Nicola Youern (Chair)
Nicola has a degree in Politics from Reading University and a Diploma in Management Studies. After a short spell in retail management, Nicola moved to the south coast and worked in a variety of roles within Chichester Health Authority in 1983. This included strategic planning and the implementation of a pilot Community Care Project within Graylingwell Hospital. In 1987, Nicola began work for Mencap in West Sussex before moving to Hampshire as Area Manager where she increased the number of services from 15 to 44 over a seven year period. In 1994, Nicola was appointed Business Development Manager for the Southern Region of Mencap and, in 1996, she joined the then Portsmouth Housing Trust as Residential Services Manager, becoming Chief Executive a year later. In 1998, PHT changed its name to Southern Focus Trust (SFT) and she led the Trust through its successful de-merger from Portsmouth Housing Association in 2001.
Southern Focus Trust is a registered charity working across Hampshire, Dorset and West Sussex, delivering care support and advice services to over 10,000 people every year. Its work includes supporting young vulnerable people and those at risk of homelessness, people with mental ill health or a learning disability, women escaping domestic violence, older people who needs adaptations to their homes and those in need of housing or debt advice. Since Nicola took over as CEO, the organisation has quadrupled in size and its development as a charity delivering public services was recognised in the Cabinet Office/Treasury report of December 2006 on Building Public Service Partnerships. SFT has had links with European partners in Spain and Italy in the development of its Supported Employment service for people with a learning disability
Southern Focus Trust now employs almost 500 staff and around 40 volunteers; it helped over 12,000 people in Hampshire, Dorset and West Sussex last year.