Exceptional staff supporting unique people.
We employ exceptional people to support unique individuals to stay healthy, be safe and to live well. Our 500+ employees are recruited based on their ability to put our values into practice every day and in everything that they do.
Our leadership team has personal experience of providing direct support to adults and children with learning disabilities, and their families. This means the day-to-day delivery of services is very real to the leadership team and we work hard to understand the developmental needs of our workforce to ensure the delivery of the best possible care and support to the people using our services.
Chief Executive Officer, Gabby, has over 30 years’ management and leadership experience. Formerly a Registered Nurse, Gabby joined the voluntary sector in 1987, progressing through the roles of Support Worker, Operations Manager and Director, becoming Chief Executive of the LDN London in 2007. Gabby is driven by ensuring the effective application of organisational values in the delivery of care and support services. Gabby is a Chartered Manager and Fellow of the Chartered Managers Institute.
Andrew is our Director of Finance and Assistant Chief Executive. After leaving university, he became a Support Worker in 1988 and over the years has had managerial responsibility for organisational fundraising, marketing, facilities management, and finance. His role is to develop and maximise our resources for the benefit of the people we support as well as ensuring we have the right infrastructure to meet the demands of a growing organisation. Andrew is committed to delivering services which optimise opportunities for people to lead full and independent lives.
Mandy has been our Director of Services since 2018. Mandy started her professional career as a chef and once qualified she did what many chefs do, she became a support worker. Mandy uses her extensive experience to ensure we deliver high quality services, concentrating on compliance, safeguarding, and development. Mandy is driven by her desire to ensure people with learning disabilities live dignified lives where they experience life’s opportunities in all its forms and can grow, and develop and achieve their dreams and aspirations.
Brian joined us in January 2019 after having been Vice Principal of a large adult education college. Brian has worked in Human Resources in adult education and the hospitality sector since 1991, and has lived in London since leaving school. The values, mission and ambition of LDN London drew him to this role, and he is excited to join the team. Brian enjoys cycling, hiking and photography. His role is to ensure we have a workforce with the values, skills and flexibility to meet future needs and demands.
Helen joined LDN London in June 2022 to lead the newly developed Quality and Compliance team. Helen has over 25 years’ experience supporting people with learning disabilities. After completing a placement supporting young adults with learning disabilities as part of degree course, became passionate about supporting people to have fulfilling lives, which led to a MA in psychology of learning disabilities. Helen is driven by the desire to do things well, particularly for people who are at risk of not having their voice heard and fervently believes in providing high quality services where people can flourish and meet their full potential as part of their community.
Tim joined us in 2005, and has managed many of our services in that time. He is passionate about creativity, leadership and developing people to ensure everyone can achieve their aspirations, both people with learning disabilities and our staff. Tim works to develop innovative tools and training programmes to meet the needs of the department. He has a particular interest in safeguarding, CQC and business continuity. Tim believes in the positive difference that everyone can make given the right support and opportunities.
Catalina joined our team in 2021 as our health lead. She has a wealth of experience, having worked as a registered general medical nurse, a psychology and nursing teacher, a senior support worker and a registered manager. Catalina prides herself on ensuring people receive the highest standards of care, so they can fulfil their dreams and aspirations, and live the life they want to. She enjoys working collaboratively and believes the best outcomes come from listening to and understanding the unique needs of each person we support.
Ania joined LDN in 2008 and has worked in several different roles including outreach, support work and managerial work across a number of services and boroughs before embarking on this role. Ania has a BA in sociology and Social Care and after a work placement realised that working with people with learning disabilities was what she wanted to do. Ania is passionate about delivering the highest quality support for people with learning disabilities to maximise their opportunities, experiences and independence. Ania’s ambition in this role is to ensure that people we support have all the opportunities to exploit their full potential. Ania enjoys keeping active, exploring places on her bike, hiking and traveling. She has started learning skateboarding and bodyboarding as she believes it is never too late!
Ilias has been with LDN London for over a decade, supporting children, young people and their families. His journey into care began in Athens in the 1990s through a school health project, which sparked a lifelong commitment to supporting others. After moving to London, he worked as a support worker in children’s homes and supported living, where he saw the power of small moments in children's lives. Today, he plays a key role linking Kids Can Achieve with LDN London. I am passionate about building on the values I and everyone at KCA holds dear: Kindness, Choice, Ambition. We can embed these values in our work, empowering people with learning disabilities and making a lasting difference.
“LDN London is a great organisation to work for, that cares about and supports its employees. Career development opportunities and training are available, and you’ll meet managers and support workers with varied skill sets and you’ll have the opportunity to learn from them. Most importantly LDN London team members make every day fulfilling for the people they support. I know my work is making a positive impact and helping each individual to grow, gain skills and work towards their independence.”
Ana Valencia, Assistant Team Manager LDN4U Westminster and Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
