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SCA Conference Programme – 13th May 2025
Our Speakers
Nadra Ahmed CBE, Executive Co-Chairman, National Care Association
Last chair of the Care Provider Alliance
Nadra has been Chairman of NCA since 2001. She has been involved in the field of social care for over 40 years and until 2005 was the Registered Manager of two private care homes for older people, having developed and run services since 1981 which included a homecare service.
Nadra has served on numerous government taskforces and continues to do so. Through Covid she became recognised as the respected voice of social care. Nadra has served as the Vice Chairman of Skills for Care for 11 years having been appointed at its inception: she was also a trustee of Parkinson’s UK and continues to support various charities as a trustee/patron or president, despite her tight schedule; these include the veterans charity RBLI and a small disabilities charity Spadeworks.
Nadra is the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Kent and a Kent Ambassador and served as the High Sheriff of Kent in 2023/24 which is a royal appointment.
In 2006 she was awarded the OBE for her services to Social Care. She is a regular contributor to journals and speaks regularly at national and international conferences throughout the world. Nadra is regularly called upon by the major media networks to represent the views of social care providers on some of the most challenging issues facing social care.
Nadra is driven by a desire to ensure the delivery of quality services to the most vulnerable members of our society. She works across a number of government departments which have an impact on the social care world giving evidence and expert advice to parliamentarians.
Nadra has been recognised by her peers receiving awards and has been listed as an influencer in numerous polls and magazines. Her continued passion for social care saw her being awarded the CBE for her services to Social Care.
Barbara Sowa and Samantha Dawson – Surrey Heartlands
Barbara is a seasoned Quality Improvement Lead with over 10 years of dedicated expertise in driving meaningful change. Highly knowledgeable and experienced in a wide range of improvement methods, tools, and approaches, Barbara combines technical proficiency with a pragmatic and collaborative approach to improvement and transformation.
A confident introvert and passionate advocate for inclusion and teamwork, Barbara excels at fostering collaboration to achieve the best possible results, even in challenging circumstances. Known for her engaging and approachable style, Barbara is adept at facilitating bespoke, high-quality training sessions and workshops that resonate with diverse audiences.Her work is underpinned by a commitment to innovation, inclusion, and achieving sustainable outcomes.
Sam is an experienced Quality Improvement Manager with expertise in regional Mental Health Transformation and Improvement. Known for her excellent knowledge in Project Management and Quality Improvement methodologies, she can facilitate high-standard training sessions and workshops in an engaging, informal style.
Sam is good at managing challenging conversations and driving actionable outcomes from group sessions. Approachable and supportive, Sam adopts a development-focused approach, empowering teams with her “can-do” attitude and commitment to fostering meaningful progress.
Trudie Davison – EF Training
Trudi is a registered McTimoney Chiropractor. As a chiropractor she regularly sees people who come to her suffering from what they have identified as a physical condition but, in many cases, is caused by chronic stress. She became interested in this phenomenon and brings this knowledge and expertise to the team.
Having joined EF training Trudi feels that delivering the training is making a huge difference to people’s lives both at work and at home by helping them understand how the work they do affects them physically and emotionally. She enjoys sharing ways to help people help themselves and their colleagues in proactive and practical ways.
Fraser Rickatson – Care England
Fraser Rickatson is the Policy Manager at Care England, the leading representative body for independent adult social care providers in England. With a strong background in social care policy, Fraser is dedicated to advocating for sustainable funding, fair workforce conditions, and meaningful reform to ensure the long-term stability of the sector.
In his role, Fraser works closely with government departments, MPs, and policymakers to shape national debates on adult social care funding. He has been instrumental in coordinating parliamentary engagement, briefing ministers, and leading advocacy efforts to highlight the financial pressures facing care providers.
Beyond Westminster, Fraser plays a key role in Care England’s media and public affairs work, ensuring that the voice of care providers is heard in national press, industry reports, and government consultations.
With a strong commitment to supporting the sector its most challenging periods, Fraser is passionate about ensuring that care providers have the financial and policy backing they need to continue delivering high-quality care. His work spans everything from developing funding models to equipping care providers with the tools to advocate for themselves at both local and national levels.
Joe Martin – Towergate Insurance
Joe is a member of the senior leadership team at Towergate Employee Benefits, sister company of Insurance Brokers.
At Towergate Employee Benefits, Joe’s team support SME clients offering professional broking, expert advice and exceptional service on all of their employee benefits needs.
Joe’s career in Financial Services began in 2000 and today he demonstrates a passion for developing individuals, leaders and company cultures. As an adaptable change leader with the ability to diversify, Joe proactively drives improvements and incorporates a “buy in” strategy for colleagues.
Known for truly imbedding a culture of continuous improvement, demonstrating integrity through clear positive communication with a governance of emotional intelligence and wellbeing for all concerned
David Holmes – Big Life Adventure 
David is one of the founders of Big Life Adventure, a unique, interactive digital space which inspires people to dream BIG, and prompts them to be imaginative and experimental with their lives.
He is also the proprietor and Chairman of Peak 15 and the Butterfly Project, providers of specialist support services to people with learning disabilities in Surrey and West Sussex.
David is a Chartered Accountant, formerly working for KPMG and Deloitte as a Management Consultant overseeing change programmes for large organisations.
