IMPACT Staff
Central Staff Team
Our Central Staff Team is largely based in Birmingham and manages the strategic and operational aspects of the project.
Prof Jon Glasby
director of impact
Birmingham, England
The University of Birmingham’s School of Social Policy strapline is ‘to understand the world – and change it’ – and this is exactly what IMPACT seeks to do. I’m a qualified social worker by background, former Director of the University’s Health Services Management Centre and former Head of the School of Social Policy.
My other roles include being a Non-Executive Director of a local authority children’s service and of an NHS Foundation Trust.
Sheena Robertson
head of operations
birmingham, england
IMPACT is making a tangible and significant difference, working with people with lived experience of care, practitioners, social workers, regulators and policy makers to drive real change.
I feel privileged to support the operational delivery of this crucially important and timely centre. With 30 years’ senior experience in higher education, financial audit, and the charity sector, I look forward to using my skills and knowledge to strengthen IMPACT’s work and ensure everything runs smoothly.
Javiera Elsa Squadritto
centre administration manager
birmingham, england
I joined IMPACT because supporting this project gives me a real sense of pride. I’m motivated to contribute to making a tangible difference to adult social care.
My professional experience has focused on operations and executive support across further education and cultural institutions, such as museums and universities. I’m excited to bring this experience into my role, helping to ensure that the day-to-day running of the centre is smooth, efficient, and supportive of our national team.
Rawinder Nottra
senior project administrator
birmingham, england
I joined IMPACT because I believe that no one understands the adult care system better than the people, families and carers who use it – and using a co-production approach is vital to improving it.
My background lies in administrative support for a range of research projects, and this has definitely been the most rewarding to date!
Izzy Kennedy
communications & engagement manager
Birmingham, England
The chance to make a real difference to the lives of people across the four nations is something really special. IMPACT’s focus on lived experience is what drew me to the team, and being able to share those stories and insights is exciting.
I joined IMPACT after six years working in government communications. I started as a PR apprentice in Whitehall and moved into digital communications and external affairs, with a passion for connecting audiences to meaningful change.
Abigail Villarroel
digital communications officer
birmingham, england
I wanted to align my communications career with meaningful, community-focused social work. I feel that community is paramount, and it’s where I see my career evolving in the future. I’m a communications creative with experience across corporate PR, publishing and agency work, often focused on campaigns, copywriting and social media.
My background also includes creative writing, visual arts, radio broadcasting and teaching. I’m excited to help share stories that reflect impact and highlight lived experiences across the UK.
Alys Clarke
communication & activity coordinator
birmingham, england
Joining IMPACT is an exciting opportunity to be part of something that drives real-world change in adult social care. I was drawn to the mission to empower those who give and receive care, using research evidence to inform practice.
I’ve worked at the University of Birmingham for the last five years, supporting research projects (post-award) and helping promote training and development within the research and PhD community. I’m looking forward to supporting communications and activities at IMPACT.
Suzie Crowter
lived experience engagement lead coventry, england
IMPACT’s work stood out to me because it shines a light on social care – a topic close to my heart that often goes unnoticed. I was inspired by the fact that lived experience is at the centre of their approach, and I joined to help continue their co-production work.
I’ve always believed in making services more inclusive and user-led. It’s exciting to work in a space where people’s voices and insights are not only heard but genuinely shape the work.
Evidence and Evaluation Team
Louise McCabe
deputy head of evidence & evaluation
stirling, scotland
IMPACT offers me an exciting chance to be part of something that will lead to real change in the delivery and impact of social care. I started my career as a care worker in residential homes for older people, before becoming an academic focusing on the lives of people with dementia.
I am now a Professor in Dementia Studies at the University of Stirling. Much of my work has centred on understanding and valuing lived experience and evaluating local practice.
Dr Aisha Macgregor
evidence & evaluation research fellow
Stirling, Scotland
I joined IMPACT because of its potential to improve care processes and outcomes across the UK. My research focuses on experiences of health and social care, and how ethics of care frameworks can help improve practice. I also have experience in implementation science, which supports the successful uptake of innovations.
I’m excited to bring together theory and practice in a project that foregrounds lived experience and evidence in equal measure to support meaningful care transformation.
Laura Reid
evidence & evaluation research fellow
stirling, scotland
IMPACT offers me a unique opportunity to be part of a centre focused on real change in social care practice. I’m a qualified social worker and feel strongly that change must be driven by those with lived experience.
My research has explored learning from both lived experiences and practice knowledge across health and social care. Most recently, I’ve been conducting research with children and families affected by domestic abuse, further deepening my commitment to inclusive care research.
National Embedding Team
Ewan King
deputy director
head of national embedding
london, england
Ewan is Chief Executive at Shared Lives Plus, the UK charity representing the Shared Living sector. He is also Deputy Director for Policy Embedding at IMPACT.
Before joining Shared Lives Plus, he was Deputy CEO at the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), where he led on policy, communications and delivery.
Laura Griffith
deputy head of national embedding
birmingham, england
Laura has previously worked at the Universities of Oxford, Aston and Birmingham, often focusing on people’s lived experiences of public services. This has included work with NICE on adult mental health service experiences.
More recently, she was a Senior Knowledge Transfer Facilitator with Public Health England and has been coordinating Birmingham’s ‘Creating a Mentally Healthy City’ initiative.
Nathan Stephens
policy officer
birmingham, england
My motivation for joining IMPACT was to support more accountable practice change through evidence and lived experience. I’m a PhD student researching a countywide approach to scaling the Meeting Centre model for people affected by dementia. I’ve spent many years in care work, including in dementia care, mental health, and child protection.
Most recently, I was an unpaid carer for my Nan. I bring this personal and professional knowledge into my role to support inclusive, meaningful policy work.
National Project Officers
Dr Obert Tawodzera
Project officer
Birmingham, England
I’ve always believed that to make positive change in adult social care, we need to understand lived experience and work directly with people who draw on support. That belief is what drew me to IMPACT. Previously, I worked as a care support worker, and recently completed a PhD at the University of Sheffield.
My research focused on transnational aged care arrangements between UK-based Zimbabwean care workers and their overseas families – work rooted in community and care relationships.
Dr Victoria Rivera-Ugarte
Project officer
Cardiff, Wales
I joined IMPACT because I’m passionate about participatory processes – working alongside users and practitioners to build meaningful knowledge. I hold a PhD in Social Policy from the University of Bristol, and I’m also a qualified social worker.
My academic and professional background includes work in community development, social participation and decolonial approaches to research. IMPACT’s values align with my own, and I’m excited to contribute to a collaborative effort to transform social care through engagement and learning.
Dr Jennifer Betts
Project officer
Coleraine, Northern Ireland
I joined IMPACT because I believe it will genuinely improve how social care is delivered, helping those most vulnerable in our society. I’ve worked as a researcher for over 30 years across the voluntary sector, the Northern Ireland Assembly, and in academia.
My experience includes research, policy and implementation, and I’ve seen the gap between policy and practice. IMPACT’s focus on real change through evidence and collaboration makes this a unique opportunity to contribute to something meaningful.
Dr Janet Heaton
Project officer
Stirling Scotland
I joined IMPACT to use my research skills to help improve lives and create change in adult social care. I’m a social scientist and have worked in applied health and social care research for most of my career. This has included roles in the NHS and universities in both England and Scotland.
My work has always aimed to make research meaningful and practical – and I’m excited to contribute to a centre that puts evidence into real-world action.