Meet the Team

Karim Lalani

Chief Executive

Karim has over 40 years’ experience of founding and running successful businesses with prudent fiscal management and capitalisation, from start-ups, to retail and healthcare. He strives to help vulnerable groups in society wherever possible. SBCHL is run as a controlled multi-site growth programme to develop high quality education in Peterborough and regionally respected Ofsted regulated children’s care services across the UK.

Phil Cass

Chief Operating Officer 

Phil brings a wealth of experience from across the care sector. Most recently, he served as Managing Director at Homes2Inspire, overseeing 53 children’s homes. His career journey – from Special Needs Teaching Assistant to Residential Care Worker, Team Leader, Senior Home Manager, and Ofsted Social Care Regulatory Inspector – demonstrates both deep sector knowledge, and a genuine commitment to the wellbeing of young people.

Alison Blyth-Bishop

Director of Operations

Alison brings over two decades of exceptional leadership in residential childcare, having held senior operational roles across Outcomes First Group, Keys Group, Cambian, and local authority services. Her expertise spans quality improvement, strategic partnerships, and regulatory compliance, alongside a strong commitment to achieving outstanding outcomes for children and young people.

Tim Gladston

HR Director

Tim is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD with over 20 years’ experience leading HR functions across a range of sectors, including social care, education, technology, media, and retail. He has held senior roles at major organisations such as Sony PlayStation, Sainsbury’s, and a global education group, where he led people strategy, transformation, and employee engagement across complex and regulated environments.

Shazia Lalani

Marketing Director

Shazia has a broad range of B2B and B2C Marketing experience gained from several years of working across companies in professional services and retail. She has a Professional Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and is skilled in digital marketing, end-to-end campaign project management, PR, events, and client relationship management.

Rebecca Ouellani

Director of Care

Rebecca has worked in children’s care for over 14 years and has held several positions within this sector, including residential care specialising in supporting children with emotional difficulties, learning disabilities, and challenging behaviours. She has a range of qualifications including Diploma 5 NVQ 4 in Management, and NVQ 4 in Health and Social Care, ILM Level 5, and BTEC Level 4 in Education and Training.

Aldona Dhami

Operations Manager – North, West, East & South East Regions

With over twelve years in Health and Social Care, Aldona began as a Support Worker and advanced through roles including Team Leader, Coordinator, and Operations Manager. She has focused on supporting young people from diverse, complex backgrounds, gaining a deep understanding of their needs and delivering personalised, outcome-focused care to help them achieve positive, lasting outcomes.

Christopher Sinclair-Davis

Operations Manager – Solos, South East & East Regions

Chris joined Silver Birch Care in March 2016 as a Support Worker and has since progressed to the role of Operations Manager. He holds Level 3 and 5 qualifications in Health and Social Care, and a Level 7 in Senior Leadership. He is currently completing an MBA in Senior Management. His region just received an Ofsted outcome of “1 – Consistently strong service delivery.”

Suzette St Marie

Operations Manager – North-West Region

Suzette brings over 10 years of experience in the Health and Social Care sector, having worked in a variety of roles ranging from Support Worker to senior management. Her background provides deep insight into front-line service and strategic leadership. Suzette is currently completing a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management to further strengthen her leadership skills.

Abs Latif

Head of HR & Payroll

Abs has over 15 years’ experience in developing, recruiting, inducting, training, and leading teams. His expertise spans the entire HR lifecycle, from recruitment and onboarding, to talent development and employee engagement. His qualifications include a Degree in Computer Communication and IT, HR Management – Advance, and GDPR Practitioner.

Ollie Halligan

Head of Placements

With over 15 years of progressive experience in residential care, Ollie has advanced from Support Worker to Registered Manager, earning his NVQ Level 5 qualification in Health and Social Care. His expertise spans placement management roles where he specialised in comprehensive assessments, led successful fee negotiations, and ensured appropriate placement matches.

Karen Fowler

Placements Manager

Karen has extensive experience within the children and young people’s social care industry. She has in-depth knowledge of safeguarding, and experience with building excellent rapport with young people and Local Authority teams across England. Her qualifications include Level 3 in AET, BA Hon Psychosocial Studies, HE Diploma – Social Work and Community Work, and Level 3 Designated Safeguarding.

Ganesh Kandiapillai

Finance Manager

Ganesh is a highly qualified Accountant with over 25 years of retail and industry experience. He is skilled in managing the complete accounting cycle of control, planning, budgeting, and reporting of companies. He qualifications include CIMA Certificate in Business Accounting, and BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance.

Dr Kamal Khan

Group Head of Systems Development & Data

Kamal has extensive experience in developing and establishing quality management systems, based on a variety of national and international accreditation standards. He was previously an internal auditor and science teacher, and has a Doctorate in Finance, BSc (Hons) Pharmacology, and Masters in Business Administration & Quality Management System.

Edwin Maharaj

Head of Facilities

Edwin has over 13 years experience in the social housing sector and retail management. He specialises in setting up new homes, managing maintenance issues, and all aspects relating to health and safety/ compliance. He is a qualified IOSH inspector, and his qualifications include IOSH Managing Safely, NVQ in Customer Services Level 2, and FAA Level 3 Award in Emergency First Aid at Work.

Anusha Ravichandran

Deputy Finance Manager

Anusha holds a BSc in Accounting and brings over eight years of experience in the retail and finance sectors. As Deputy Finance Manager, she oversees key financial operations, including revenue management, invoicing, supplier payments and account reconciliation, ensuring accuracy, efficiency and compliance across all processes.

Kieshan Niranchanan

Accounts Assistant

Kieshan is a motivated Accounts Assistant who is skilled in month end reporting, maintaining accurate financial records and assisting with day-to-day financial tasks. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Economics and Finance, using his knowledge to support effective financial management and delivering high quality support to the Finance team.

Marie Bliss

Executive Assistant

Marie spent 18 years as an EA at Tesco, supporting Government Affairs, Corporate Responsibility, and Group Communications. Alongside her role, she volunteered as a mentor for women in prison and later with SHOUT 24/7. Over the past two years, Marie has worked with patients on a CAMHS ward, and contributing to The Medical Research Network.

Jade Waterman

Training Manager

Jade has held various operational and managerial roles across Children’s Homes and Supported Accommodation services. She holds a Level 5 Qualification in Leadership and Management (Distinction) and a Level 3 Award in Education and Training. She is also a certified Level 2 Safeguarding Train the Trainer, Fire Marshal Trainer, and Emergency First Aid at Work Trainer.

Jessica Barlow

Senior HR Advisor

Jessica brings strong people management experience and thrives in fast-paced environments, having worked in some of London’s busiest shopping destinations. She has 5 years of HR experience, is a CIPD Associate Member, holds a Level 5 Diploma in People Management, and is currently studying for an MSc in Global HR Management.

Miriam Santana

Recruitment Advisor

With over eight years in the Healthcare sector and four in operations management, Miriam has built a career around supporting people and driving organisational success. She holds a BSc in Human Resource Management, and her experience spans customer service, recruitment, employee relations, and learning and development.