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About Our Management Team

Cath Gilliver: Chief Executive

Cath Gilliver trained as a psychiatric nurse and then as a psychotherapist and spent nearly thirty years working in NHS mental health services, first as a practitioner and from 1999 as a Senior Manager. Cath then worked as a Senior Mental Health Commissioner for South Birmingham Primary Care Trust (2003-4) and joined the voluntary sector in 2004 as Regional Director of icap (Immigrant Counselling and Psychotherapy) which works particularly with the Irish community. She has been Chief Executive of SIFA Fireside since April 2007 and has successfully implemented the merger between SIFA and the Fireside Charity which took place in December 2007.

Qualifications

  • RMN 1977
  • UKCP (United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy) registered 1996 –
  • Diploma in Management and Leadership in Mental Health Services NHS 2000
  • M.A in Social and Cultural History, Warwick University 2001
  • Prince 2 Project Management course; South Birmingham PCT 2004

Carole Fox: Operations Manager

Carole Fox has worked in Homeless services in various roles with vulnerable people since 1993. Carole worked for Focus Housing as a Direct Access Project worker, Assistant Hostel Manager (Nights), then as an Assistant Manager responsible for Housing Management at one of the largest Direct Access Hostels in the West Midlands. Carole then took over Project management of a Young People’s Hostel with a remit to establish a second project, a 21 Bed Direct Access Hostel for 16-25 year olds.

Following this Carole became a Network Manager with KeyRing Living Support Networks developing independent living schemes in the West Midlands. Priority tasks were securing funding, contract management and day to day management of staff and volunteers. The drive behind KeyRing’s innovative service was its commitment to being service user-led, and its ethos to empower and promote independence to people excluded and discriminated against because of Learning Disability. Carole then became a Regional Manager with Keyring with responsibility for developing staff teams and new Supported Networks across a large geographical area.

Carole joined SIFA Fireside as Operations Manager in 2008. Carole is currently undertaking training with Birmingham City University to enable SIFA Fireside managers to supervise placements for Social Work Students and to ensure SIFA Fireside continues to develop as a learning organisation.

Qualifications

  • Supervision Assessment & Mentoring Skills for the Workplace. Institute of Applied Social Studies, Birmingham City University. (Graduate Level) 2008
  • LDAF – Foundation Module.
  • LDAF – Understanding Abuse. British Institute of Learning Disability 2006
  • Level 4 Care Management. Walsall College of Art & Technology 2004
  • Management and Leadership; Chartered Institute of Housing 2008/9
  • Certified Member of the Chartered Institute of Housing

Simon Hackett: Development Manager

Simon Simon has a long history of working in the voluntary and community sector. He began life in the early 1990’s as a volunteer in the Citizens Advice Bureau and held various paid positions until becoming manager of West Bromwich Citizens Advice Bureau in 1996. In 2003 Simon left this position to become Constituency Office Manager for Tom Watson, the Member of Parliament for West Bromwich East.

Before commencing employment with SIFA Fireside, Simon worked as a Policy Officer for RAWM which is the infrastructure body that supports the voluntary and community sector in the West Midlands.

Simon sits on a number of voluntary and community sector boards which include Sandwell Age Concern, Sandwell Young Carers and the Albion Foundation, which is the charity arm of West Bromwich Albion Football Club (Simon is a big baggies fan); he also has three daughters and two grandchildren.

Qualifications

As a mature student Simon obtained a Law Degree in 2000.

Steve Mundy: Finance Manager

Steve Mundy joined Barclays Bank in 1972. After 21 years in branch banking he moved into Human Resources in 1993 and took early retirement in 2007. In addition to his career in Banking Steve has had strong links with the voluntary sector serving as a Trustee for Entrust Care, a Coventry based charity providing respite and residential care for children and young adults with learning disabilities, fulfilling the role of Treasurer and then Chairman during an 18 year period between 1988 and 2006. Since his retirement Steve has pursued opportunities to provide operational and financial support to organisations in the voluntary sector and joined SIFA Fireside in March 2009.

Qualifications

  • Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers