Hear from our team
Fiona Connolly
Corporate Director for Adults and Public Health
As Corporate Director for Adults and Health, Fiona Connolly leads Adult Social Care and health at the London Borough of Newham.
Fiona's priority is making sure that Adult Social Care and health services makes a positive difference to people's everyday lives. She is committed to working alongside residents, families and carers so that services recognise people's strengths, respect their choices and help them live as independently as possible.
She works closely with partners across health and care and with Newham's diverse communities, recognising that the best outcomes come from listening, working together and focusing on what matters to people.
Fiona is also committed to developing an inclusive Adult Social Care and health workforce where colleagues are supported to do their best work, have opportunities to develop and can contribute to shaping and improving services.
Kevin Makambe
Director of Adults Social Care
Kevin leads Adult Social Care with a conviction that people are the experts in their own lives and that the council's job is to back them up, not take over. It is the test he applies to every decision: does this help someone live the life they want, in the place they call home?
Kevin knows that principle only holds if the foundations do. That means a care market that is stable, safeguarding people can trust and services that stay dependable and affordable, so support is there when people need it today and for the years ahead.
At the heart of it all are people. Kevin is proud to work alongside colleagues who bring skill, compassion and a real commitment to the communities they serve and he believes great care starts with people who feel valued, supported and trusted to do their best work.
George Kouridis
Interim Head of Service, Older People and Disability
George Kouridis has responsibility for operational services for older people and people with disabilities. This includes the Adult Social Care front-door, hospital discharge, Reablement, occupational therapy, neighbourhood teams and safeguarding.
George is an experienced operational Assistant Director and has joined us from Suffolk County Council where he was Assistant Director for Safeguarding and Quality Assurance. Prior to that, he worked at a senior level in various authorities including Surrey, East Sussex, Southampton and Reading.
George is a registered Social Worker and is committed to supporting people to live independently, with dignity, connected to their local communities. He is passionate about supporting staff to use their professional skills in strengths-based approaches to understand what matters to people and how the best possible outcomes can be achieved.
Sissi Mylona
Head of Mental Health, Learning Disabilities, Safeguarding Adults and Independent Living
Sissi has held various leadership positions before joining Newham in 2019. She leads the Mental Health, Learning Disabilities, Autism and Safeguarding Services and is committed to providing the best possible care and support to Newham residents.
Sissi is driven by her desire to make a positive difference, and her approach to service delivery is firmly rooted in the belief that there are always ways to improve outcomes for residents, promote their independence, keep them safe and create positive experiences.
Sarah Forshaw
Service Manager for Independent Living & Principal Occupational Therapist
Sarah oversees the service delivery of three teams: Occupational Therapy, Reablement, and the HAIL team, which handles Disabled Facilities Grant-funded adaptations.
As the Principal Occupational Therapist in Adult Social Care at Newham Council, she collaborates and communicates with colleagues across Newham, London, and nationally to ensure Occupational Therapy services for adults with disabilities are value for money whilst being person-centred and strengths-based.
"I am passionate about helping individuals to engage in the everyday occupations that are important to them. I love my role as it is so rewarding to hear how we are making a positive difference to the lives of those we support.
