Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Northampton and Lincolnshire. Norean is based in Castle Cavendish Business Centre and has been with the Foundation for over 4 years. Before joining the Foundation, Norean organised and ran educational programmes for parents in inner city schools, and supported parents and their families with issues/problems affecting their children's development/progression in education.