I am honoured to step into the role of CEO at St. Michael’s Fellowship, an organisation with a rich history of standing alongside families, advocating for children’s safety, and challenging systemic barriers that impact their lives. As a previous long-standing trustee, I have witnessed the depth of our team’s commitment and the life-changing impact of our work. Now, as I step into this leadership role, my focus is on positioning St. Michael’s at the forefront of innovative, collaborative, and socially just family support and empowerment. 

With over 30 years in children’s social care, I bring both a practitioner’s perspective and a strategic vision shaped by a deep commitment to child safeguarding, family led interventions, and anti-oppressive practice. Throughout my career, I have led service transformation, developed practice models, and worked closely with families and professionals to ensure better outcomes for children. I believe that meaningful intervention must be both compassionate and challenging—privileging the voices of families, addressing structural inequalities, and ensuring that children and parents alike are supported in a way that is fair, respectful, and effective. 

We are at a pivotal moment for children’s services, with the ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’ agenda setting out a national vision for reform. This is a time for bold leadership, fresh thinking, and meaningful collaboration. St. Michael’s must not only be a provider of high-quality services but a leading force in shaping the future of family support—working alongside local authorities to co-create innovative, preventative approaches that keep families together safely and ensure better life chances for children. 

My vision is for St. Michael’s to be at the cutting edge of progressive, relationship-based, and evidence-informed practice, driving change both at the frontline and at a national level. We will deepen our partnerships with local authorities, explore new models of early intervention, and ensure that our practice is always reflective, learning, and pushing the boundaries of what is possible for families. At the heart of our work will be a strong commitment to social justice—challenging racial and economic inequalities, embedding anti-oppressive approaches, and advocating for a system that truly works for all children. 

I look forward to leading this next chapter alongside our dedicated team, Trustees, and partners. Together, we will ensure that St. Michael’s continues to be a place of fairness, hope, and transformational impact—not just for the families we serve but for the wider sector as well.

Oretha Wofford, CEO

We are absolutely delighted that Oretha will be leading St Michael’s into an exciting new chapter in our 122-year history. Oretha brings to the CEO role an absolute commitment to ensuring that every child thrives; that parents are enabled to be the best parents they can be and a wealth of expertise in senior leadership roles in children’s social care, policy and practice across London local authorities, as well as public child welfare and the voluntary sector in the USA.

Sally Prentice, Chair of the Board of Trustees