Meet Our Team
Adult Carers Team
Adult Carers Team Leader
James Holdcroft
James has experience in caring, both personally and professionally. During his high school years, he was a young carer for his mother, a role that deeply influenced him. After completing his studies in Psychology and Sociology at QMU in Edinburgh, he delved into care services, working in both care homes and community care settings.
His time as a care worker sparked a realisation: He was getting paid for the same work he did during high school. He was an ex-young carer. This insight fueled his passion to advocate for and support carers. Over the span of eight years, he dedicated himself to various charities aimed at aiding unpaid carers, even volunteering on two Board of Trustees.
In 2019, James moved to London and joined Carers’ Hub as the Service Coordinator - Mental Health Carers. Since then, he has advanced within the organisation, leveraging his wealth of experience to support carers in Lambeth.
James hosts the All Adult Peer Support Group, Emergency Planning for Carers workshop. He is particularly proud of the variety of support provided by the team.
Service Coordinator - Mental Health Carers
Karen Ibrahim
Karen has lived experience of supporting someone living with a Serious Mental Illness(SMI). Karen is the Service Coordinator for Mental Health Carers at Carers Hub Lambeth and a member of South London & Maudsley Involvement Register.
She regularly facilitates peer support groups for Mental Health Carers and leads a weekly Mindfulness session.
Hospital Carers' Lead
Eleanor Cross
Eleanor holds a degree in Social Work from the University of Leeds and has a broad range of frontline experience working in Adult Social Care, across Hospital and Mental Health social work teams.
Eleanor worked as the “Carers Champion” in her previous statutory work and uses her lived experience as carer to inform professionals about the challenges of being an unpaid carer and embodying a caring role. Eleanor is passionate about supporting all individuals, especially those from seldom-heard groups.
Eleanor now works as the Hospital Carers Lead at Carers Hub, continuing to make the carers’ voice heard in clinical settings. Eleanor is based at both Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital and King’s College Hospital.
Service Coordinator - Learning Disability and Neurodiverse Carers
Rachel Case
Rachel is a lifelong Lambeth resident and has been a member of the team since 2018 working in both the young carers and adult carers teams. Rachel has frontline statutory, private and the third sector experience across the lifespan inclusive of youth work, early years, education and family safeguarding.
Rachel holds a degree in social work and postgraduate qualifications in special educational needs. She has lived experience of neurodiversity and as an unpaid carer. She is passionate about supporting those most marginalized in the community.
She regularly facilitates peer support groups for Learning Disability and Neurodiversity Carers.
Service Coordinator - Dementia Carers
Yvette Trought
Yvette trained as a secondary school teacher and taught Science and Business studies for many years at schools in South London. She has spent over 15 years as a carer. Yvette is part of the Lambeth connectors group which helps to inform people about community groups and the work they do.
As the Service Provider for the Dementia Carers, Yvette maintains contact with the group by providing support and signposting when needed. She holds 1:1 meetings with carers and facilitates both an online Peer support group for the carers and a face to face group.
Yvette finds it very rewarding supporting carers with regular phone calls to discuss their well being and liaising with organisations and community groups which provide activities for dementia carers and their loved-one.
Carers' Support Officer
Jen McAlister
Growing up, Jen was involved in caring for her older brother who has autism and a learning disability. At a young age, she then went on to become a carer for her mother, who lived with alcohol misuse and struggled with her mental health.
Having lived experience of the complexities of the caring role and an understanding of the difficulties many carers face, Jen is passionate about empowering and transforming the lives of those who face similar challenges.
Transitioning from a corporate career she is excited to now support Carers Hub as a Carers' Support Officer, working to increase awareness and identification of unpaid carers in local hospitals and ensuring they receive the support they need.
Young Carers Team
Young Carers Team Leader
Krishtina Amatya
Krishtina lives in South East London and joined Carers' Hub in 2023. Krishtina graduated with a Masters in Neuroscience from University College London in 2021 and specialised in mental health and pain. She has since worked in the education sector as both a tutor and science teacher for young people aged 11-18.
Krishtina has been a carer since the age of 8 to her mother which is what inspired her to study neuroscience and to join Carers' Hub Lambeth.
Krishtina was the Young Carers Support Worker, carrying out Young Carers Assessments and supporting other projects. In 2025, Krishtina became the Young Carers Team Leader, and now heads up the Young Carer Service. She is looking forward to supporting her team and creating positive change,
Family Support Worker: Alcohol and Substance Misuse
Candice Phillip
Having grown up and worked in Lambeth for over 15 years, Candace has first-hand knowledge of the local and surrounding areas.
Her previous roles - teaching assistant (17 years), senior youth worker (15 years), residential support worker (ongoing), - have all been centred around children and young people between the ages of 5 -20. Working closely with other professionals to ensure the best possible outcome for each in areas such as education, family life and above all wellbeing.
As a family support worker, Candice is able to provide care and nurture to young carers, through workshops, signposting, home visits and opportunity to meet other carers, much like themselves, while partaking in fun leisure activities. Liaising with others for an outcome of balance for young carers.
Young Carers Project Officer
Sonny Daniels
Sonny worked both manually and as a Project Manager in the construction industry for around 10 years and is now a qualified Humanistic Integrative Counsellor, working with private clients alongside his work here at Carers Hub.
Sonny is the Schools Project Officer and goes into schools in Lambeth to support young carers both through 1-1 and group sessions. He also works with schools to raise awareness around young carers and am working on building a larger school network that can recognise and respond to the needs of young carers on a greater level.
He wanted a change of industry and a new challenge; somewhere he felt his efforts would have more meaning and would be helping young people to feel better about themselves, who they are, and who they can be in life.
The team is wonderful and Sonny feels lucky to be a part of Carers' Hub.
Young Carers Project Officer
Ellie Connell
Ellie holds a BA in Social Work and MSc in Global Health, Social Justice and Public Policy. Her previous work experience covers supporting young adults with learning disabilities, brain injury rehabilitation and working with young carers.
As a Young Carers Project Officer, Ellie visits young carers in primary schools to offer 1:1 support sessions. She works with schools to increase awareness of young carers to improve the support they can provide.
Ellie runs 1:1 educational support sessions on Monday evenings alongside the Homework Club on Tuesday evenings to provide young carers with a space to complete their school work whilst giving them a break from their caring role and an opportunity to meet other young carers.
Ellie is extremely passionate about supporting young carers to meet their full potential in their education, and is proud to be providing this support with Carers Hub Lambeth.
