Meet the team
Second Step is led by a Senior Leadership Team, consisting of the Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive, Director of Finance, the Head of Human Resources and four Senior Operations Managers. They are supported by more than 240 skilled and dedicated staff, as well as a team of around 80 volunteers. The Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Finance are also members of the Second Step Board.
Aileen Edwards
Chief Executive
Aileen’s first experience of work was as a volunteer helping homeless people in Bristol. Trained in counselling and with a degree in psychology, Aileen has always been interested in the psychological side to providing housing and support to people with mental health needs.
Aileen joined Second Step in 1993 taking up the role of Chief Executive in 1995. She continues to lead service delivery development, with a focus on recovery, peer support and development of resilience. All with an emphasis on the benefits of strong partnership working.
Aileen is a trustee on the Association of Mental Health Providers.
Andy Warren
Director of Quality and Performance and deputy Chief Executive
Andy leads Second Step's Operational Management and is Director of Quality and Performance. Andy also deputises for our Chief Executive, Aileen Edwards.
Andy's career has been spent in the 3rd Sector with the vast majority of this time with Mental Health Charities.
He is passionate about building on Second Step’s reputation and successes and sharing our positive values and vision.
Richard Carling
Director of Finance
Richard is responsible for Finance and IT, and also the Senior Information Risk Owner for the organisation.
Richard comes from a charity background, having worked as Finance Director at Together for Short Lives and Tree Aid and in various roles at the National Autistic Society.
Chris Kinston
Senior Operations Manager - Mental Health
Chris is responsible for a number of CCG commissioned services, including the Bristol Community Rehabilitation Service, the Recovery Bristol Partnership and the Bristol Wellbeing College and the Wellbeing Service in North Somerset.
Chris is also the Recovery Lead and Caldicott Guardian for Second Step.
Emmie Davies
Senior Operations Manager
Emmie is responsible for the ongoing delivery of the Changing Futures Programme and wider mental health and multiple disadvantages services in the region
Sophie Dumayne
Senior Operations Manager Homelessness & Complex Needs
Sophie is responsible for a number of Homelessness and Complex Needs Services, including our housing services and Step Together. She has worked in homelessness and housing services since the start of her career.
Sophie has a true passion for working with and managing services for vulnerable people with complex needs.
Sarah cox
Interim Senior Operations Manager
BSW Mental Health Partnership
Sarah oversees the services across BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire. Sarah has a background in working with children and young people and then moved into managing adult mental health services.
Sarah is our lead for working with under 18s and VCSE partnerships. Sarah is passionate about coproduction, systemic thinking and embedding psychology into services.
Jane Edmonds
PR & Communications Manager
Jane has more than 15 years’ communications experience with national charities. A campaign planner, branding expert and award-winning copywriter, she leads a small team who find compelling ways of sharing the wonderful work Second Step does.
The Communications Team manages Second Step’s website, blogs, social media, newsletters and media briefings.
Rachel Bainbridge
Head of Human Resources
Rachel has more than 30 years’ experience working in senior people and HR roles across the private, public and charity sectors. She is also a trained project manager.
Rachel takes a practical, values-led approach to her work and believes in staying connected to colleagues and their day-to-day experiences. She works to make sure our approach to people supports both Second Step’s aims and the people who make our work possible.
Mark Brown
Senior Operations Manager
Step Together and Open Mental Health
Mark oversees our services in Somerset, Step Together and Open Mental Health. He is also the safeguarding lead for Second Step.
Before returning to his home county of Somerset, Mark worked for a youth homelessness charity and a national homelessness charity in Croydon, South London.
Joanna Davies
Head of Psychology
Jo oversees our diverse team of psychology professionals located in various services supporting quality practice and staff wellbeing, and leads our psychological, adversity and trauma-informed (PAT) strategy. She developed our successful PAT pioneer facilitators programme.
Jo brings a strong background of over 20 years in mental health and children’s social care, with extensive clinical knowledge and experience around working with trauma-related presentations and experiences, supervision, and designing and delivering training and organisational and system-wide change programmes.
Alice Peycke
Head of New Business
Alice leads a small team that develops partnerships, bids for new services, and re-tenders for existing contracts. The team also sets up new services, supports redesign and integration with other organisations, and applies for grant funding, always working closely with people with lived experience to shape the work.
She brings 20 years of senior leadership experience, including CEO and trustee roles, and has extensive expertise in service design, system partnerships and change across health, social care and the voluntary sector.