Meet the Youth Services team

Head of Service

I'm a social worker with 20 years’ experience in leading teams and delivering services to children and their families. All my social work career has been spent working with children and young people in a variety of settings.

I joined Medway in 2019 working with children in need to care and protect.

I currently lead the Provider Services portfolio. The Provider Services portfolio includes:

• the Fostering Service
• management of the relationship with the Regional Adoption Agency
• the Youth Service
• the Multi Disciplinary Service
• our short breaks children’s home Parklands.

I'm proud of the extensive support that we offer to children in Medway through the Youth Service.

I am privileged to work with passioned youth workers who:

• deliver innovative services
• develop great activities to engage and inspire young people to be the best that they can be.

When I am not at work I enjoy traveling and closer to home, I enjoy baking.

Email: ingrid.crisan@medway.gov.uk

Operations Manager

Roy has been working with the Youth Service for the past 20 years, where he started as a play worker and detached youth worker.

He enjoys delivering training and developing new projects. He has also worked as a youth work tutor at YMCA George Williams College.

Roy is a strong advocate of participative practice and is keen to ensure young people are actively involved in the development of the service.

He is studying part-time for a PhD in young people’s political participation. He also loves running, swimming, cooking and makes electronic music in his spare time.

Email: roy.smith@medway.gov.uk

Team Leader

I have worked with children and young people for 20 years, starting as a youth support worker.

I joined Medway in 2018 as a social worker, before returning to Youth Services as Medway Council’s team lead in September 2021.

I'm passionate about keeping young people at the centre of practice and using every opportunity to develop provision and creative approaches to youth work.

In my spare time, I enjoy films, especially Marvel and exploring new places.

Email: lucy.mattick@medway.gov.uk

Senior Youth Development Worker

Allan’s specialities are music, video games and adventurous activities.

He runs a music studio and music-based events, as well as The Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Allan is a great listener and motivator of young people. He loves it when young people realise their own potential, overcome challenges and achieve.

When not at work, Allan enjoys cooking, film, TV and gaming. He is also a scout leader in Medway, so can be found out on some sort of adventure most of the time.

Allan does not have favourites. He will famously eat anything, watch anything, play anything. He strongly believes that Ben and Jerry’s is the only ice cream worth buying.

Email: allan.harris@medway.gov.uk

Assistant Youth Development Worker

Stella is based at the Gillingham and Twydall Family Hub in Woodlands Road, Gillingham.

She loves sewing, making different outfits, sports, cooking and travelling.

Stella is very passionate about young people’s social and personal development.

Email: stella.williams@medway.gov.uk

Assistant Youth Development worker

Hi I’m Jodie!

During work, I like to share my passion for music and films with the young people who come to youth sessions.

Outside of work you’ll usually catch me getting muddy and messy looking after my horse or walking my dog. When I’m not getting messy, I’ll be playing PlayStation, probably swinging around New York as Spider-Man.

Email: jodie.armstrong@medway.gov.uk

Assistant Youth Development Worker

Paul works in Chatham, Walderslade and Rochester East. You can catch him down the WREC Room most days.

Apart from being a cool and collective guy, Paul is a great person to talk to and very understanding.

Email: paulvir.khaira@medway.gov.uk

Senior Youth Development Worker

Angela is a senior youth worker for the Luton and Rainham area, which includes Lordswood. She manages projects across this area with her team. When she is not out and about she is based at the Parkwood Youth Centre. 

She is a good listener, calm, understanding and she likes to help people wherever she can.

Angela loves to socialise with friends and family. She enjoys travelling, listening to music, anything arty and walking her dog in the countryside or on the beach. You do not often see Angela out of her flip flops.

Email: angela.cox@medway.gov.uk

Assistant Youth Development worker

I love gaming and Esports! My favourite games are Valorant, Minecraft and Skyrim.

You can find me in Luton and Rainham team at Parkwood Youth Centre. So look out for me if you pop along to any of the sessions.

Email: darryl.lacey@medway.gov.uk

Senior Youth Development Worker

Robb is a youth worker for the Luton and Rainham area, which includes Lordswood. He supports projects across this area with his team. When he is not out and about he is based at Parkwood Youth Centre. 

Robb likes working with young people to come up with new and different ideas for activities.

Robb is into gaming, including:

• table-top board games
• online gaming
• Dungeons and Dragons
• game design
• running Nerf activities.

He also likes playing the drums, filmmaking, camping and completing survival training.

Email: robert.wilson@medway.gov.uk

Assistant Youth Development Worker

David specialises in sport, particularly football and graphic design.

His interests and hobbies are playing football, running, travelling, adventurous activities and arranging charity events.

David’s favourite food is curry and his favourite film is Shawshank Redemption.

Email: david.leece@medway.gov.uk

Youth Development Worker

Lindsay works for the Strood and Peninsula team as a youth development worker.

Lindsay has lived on the Peninsula with her 2 children while they were at secondary school and worked as a youth worker in the area for over 15 years. She has a good understanding of what it's like for young people living on the Peninsula and how isolating it can be.

Lindsay enjoys doing many things with young people including cooking, jewellery making and one-to-one support in school. She likes watching football, is a Chelsea supporter and used to be a football coach.

She loves spending time with her family and has a keen interest in aromatherapy and loves holidaying in Devon and Cornwall.

Her favourite band is UB40, favourite film is 27 dresses and favourite food is a roast dinner.

Email: lindsay.hartney@medway.gov.uk

Senior Youth Development Worker

Erin works in Walderslade, Rochester East and Chatham. She is regularly at the WREC Room - a unit we run for young people in the Pentagon Centre, Chatham. She is a great listener and is always willing to offer a helping hand.

She loves taking part in adrenaline-racing activities and is always up for a laugh. In her spare time she enjoys socialising with friends and family, having movie nights with snacks and having a good pamper session to unwind!

Erin cannot pick one film as her favourite, but her favourite snack to have on a movie night is sweet and salted popcorn and nachos.

Email: erin.scott@medway.gov.uk

Youth Development Worker

Karen supports the Medway Youth Council, a voice for young people in Medway, and is also a volunteer with Medway Police Cadets.

She is also working on a project called the Recruitment Squad where she works with young people that form part of interview panels for those applying for jobs within children services.

Karen has worked with children and young people for around 25 years in different roles. She started a youth club in Grain that is still running 20 years on. Karen is young person centred and a good project planner. She is very patient and understanding.

She loves spending time with her daughters and friends. She is interested in history and loves visiting historical places.

She also loves nothing more than a good boxset to sit and watch, and going out for meals.

Email: karen.yusuf@medway.gov.uk

IAG Lead

Tarnya leads the IAG team, which works with 16 to 17 year olds not in education, employment or training (NEET). She manages Medway’s data collection tasks for young people in work, education or training. 

Tarnya also oversees the social media content to support all young people in Medway to achieve their goals. She works closely with the main stakeholders, both at Medway Council and externally, to seek opportunities for work and learning for young people.

Tarnya enjoys eating out with friends, the theatre and country music.

Email: tarnya.cregeen@medway.gov.uk

IAG Specialist

Priya supports clients aged 16 to 18 with careers information, advice and guidance.

She is also involved in destination tracking of young people in Medway.

Priya works closely with the Youth Offending team to support their vulnerable clients with IAG, job and apprenticeship searches and explores training opportunities including work experience.

In her spare time, she enjoys watching Bollywood movies and cooking different cuisines.

Email: priya.pai@medway.gov.uk

IAG Specialist

The IAG team supports young people aged 16 to 18 with careers information, advice and guidance.

Our aim is to support young people into work, education, apprenticeships or training.

We are on social media where we advertise jobs and you can contact us.

Louise likes travelling and reading.

Email: louise.phipps@medway.gov.uk

IAG Specialist

Amy supports young people in Medway aged 16 to 18 with careers guidance. She helps them with education, training and employment.

Part of her role requires her to track young people living in Medway. She needs to find out what they are currently up to. This helps the team to connect with young people that may need support from the IAG team.

Amy often works from the WREC Room where we offer drop-in services for Medway’s young people.

Amy loves to spend time with her family. She enjoys shopping and is also a bit of a car enthusiast!

Email: amy.heeney@medway.gov.uk

IAG Specialist

Astrid is part of the Be Yourself Team, supporting young people aged 16 to 21, and up to 25 with additional needs who are not in education, employment or training.

The aim of this programme is to help young people to return to education, find employment or training opportunities to support their development.

Astrid finds great job satisfaction in supporting young people and developing their aspirations and job goals. She enjoys outside activities, walking, bike riding and travelling to exotic places.

Email: astrid.pearce@medway.gov.uk

Young Person’s Tracking Officer

Helen is usually based at Gun Wharf, Chatham. She contacts 16 to 18 year olds within Medway to check if they are in work or education.

If they are not, Helen will offer to refer them for one-to-one support with an IAG specialist or suggest they join IAG’s Facebook group for support if they prefer. Helen signposts them to relevant work or training support available in Medway.

Helen enjoys spending time with family and friends, music, reading, films, cooking, long walks and travelling.

Her favourite film is Lost In Translation, closely followed by The Holiday, Fast and The Furious, Harry Potter, and Bridget Jones. She enjoys most films to be fair, but she's really not a fan of science fiction.

Email: helen.cook@medway.gov.uk

Assistant Youth Development Worker

Niall works in the IAG team that supports young people aged 16 to 18 with careers information, advice and guidance.

Our aim is to support young people into work, education, apprenticeships or training. We are on social media where we advertise jobs and you can contact us.

Niall enjoys playing football and learning how to play music.

Email: niall.cullen@medway.gov.uk