After graduating with a 1st class honours degree in Social Policy followed by teacher training, Vanda worked in Further and Higher Education before moving into employment services with Connexions Lancashire. She was seconded to Blackpool Council to set up a new adult employment team – Positive Steps into Work – and is now Head of Work and Health Programmes.
Having worked in both the education and employment support sectors for almost 20 years, Vanda has extensive experience at a managerial level of overseeing the delivery of a range of programmes across an array of funding including the Northern Way Worklessness Pilots, Local Enterprise Growth Initiative, Future Jobs Fund and Work Programme.
More recently, Vanda has been involved with the delivery of a number of high profile national pilots focused on embedding Individual Placement and Support (IPS) in allied health services; DWP Joint Work and Health Unit’s Mental Health and Employment Trailblazer and Public Health England’s IPS – Alcohol and Drugs trial.