Our Children's Services teams

Our heads of service

(Left to right): Andrada Pepenel, Teresa Devito, Suzanne Mehmet, Sacha Rymell, Becky Cooper, James Harman, and Nicoleta Stangu.

(Left to right): Andrada Pepenel, Teresa Devito, Suzanne Mehmet, Sacha Rymell, Becky Cooper, James Harman, and Nicoleta Stangu.

More about:

Andrada Pepenel - Head of Provider Services

Hello, I’m Andrada Pepenel, a qualified social worker since 2011. I hold a BA in Social Work – Probation and an MA in Social Work from the University of Bucharest, Romania.

My career has spanned various roles within local authorities in and around London, from social worker and senior practitioner to management positions. I joined Medway Children’s Services in January 2021 as a service manager in Children’s Social Work and became Head of Provider Services in February 2024.

Teresa Devito - Head of Safeguarding and Quality Assurance

I qualified as a social worker in 1993, following my time as a youth and community worker. Initially, I aimed to work in probation with young people, but after a year of encountering the rigidity of the court system, I transitioned to Children’s Social Care and have never looked back! Over the years, I’ve held various roles, including team manager, Independent Reviewing Officer, service manager, Local Safeguarding Children Board Business Manager, and Head of Safeguarding and QA.

In 2021, I decided to retire, but after just 6 weeks, I found myself unsure of how to fill my time. So, I was delighted when the opportunity to work in Medway arose. In my free time, I love to read, and my 2 little Border Terriers, Wilf and Stanley, keep me very busy.

Suzanne Mehmet - Head of Service: Children’s Social Work and Children and Young People with a Disability

I qualified as a social worker in 1993 and have worked mainly in 3 local authorities, Bristol, Kent, and Medway. I joined Medway in 2020 as a service manager in the Assessment Service and in June 2024 I became the Acting Head of Service for the Children’s Social Work Teams and Children and Young People with a Disability Team. 

What I enjoy about my role is no 2 days are the same and every day is a school day. The staff at Medway are very friendly and very caring towards our children, young people, and families.

Sacha Rymell - Head of First Response and Family Solutions

I am delighted to have joined Medway in July 2024 as an Interim Head of Service. Since qualifying as a social worker in 1994, I have dedicated my career to safeguarding children.

Becky Cooper - Head of Children’s Services Improvements

I began my social work career in 1995 and joined Medway in early September 2019. Prior to this, I served as the Head of Service for Safeguarding and Quality Assurance for Children’s Social Work Services at Kent County Council. My 29-year journey in social work started with youth work in Brixton, south London.

I have dedicated my career to safeguarding children and their families. I strive to bring my expertise in fostering a culture where managed risk is both accepted and understood. I am deeply committed to cultivating an environment of learning, reflection, and accountability within complex organisations. I believe in promoting kindness and the power of human relationships. My focus is on collaborating to support the children, young people, families, and communities throughout Medway. Medway is a great place to work!

James Harman - Head of Children's Services Commissioning

I began my career in the private sector with British Telecom after leaving university in Leeds with a BA in Management. Since 2004, I've been working on developing and improving children and young people services in a wide variety of roles across the southeast. I joined Medway Council in 2015 as a senior public health manager and, shortly after, graduated with an MA in Public Health and moved into the role of Head of Children's Commissioning 4 years ago. I have recently become the Responsible Individual for Medway's children's home Eden House.

I have also undertaken a variety of different volunteer roles over the past 20 years alongside my job including as a SEND youth worker and am currently a trustee at Medway Homestart.

I am very proud of the work we have achieved in Medway over the past few years and am very lucky to have a wonderful team of people who have a great work ethic and culture working with me to achieve our goals.

Nicoleta Stangu - Head of Service: Corporate Parenting

I qualified as a social worker in 2001 and have been working in the UK since 2006. While I have worked across several service areas in social care, my passion has always been working with children and young people in our care. I have enjoyed working in the corporate parenting role for over 9 years.

Over the years, I have always focused on supporting our children, young people, their parents, and carers and ensuring their time in our care offers them opportunities to learn, develop, grow, and heal and become the best versions of themselves. Our children and young people are our most valuable asset, and only together we can support them in achieving their dreams and potential.

I am very lucky to have joined Medway and to be part of a leadership team and organisation that keeps our children and young people at the heart of everything we do.