A little bit about us

Alicia François
Specialist Services DirectorAlicia François
Specialist Services DirectorAlicia has 17 years of dedicated experience in the care industry, serving diverse client demographics. Her steady commitment revolves around enhancing the quality of life for those she cares for. With an extensive background spanning community, supported living, and care homes, Alicia has wholeheartedly embraced the principles of person-centered care.
Beginning her journey as an activities coordinator, she witnessed the transformative power of meaningful engagement. This drove her to expand her impact, fostering independence and overall well-being. Advancing through various roles, from manager to service director, Alicia champions transparency and openness within her teams, safeguarding clients’ safety, engagement, and welfare.
alicia.francois@sweettree.co.uk
Anna Adeleye
Quality Assurance & On Call Support Manager – Specialist ServicesAnna Adeleye
Quality Assurance & On Call Support Manager – Specialist Servicesanna.adeleye@sweettree.com
Brennan Neiding
Assistant Support Manager – Brain InjuryBrennan Neiding
Assistant Support Manager – Brain InjuryBrennan started working in care 4 years ago with another agency after moving to the UK from Ohio. It was a new industry for Brennan, however, he had an interest in psychology and fell in love with working in a position that allowed him to work passionately with others. In his free time, he enjoys gaming, film, music as well as spending time with his puppy.brennan.neiding@sweettree.co.uk
Chiara Bernardi
Support Manager – Brain InjuryChiara Bernardi
Support Manager – Brain InjuryChiara started working for SweetTree in 2019 as a Brain Injury support worker. In 2022, she became a Field Supervisor, then Assistant Support Manager, and currently Support Manager for the Brain Injury service (North West). She has a BSc in Psychological Sciences and Techniques (Italy) and a MSc in Neuroscience and Neuropsychological Rehabilitation (Italy). She volunteered at the local children’s hospital Burlo Garofolo and worked for a charity which supports people with Ms before moving to London in 2016.
Originally from Trieste, Chiara likes to meet new challenges and new people. She loves baking, reading, and going to the theatre.
chiara.bernardi@sweettree.co.uk
Ella Barlow
Support Manager – Brain Injury & Spinal ServicesElla Barlow
Support Manager – Brain Injury & Spinal ServicesElla has been working in the care industry for 23 years. As soon as she started in care, she knew this was what she wanted to do. She started as a support worker in domiciliary care and then moved onto working with a client with a brain injury. She then worked in a brain injury unit which she found rewarding and fascinating! She moved into working with clients with spinal injuries in 2015 as a support worker and team leader before taking the role as a care manager. She is currently working toward her level Five in Health and Social care.
Ell has chosen to work with SweetTree due to our passion surrounding good quality care which she feels matches her own ethos.
Travel is Ella’s main passion outside of work and there are still many places on her bucket list! She enjoys socialising with friends and family in her spare time.
ella.barlow@sweettree.co.uk
Isabel Aguiar
Complex Care Manager – Brain InjuryIsabel Aguiar
Complex Care Manager – Brain InjuryIsabel started working for SweetTree as a Brain Injury and Neurological Conditions as a Support Manager in September 2021.
She has BSc in Psychology (Spain) and a MSc in Neurosciences and Neuropsychology (United Kingdom). Following her studies she completed an internship in Neuropsychological Unit in Spain, and moved to London in 2015 to pursue her career. Joined the Care Sector in 2017 as a support worker, and then progressed into Field Supervisor, Coordinator and finally into Support Manager; having experience of working with people with dementia, learning disabilities, complex needs, neurological conditions and brain injury.
Originally from Porto, Isabel loves to spend time in nature, with animals and practising yoga. She also has a passion for photography and anything related to Harry Potter – muggles wouldn’t understand this.
isabel.aguiar@sweettree.co.uk
Jackson King
Assistant Support Manager – Brain InjuryJackson King
Assistant Support Manager – Brain InjuryWith over 15 years of experience in the health and social care sector, Jackson has built his career around delivering compassionate, person-centred support. He spent 11 years working in homeless outreach and residential care, leading gardening and other activity programmes that promoted wellbeing, independence, and community engagement. Over the past four years, he has worked as a Support Worker across both Australia and the UK, further developing his expertise in supporting individuals with diverse needs. Now in his role as Assistant Support Manager, Jackson is passionate about mentoring and supporting colleagues to deliver high-quality, person-centred care. He is a strong advocate for creating meaningful, tailored activities that reflect each person’s interests, goals, and individuality, helping to enhance quality of life and encourage greater independence. Outside of work, Jackson enjoys camping, attending live music events, and training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Kwaku Baidoo
Specialist Coordinator – Brain InjuryKwaku Baidoo
Specialist Coordinator – Brain InjuryKwaku has been working with Sweettree for 3 years, starting as a Support Worker and now working as a Specialist Coordinator for the Brain Injury department. He likes traveling: going to different countries, experiencing different cultures, and meeting new people makes him happy. What he enjoys most about working at Sweettree is that he can contribute to the general wellbeing of clients through his role as a coordinator. He also likes the work culture.
Migen Cocelli
Specialist Services Coordinator – Brain InjuryMigen Cocelli
Specialist Services Coordinator – Brain InjuryMigen joined SweetTree in September 2021 but has previously worked as a mental health support worker to care for individuals with underlying mental health conditions. Throughout her time, she has developed a greater compassion for caring for people with different needs by delivering the highest quality of care to allow them to lead more independent lives.
Before joining Sweettree, Migen has gained a undergraduate degree in Psychology with Counselling Skills as she is passionate about improving the lives of people through the use of therapy. She brings a positive attitude and is helpful and friendly towards any encountered situation. Migen looks forward to gain more valuable experience from SweetTree and use all skills to progress in her position!
migen.cocelli@sweettree.co.uk
Rebekah Dawson
Specialist Services Relief ManagerRebekah Dawson
Specialist Services Relief ManagerRebekah has worked with SweetTree for the past two years as a support worker in the Learning Disabilities and Brain Injury services. Before joining SweetTree, she worked in schools and as a nanny, predominantly supporting children with special educational needs. She also completed a BSc in Psychology. Passionate about improving people’s lives through a holistic and person-centred approach, she believes SweetTree is the perfect place to do this.
She is currently studying an MSc in the Psychodynamics of Human Development in the hopes of becoming a psychotherapist, and her experience working with SweetTree has inspired her to continue progressing within this field.
In her spare time, she loves spending time with friends, travelling, trying new things, and staying active through activities such as swimming and yoga, singing, and anything music-related!

Sandra Amina
Partnerships Manager – Specialist ServicesSandra Amina
Partnerships Manager – Specialist ServicesSandra has worked in the care industry since 2002, after she came to London from Latvia with a nursing diploma. She has worked both in hospitals and the community, and loves making a difference to people’s lives, no matter how small that difference may be.
Soon after joining SweetTree as a BI support worker, Sandra was offered a team leader role on one of the Brain Injury team’s most complex packages, then progressed into a Support Manager role. She now works with the team in her current role as a Partnerships Manager.
Sandra says her passion is travelling and learning about our amazing planet. Fun facts: Sandra has reached the summit of Kilimanjaro and has completed a half marathon in under 2hrs! Sandra describes the people at SweetTree as “one big family”.
sandra.amina@sweettree.co.uk
Valerie Semeria
Support Manager – Brain InjuryValerie Semeria
Support Manager – Brain InjuryAlongside her MSc in Cognitive Rehabilitation and Level 5 in Leadership & Management, Valerie brings over eight years of experience directing services to support individuals with acquired brain injuries and neuro disabilities. Her roles involved clinical service design and delivery, corporate and vocational training, and funding development. At the heart of her work lies a golden thread—championing independence and holistic care. She’s also Chair of a charity supporting ABI survivors and, in her downtime, can often be found playing or watching just about any sport
Xenia Pantelaki
Specialist Relief Support ManagerXenia Pantelaki
Specialist Relief Support ManagerXenia has worked in the care sector for over 24 years. Her journey into care began when she spent several years looking after my disabled grandmother. This period inspired a deep passion for helping others, which led Xenia to continue working in the care profession.Xenia joined SweetTree as a Support Worker and through dedication and experience, progressed to the role of Team Leader. Throughout her career, she has remained committed to providing compassionate, person-centred care and supporting both clients and colleagues to achieve the best possible outcomes.Xenia has completed her Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications in Health and Social Care, as well as a phlebotomy course, which has helped broaden her skills and knowledge within the field. Outside of work, Xenia enjoys cooking and making homemade jam, walking my dog, reading, and going to the gym. She believes maintaining a positive and balanced lifestyle helps her bring energy, empathy, and dedication to her work in care.