Council Members
Council Members
Alyce Sheedy
Wellbeing Ambassador - Riverstone
Alyce is a dual trained nurse hailing from Australia with over 15 years' experience in both paediatrics and adult nursing and has worked in a number of areas, including international health, medical research, NHS and private care sector. She has a wealth of experience in the older adult health and care realm including care homes, inpatient rehabilitation, community and district nursing, both women and men’s health, live in care, domiciliary care and end of life care. In a previous role as Clinical Director and Registered CQC Manager Alyce found herself breaking down barriers involved with accessing health care in the community.
Alyce now works as a Wellbeing Nurse Ambassador in an independent living, integrated retirement community supporting individuals with their physical and cognitive health enabling then to continue to live independently and add quality and life to their years.
Alyce advocates wholistic, patient centred care and is passionate about supporting people to live their best life on their terms.
Aekta Babhania
Clinical Leadership & Development Lead - Azalea Court
I began my nursing career in 2004, specialising in elderly care within nursing homes. In 2011, I transitioned to complex care for adults with spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, and long-term care needs.
My role evolved from a care home setting to a community-based environment, leading to a position as a Home IV Therapy Nurse in 2014. In this role, I administered regular IV infusions to adults in their homes, which ultimately led to my involvement in complex home-based care starting in late 2015. My most recent role involved extensive training, mentoring, and competency sign-offs for complex care.
Over the years, I have developed a broad skill set and gained substantial experience in caring for children, adults, and the elderly across both care home and homecare settings. I have benefited from excellent mentorship and leadership, which has enhanced my leadership and management skills. I am known for my excellent communication, rapid learning ability, and proficiency as a mentor and educator.
Prior to joining Azalea Court, I embraced a new challenge in the pharmaceutical industry as a Quality Assurance Assistant, with the long-term goal of supporting my father’s pharmaceutical company while maintaining my nursing registration. Having acquired foundational knowledge in this field, I longed for nursing again, so joined Azalea Court in November 2024.
Laura Anthony
Deputy Head of Region (London & South East) - Skills for Care
Laura has worked in the social care sector for over 23 years, and her particular specialisms include workforce development, recruitment, and retention.
Millie Simms
Lead Nurse for Independent Health and Social Care (IHSC)
Millie is an internationally educated nurse qualified in General, Community & Psychiatric Nursing and Midwifery, and was recruited from South Africa to Kings College hospital (SE London) in 1999.
Her experience varies from neurorehabilitation at a renowned centre in Johannesburg, South Africa to orthopaedics and neurosurgery; the corporate world of medical insurance in the UK and her ultimate passion for empowering the nursing profession in her career with the RCN.
Millie is excited to understand the wider IHSC nursing workforce and forge working relationships to promote and influence their value in health and social care and ultimately patient care.
Tawanda Bvumburai
Employer Link Service Advisor for the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
The NMC’s Employer Link Service works closely with employers and stakeholders, to provide advice and support In relations to all aspects of the NMC’s regulatory functions. These include education, fitness to practice and registration. It’s the ambition of the team and the NMC as a whole to expand this offer withing social care, private and voluntary sectors.
Patricia Howell
Unit Leader HC-One Ltd
Patricia Johnson Howell is an experienced nurse,healthcare leader and educator with a strong
background in adult social care, clinical practice, and nursing education. Currently serving as a
Unit Leader with HC-One Ltd, she is committed to delivering person-centred care and
empowering her team to uphold dignity, safety, and compassion.
Trained at Northern Caribbean University in the Caribbean, Patricia has worked across medical-surgical units, step-down ICU, paediatrics, from registered nurse, Nurse in Charge.
She has made significant contributions as a Nursing Tutor, creating curricula, mentoring Allied Health students, and teaching Geriatric Nursing at Trench Town Polytechnic College Jamaica.
Her leadership extends to roles such as Dignity in Care Champion, Medicine Champion, Fire Safety Coordinator, and Safer People Coach. Recognised by her employers as Employee of the Year
(2022, Jamaica). Patricia also holds certifications in health and safety, customer service, and lifestyle disease prevention. Passionate about empowerment, she mentors new employees and inspires colleagues to achieve their best.
Alin-Valentin Cojocaru
Business Manager Azalea Court Care Home
My name is Alin-Valentin Cojocaru, an experienced healthcare professional with a strong background in nursing, healthcare management, and service development. I currently serve as the Business Manager at Azalea Court Care Home, where I lead on operational performance, compliance, and strategic initiatives to improve care outcomes.
Over the years, I have held diverse roles including Registered Nurse, Senior Unit Manager, Mentor Manager, Deputy Manager, and Clinical Deputy Manager. Across each position, I have contributed to enhancing service quality, streamlining operations, leading regulatory compliance, and empowering care teams to deliver person-centred care in line with CQC standards.
I hold an MBA in Business Administration, which I combine with clinical qualifications and an engineering background to approach healthcare challenges with both analytical precision and compassionate leadership.
My professional vision is to work collaboratively with stakeholders across the sector—uniting private healthcare providers, NHS teams, and community services—to advance digital transformation, create new training pathways (such as nurse associate programmes, prescribing courses, or nursing degree programmes), and improve career development opportunities for colleagues in private care.
My career goal is to drive innovation and excellence in healthcare management, while continuing to support the professional growth and wellbeing of my teams.