Meet Our Team

Simon Harniess

Director of Development

Simon has worked as Director of Development for Essex Care Association since 2018. 
 
Simon started his career in Social Care in 1983 and has extensive experience as a provider and commissioner of services for vulnerable adults, including a spell as a Registered Manager.
 
Simon worked for Essex County Council for 12 years where he was involved in a number of areas, mainly Housing Related Support, but also Community Equipment Services, Domestic Abuse Community Services and Domiciliary Care, as well as working extensively with district and borough Housing partners on homelessness issues.  Simon is also an associate of the Institute of Public Care.
 
Away from work, Simon is a keen runner and an occasional volunteer for his local running club and Parkrun. He also enjoys cooking, which he practices with ‘more enthusiasm than skill!’

Julie Ripper

Workforce Development Fund Lead

Having worked closely with Skills for Care over the last 15 years, Julie has extensive experience of the training and development challenges that face adult social care providers and has supported ECA to successfully disseminate over £1 million in WDF funding during that period.  Julie works on a free-lance basis and offers a flexible working approach which she adapts to the needs of the Association. 
 
In addition, Julie works in the home care market, and brings to her role with ECA 25 years of experience of working with local authorities at a strategic level.
 
Julie enjoys being in the great outdoors and engaging with flora and fauna, as well as trying to tame her somewhat overgrown garden.  She loves to travel and spend time with her family who are scattered across the world.

Hannah McLaughlin

Development Manager

Hannah joined ECA in 2023, having previously worked for a similar organisation in Suffolk.
 
Hannah has worked in social care in one way or another for most of her working life, starting in 2011 in Children and Young Families, before moving to Adult Social Care in 2015.  In this time Hannah has worked in various roles, including administration, Adult Social Care recruitment and project management, before joining ECA as Development Manager.
 
Hannah has a very good understanding and knowledge of workforce issues along with the other challenges facing the sector and is very much looking forward to supporting our valued members.
 
Hannah has a little boy, which currently means there is very little opportunity for spare time and hobbies.  However, she does very much enjoy pottering in the garden whilst he looks for worms and cooking whilst he pulls all of the pots and pans out of the cupboards!

Ruth Willison

Office Manager

Ruth joined ECA in 2012, having previously worked in banking. Ruth worked in the City for Natwest, the Japanese bank Fuji International and her last job was at the Swiss bank Credit Suisse, where she worked in the back office of the trading department assisting the traders with settling of trades - a very busy, fast paced environment.
 
Ruth took a 9-year career break from 2003 – 2012 to bring up her two children. Then once they both started a primary school, she started to look for a new challenge, but closer to home. She was offered the part-time role of ECA Office Administrator and was promoted in 2006 to Office Manager, which is her current role.
 
Ruth works part-time 15 hours a week and is in charge of all the day to day running of the ECA office, organising the ECA membership and helping members with their queries. Ruth also plans and organises all the ECA conferences where you will always see her on the front desk welcoming delegates.  Ruth also administers the Workforce Development Fund, dealing with claims and liaising with Skills for Care to answer queries and ensure that claims are paid.
 
In her spare time, Ruth spends a lot of time supporting her son at various school and academy football matches. Her older daughter is in her second year at Winchester University studying Media and Communications and she has already helped Care Organisations with their social media through part-time roles.

Caroline Theodorou

Consultant

Caroline has been in the social care sector for over 35 years, initially working with older adults with dementia living in residential care and in the community. Later working with young people (16-24years) and unaccompanied minors for eight years, supporting them to transition from Local Authority care to independent living by securing and maintaining a tenancy. More recently, for over a decade now, Caroline has worked with adults with a learning disability and/or autism and those with complex needs to live well in residential, nursing and supported living settings. Caroline previously worked at Skills for Care for care for two years setting up registered managers networks across Essex.

Currently, Caroline works part-time as the Chief Operating Officer of a group of companies that support people with a learning disability and/or autism and complex needs to live Independently.

Caroline has been connected to ECA for the last 9 years, either via Skills for Care promoting the workforce development fund, or as a committee member and in the last six months as a consultant.

Caroline enjoys fundraising for a variety of charities every year. In 2019 Caroline did a skydive for Alzheimer’s Research with a group of friends - it was both the most terrifying and exhilarating experience and collectively we raised over £5k.