Our Children's Services teams

Our heads of service

From left to right: Andrada Pepenel, Penny Ferguson, Suzanna Mehmet, Susan Akinyele, Becky Cooper, James Harman, Nicoleta Stangu, Chi Chiringa.

(Left to right): Andrada Pepenel, Penny Ferguson, Suzanna Mehmet, Susan Akinyele, Becky Cooper, James Harman, Nicoleta Stangu, and Chi Chiringa.

More about:

Andrada Pepenel - Head of Children’s Social Work

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.

Since December 2025 I have been in the Head of Children’s Social Work Teams role.

Penny Ferguson - Head of Safeguarding and Quality Assurance

I qualified as a Social Worker in 2009 starting my career in Essex. Since then, I’ve worked in local authorities in London and the south, joining Medway in January 2026.

I’ve worked within assessment and long-term teams as well as quality assurance. I very much enjoy working with colleagues to improve practice, deliver the very best service to our children and support professional development.

Prior to qualifying as a social worker, I worked for a charity, supporting adults who were street homeless or vulnerably housed. This included working closely with probation services and within a prison. This experience inspired me to work with children and foster a learning environment where social workers feel safe and supported to do their very best.

I’m happy to be part of Medway’s leadership team and am committed to supporting the children and families of Medway.

Suzanne Mehmet - Head of Service: Children and Young People with a Disability

I qualified as a Social Worker in 1993 and have had the privilege of building my career across Bristol, Kent and Medway

I joined Medway in 2020 as a Service Manager in the Assessment Service. In June 2024 I stepped into the role of Acting Head of Service for the Children’s Social Work Teams and the Children and Young People with a Disability Team.

I'm now proud to be the Head of Service for the Children and Young People with a Disability Teams.

What I love most about my role is that the days are ever the same. There's always something new to learn and every day truly feels like a school day. I feel incredibly fortunate to work alongside such friendly, dedicated and compassionate colleagues at Medway, who are deeply committed to supporting and making a difference to the lives of our children, young people and families.

Susan Akinyele - Head of First Response and Family Solutions

I’m passionate about creating positive change for children and families by leading services that are both effective and compassionate. Over the years, I’ve progressed through various leadership roles in social care, managing complex safeguarding cases and driving service improvements that have strengthened outcomes for vulnerable children across different local authorities.

I joined Medway in 2024 as a service manager in the Children’s Social Work Teams, having previously worked in Medway in different roles between 2013 and 2020.

I focus on building collaborative teams and ensuring high standards of practice. I believe in empowering professionals to deliver their best work and creating environments where trust and accountability thrive. Representation matters to me, I strive to lead in a way that reflects diversity and inclusion, ensuring every voice is heard and valued. My goal is simple: to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve.

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 in several roles within Integrated Children’s Social Work Services at Kent County Council. My 29-year journey in social work started with youth and community 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. I believe in promoting kindness and the power of human relationships to achieve this. 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've recently become the Responsible Individual for Medway's children's home Eden House.

I've 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 Home-Start.

I'm 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 and Youth Justice Service

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'm 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.

Chi Chiringa - Head of Provider Services

I began my social work career at the School of Social Work at the University of Zimbabwe, qualifying in 1996. In 2003, I moved to the UK and joined Brighton Council’s Duty Team, later progressing to Senior Practitioner and Practice Teacher by 2010.

Over the years, I’ve developed a broad and varied career as a locum social worker, undertaking roles including team manager, principal social worker, independent reviewing officer and service manager across fostering and commissioning.

I joined Medway in January 2026, motivated by a strong commitment to partnership working, collaboration and achieving meaningful outcomes for children and families. Leading Provider Services is an exciting opportunity to champion high standards, strengthen our workforce and build on the excellent work already taking place across Medway.