Board of Trustees and Key Staff

Board of Trustees

David Sykes – Chair

David Sykes has a wealth of experience in both the public and private sectors and as a strategic marketing consultant for PWc. After 25 years in the private sector in senior commercial roles and as Managing Director for a £30M manufacturing business David established a consultancy business.

During his 15 years as an independent consultant he has undertaken commercial and commissioning assignments for 25 health and local authority clients including the Dept. of Health, regulators and commissioning organisations. Over the last few years these assignments have focused on health and social care integration.

David is a CEDR accredited mediator skilled in stakeholder management and contract negotiation. An accredited practitioner in managing successful programmes (MSP). A MBA graduate of Warwick University who now acts as a mentor to Executive MBA students.  5 years experience as a trustee & chair of trustees for Coram Life Education West Midlands.

Dr. Rashda Tabassum

Dr. Tabassum is an Old Age Consultant Psychiatrist, currently working at Black Country Health Care NHS Foundation Trust. She was inspired to become a doctor after witnessing how much of an advocate doctors can be for their patients. Dr. Tabassum has spent her entire career within the NHS and has been passionate about making a change in people’s lives from the very start.

Dr. Tabassum has significant experiences working with people of all ages suffering from complex mental health issues. For last 15 years she has mainly worked with people above the age of 65 and has gained a deeper understanding of the problems faced by elderly population.

Our elderly population is increasing, according to ONS currently 18% of UK population is above 65 year of age. At the same time the prevalence of dementia, depression and anxiety is increasing and we are not ready to meet the complex needs of this population.

BAME communities face significant barriers and marginalisation when it comes to accessing mental health services and receiving support. Dr. Tabassum has significant expertise in working with and advocating for BAME communities. This includes a employing a broad range of strategies, the development of culturally sensitive services, undertaking advocacy work for BAME communities in service design and designing campaigns and educational tools to raise awareness of mental health issues amongst these communities.

Dr. Tabassum has undertaken extensive work directly in the community including as a school governor, organising mental health awareness events and setting up a community group for isolated elderly Asian females in Sutton Coldfield. Dr. Tabassum also launched a Christmas gift campaign that has since seen coverage by the BBC, aimed at tackling isolation and building social integration in the community for people who have no family around the Christmas.

Tapshum Pattni MBE

Tapshum has worked in Social Care with both adults and children for 40 years. She worked for Birmingham city council as the Social Work Service Director before she recently retired.  She has also worked extensively with the voluntary sector and Health Service, and has been a Trustee Director of a housing association and a small charity.

She has been involved on the National forum Via the work she has done for the Association of Directors of Social Care. Professionally she is a qualified Social Worker, and a Manager having completed her masters in social work and MBA in public sector management at Birmingham University.

Tapshum is passionate about developing services for older people and developing community-based models of service that would meet the needs of the local communities. 

Sharifah Mussa

Paul Todman

Grace Hampson

Jane Egerton

Rosie Harvey

Key Staff