Our People
Our staff are our biggest asset, which is why we work hard to ensure that they are always appreciated, feel valued and are working to the best of their ability.
Chrissy
Director & Registered Manager
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In 2009, Chrissy made the decision to launch Steps Ahead Care & Support, a company with the right ethos for people.
Chrissy has a vast amount of knowledge and experience both within the NHS and private sector, and has over 20 years of experience within managerial roles, especially within complex needs. From this, she has been able to adapt and develop her skills to ensure that Steps Ahead Care & Support has always been a well led and outstanding company.
With an incredible amount of passion for people, Chrissy has always worked extremely hard to ensure that everyone who uses the service that we provide, receives a service of excellence. By working within a multi-disciplinary team to follow a rehabilitation model, our ultimate goal is to reduce support and promote independence in a safe and effective way.
Over the years, Chrissy has always been able to pride herself on developing excellent working relationships with professionals such as Case Managers, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Social Workers to name a few. As well as forming these effective connections, it has always been important to Chrissy that she is very much a part of the office team to ensure we work in the most innovative and efficient way.
Another passion of Chrissy's is supporting people's mental health - it is important that it is known that the door is always open for our whole team to discuss any troubles they may have.
When Chrissy isn't working from our Head Office or on the motorway visiting clients, exercising is an important part of her day - whether this is out for dog walks with her family or going to the gym. Chrissy enjoys leading a healthy lifestyle, cooking for friends and discovering the world.
Vicky
Finance Manager & Nominated Individual
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Since 2018 Vicky has been a vital part of our team. Vicky was new to the Health and Social Care industry and quickly developed a passion for our company ethos, after seeing the progression and rehabilitation of the clients we support. Previously Vicky was a Team Leader in catering and completed her Level 3 Team Leading qualification. Her ambition, drive and natural flare for numbers shines through in every task, which has led to a quick progression within the company and into her position. Vicky works alongside George to ensure the smooth running of the business finances and has recently embarked on a qualification in accounting to broaden her skills and knowledge.
Another part of Vicky’s role is manging the team at our Head Office, where she is responsible for making sure our admin team are well led, fully supported and we are delivering a streamlined and outstanding service to all.
Ross
Community Supervisor & PBS lead
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I currently work as Community Supervisor and PBS Lead at Steps Ahead Care & Support, where I focus on supporting teams to deliver safe, person-centred care in the community. My role involves delivering staff training, facilitating debriefs, analysing behaviour, and working closely with care teams to promote positive outcomes for the people we support. I am also a qualified First Aid Trainer, equipping staff with the knowledge and confidence to respond effectively in emergency situations.
I hold a qualification in Positive Behavioural Management and have completed Positive Response’s Train the Trainer qualification in PBMpro. I’m passionate about using evidence-based, proactive approaches to better understand and support behaviour, and I’m proud to be able to share this knowledge by delivering training across our teams. PBMpro aligns with the BILD Act and the Restraint Reduction Network, promoting ethical, person-centred practice with a strong focus on reducing restrictive interventions. For our service, this means more consistent, high-quality behaviour support, improved safety for both staff and the people we support, and the ability to deliver excellent in-house training.
I joined Steps Ahead Care & Support in 2021, bringing with me a Foundation Degree in Healthcare Practices and previous experience as an Assistant Practitioner within a mental health forensic hospital and Serving in the Army as a Corporal Combat medical technician Class 1 . Since then, I’ve been grateful for the opportunities to grow within the organisation, progressing through roles including Rehabilitation Support Worker and Team Leader before moving into my current position.
Throughout my time at Steps Ahead, I’ve been proud to contribute to staff development and the quality of care delivered. I’m passionate about continuous learning and feel fortunate to work for an organisation that genuinely invests in its people and the outcomes of those we support.
Outside of work, I enjoy all aspects of fitness and spending time sea angling.
Poppy
Business Administration Apprentice
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Poppy is a dedicated Business Administrator Apprentice whose role centres on continuous learning and providing vital support across the office. She plays an important part in ensuring smooth day‑to‑day operations and actively contributes to a wide range of administrative functions within Steps Ahead. Through her willingness to learn and assist colleagues, she is steadily developing a strong understanding of the different sectors and services the organisation provides.
A key aspect of Poppy’s role involves liaising with staff and external professionals to gather and verify essential documentation. Her attention to detail and proactive communication help ensure that compliance standards are consistently met, supporting Steps Ahead to maintain its outstanding CQC rating.
Poppy is committed to producing high‑quality work and creating positive, professional experiences for everyone she interacts with. She approaches her responsibilities with enthusiasm, reliability, and a genuine desire to contribute to the team’s success.
Outside of work, Poppy enjoys spending time with friends and making the most of her free time, balancing her professional development with a vibrant social life.
George
Head of Finance
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George works alongside Vicky to ensure the business' finances are running smoothly. With many years experience in accounting, George brings to us a wealth of knowledge and he is always ensuring he is abreast of the ever changing budgets and regualtions.
Bear, Hermes & Honey
Office Dogs
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Our loving and caring dog team - Bear, Hermes & the newest addition Honey, are committed to the office team’s everyday happiness. They regularly visit the team for cuddles, lunch and walks. These troublesome twosome play a vital part in de-stressing the office on a tough day and love nothing more than curling up under our desks.
Although Honey is still only a pup, when she's old enough she'll be training to be a Therapy Dog - something we think she will be fantastic at!
If you are eating lunch, Hermes will be by your feet sniffling for snacks and if you ever lose Bear she will always be found by Chrissy side. Honey is always on hand for a sometimes well-needed cuddle!
Kim
Clinical Lead
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Kim is a Qualified nurse with over 20 years’ experience in a variety of nursing settings. Kimjoined the company in 2025 and is currently working as Head of Clinical Services for Steps Ahead Care and Support. She is responsible for taking the lead on the delivery of safe, effective, and person-centred care for individuals with complex and long-term needs.
Throughout her career, Kim has combined hands-on clinical expertise with strategic leadership, supporting teams to deliver high standards of care across a range of settings including acute oncology, community services, and specialist residential care.
Kim is passionate about developing clinical excellence, driving continuous improvement, and ensuring care is always evidence-based, holistic, and tailored to the individual.
In previous roles, Kim has successfully led service improvements, strengthened clinical governance, and supported teams to achieve regulatory compliance and enhanced patient outcomes. She enjoys mentoring and developing staff, embedding best practice, and fostering a positive, learning-focused culture.
Kim has a specialist background in oncology which has equipped her with advanced clinical assessment skills, alongside the ability to support individuals and families through complex and often challenging journeys. Kim prides herself on her communication skills, compassionate leadership style, and ability to balance operational demands with high-quality care delivery.
In her spare time Kim enjoys an active lifestyle and loves the gym and taking part in Hyrox and CrossFit competitions and most importantly spending time with her children
Karlishia
Auditing & Admin
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Karlishia is new to the team and to the Health and Social Care industry, she has joined us to head the Administration side of Steps Ahead.
Previously a Branch Coordinator within the property industry, Karlishia has recently completed her Level 3 CIPD in Human Resource Management and aims to continue her studies on to Level 5 and eventually Level 7.
Karlishia's main role is to ensure our staff are going above and beyond in the completion of their paperwork. Karlishia audits progress reports daily and compiles analysis based on client's rehabilitation programmes, which enables us to monitor progression.
In her spare time Karlishia enjoys getting out and about as much as possible with her family and is always looking for new places to visit and travel to.
Ryan
Recruitment Consultant
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Playing a large part in our onboarding process, our Recruitment Consultant, Ryan, looks to grow our support and rehabilitation force within Steps Ahead Care & Support.
As our organisation is dedicated to providing compassionate, person-centred care - Ryan ensures that he makes connections with those who will fit into each one of our client’s teams, ensuring long-lasting working relationships.
Throughout the onboarding process, Ryan will make sure to answer any queries and keep you in the loop to deliver a smooth transition to your new role.
When he isn’t getting his head down at work, Ryan enjoys watching football, specifically Liverpool FC, and has a passion for exploring new places in the world.
Tegan
Care Coordinator
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As a Care Coordinator, working alongside Tom & Claire, Tegan is responsible for coordinating the outstanding support that is delivered in Devon.
A vital part of Tegan’s role is to schedule appropriate support for clients, which always ensures that the needs are met of all involved. Tegan has shown excellent communication skills and is developing close working relationships with our support staff, as well as clients.
Sami
Training & Compliance
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Since 2018, Sami has worked extremely hard both in the office and in the community. She has established positive working relationships with both clients and support staff and has always shown great commitment and enthusiasm to her position. She has recently returned to our head office after taking maternity leave and has jumped straight into her new role as Training & Compliance Coordinator. We feel her drive to ensure our staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be the best support worker that they can, will really shine through in this role.
Sami has been working hard to ensure all support staff have exceeded the requirements in their training, as well as providing one-to-one supervisions. Sami has successfully enrolled a large portion of our staff onto additional qualifications, such as Level 3 and Level 5 NVQ’s in Health and Social Care, as well as guiding our Office Administration Apprentice, Tom, onto his new apprenticeship as a Business Administrator.
As a new mum, Sami is busy spending time with her little boy Blake, but also loves to keep active at various gym classes. Sami is very invested in her health and wellbeing, and we are loving having her back in the office!
Tom
Operations Assistant
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As our Operations Asssistant, Tom works closely with our Head Office team to ensure the effective running of our client's support schedules, as well as building positive working relationships with professionals, staff and clients.
It is important to us all at Steps Ahead Care & Support that we are always organised and up to date to ensure the smooth delivery of our services. Tom will regularly speak to our teams to ensure they are happy, feel supported and have all the equipment they need to perform their role, which includes PPE and bespoke paperwork. Tom assists all departments at our Head Office, including the Care Coordinators and Recruitment, to ensure we have an effective system in place.
Tom has a great sense of humour and loves to be the joker of the office. When he’s not at work, Tom can be found travelling the country to support his home football team, Plymouth Argyle.
Erin
Care Manager
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After a well-deserved recent promotion, Erin is now working as our Care Manager! Erin has been working closely with Chrissy to learn the ropes, and is taking the lead on some of our more complex clients. Erin is actively involved in MDTs, as well as leading core team meetings for our clients and support staff.
Erin has worked within Health and Social Care since 2014, where she has gained a vast experience working in various roles, particularly working with Case Management companies supporting clients who have sustained an acquired brain injury. Erin has a great understanding of the needs of the people we support and has a true passion for what she does!
Erin enjoys keeping an active lifestyle - when she's not at work she's either socialising with friends, at the gym or getting her steps in!
Casey
Business Development Manager
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Casey works on our Business Development. Coming from a sales background, this was a natural progression for Casey and she will be liaisng with solicitors, case managers and commissioners from various Integrated Care Boards, to promote the fantastic work we do. Recently she won the Young Leader in Social Care Award at the social care leadership awards.
Alongside this, Casey will continue as part of our Recruitment & Marketing team, where she is responsible for the safe and effective recruitment of our support team as well as promoting our services.
Casey has a true passion for ensuring she finds the correct staff to promote the ethos of Steps Ahead Care & Support. As part of our recruitment process, Casey works closely with our clients to make certain that they are as involved as possible in the development of their bespoke support team. We feel this is the most important element of the process, to enable us to deliver the very best care and support based on the client's individual needs.
Casey likes to spend her free time exploring London and booking as many holidays to the Caribbean as she can! Casey loves italian and is always good for a restaurant recommendation.
Francis
Head of Care
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Francis is a Head of Care at Steps Ahead Care & Support, where he leads the development of specialist care packages for individuals with complex conditions, specialising in brain injury.
He has worked across a wide range of roles in the care sector, including Support Worker, Care Coordinator, Senior Care Coordinator, Support Manager, Deputy Service Manager and Head of Service. This progression has given him a strong understanding of both frontline care and the systems needed to deliver high-quality, consistent support.
Francis holds a BSc(Hons) degree in Psychology and gained a Distinction in a MSc Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience degree. He has also worked as a Research Assistant and Assistant Psychologist. His background combines clinical understanding with practical experience of delivering complex care in the community.
He is particularly passionate about developing stable, well-supported teams, managing complex dynamics and behavioural presentations, and creating care packages that genuinely improve quality of life for the people supported.
Outside of work, Francis enjoys reading, gaming, skiing, travelling, playing basketball and spending time with friends.
Vic
Head of Care
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Vic has worked within Health & Social Care for over 16 years and has developed a vast amount of knowledge and experience around autism, complex care, challenging behaviour and mental health.
With her previous company, Vic worked her way up from starting as a Support Worker, to becoming the Registered Manager, a post she held for roughly 4 years. In this time, Vic was responsible for winning the Care Home of the Year Devon and Cornwall Award in 2019, which she says is her proudest career moment.
In her new role with us, Vic works hard to ensure care plans & risk managements are up to date and are always reflective of our client's development and progression. Vic has also been working on developing our systems and is always bringing fresh, innovative ideas to enable us to grow. She is dedicated to ensuring that everyone receives the outstanding care they deserve and will be working alongside Chrissy to ensure the smooth management of our packages of care.
Claire
Care Coordinator
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As part of our Coordination Team, Claire works to ensure that all clients receive their schedules, are having their weekly check in calls and that all appointments and/or meetings are organised.
Claire joined the team with an extensive background within care and management, working in various settings throughout her career. Claire has a wealth of experience that we feel will enhance our operations within the head office.
Claire has started building fantastic realtionships with our clients and has been busy learning all about their routines and how they would like their support to be delivered.