Meet team Backstop

This is the page that puts a face to a voice when you give us a call ~ 0844 4993398

the Backstop Recruitment Service team

Effia

Effia joined our team of Consultants after having cut her teeth with us as Recruitment Process Co-ordinator. With three years' experience recruiting to the finance industry and having worked on various business development projects, Effia is great at unlocking the potential in each and every candidate who walks through our door. When not working on finding you your perfect placement, she is busy being an all-round domestic goddess, always engaged in planning lavish dinner parties and making the rest of the office jealous with her delicious creations. Also a self-confessed Come Dine With Me addict, she is Backstop's resident food expert.

Nick
With a BA Hons in History from Newcastle University, Nick has worked in temporary and permanent recruitment for the last 3 years where he has developed a vast knowledge of working practices, building markets from scratch and understanding the difference between PAYE and Ltd contracts. From a family of police officers, Nick has always been interested in the criminal justice field and is relishing the opportunity to grow alongside Backstop. As a keen sports enthusiast he will mostly be found in front of the telly or at a stadium, cheering on his favourite teams.

Kath
Kath started at Backstop in February 2008.  With four years of experience in the London recruitment industry, Kath decided to carry her knowledge and skills over from the education sector to the youth justice specialist field. Kath initially took on the role of Recruitment Process Co-ordinator and progressed into the role of Recruitment Consultant. Carrying a camera is Kath's thing - everyone in the office may not appreciate being papped by Kath on a night out - but they all ask for copies afterwards. If you are currently working as a Backstop temporary practitioner, expect to be invited to be snapped by Kath at one of our special practitioner events soon!

The Compliance department

Malyssa                                                                                                                                     As Candidate Control Officer, Malyssa is your friendly first point of contact, assessing all CVs that we receive and matching you to your consultant. She's also responsible for compliance which means she'll stop at nothing to ensure we exercise best practice in all recruitment processes so that each of our candidates is fully equipped to start work. When she's not chasing you up to book you in for that all-important first interview, Malyssa is our tireless charity crusader - always on a mission to get us involved in the next crazy fund-raising event. In between leaping off buildings and tackling white-water assault courses, Malyssa loves to chill out and unwind with her five lovely pet cats. 

the Backstop Training Service team

Naomi
After completing her Social Welfare Degree, Naomi worked for a busy London YOT. She joined Backstop in 2001 as a Recruitment Consultant and is now our Systems and Personnel Manager with responsibility for Training bookings. Throughout her time at Backstop Naomi has continued to work with young people in the voluntary sector giving them opportunities to volunteer and make a contribution to their local communities. She is currently undertaking her Diploma in Management and is now responsible for ensuring her previous experience is passed on to the team and equipping them with the tools to provide you with an excellent service. Warm and charming, she is also focussed ~ remember she didn't get to be a teenage kickboxing champion for nothing.

Chiatulah

Is rated by many sources as one of the best Diversity and Race Equality trainers in the UK. For most of the 1990s he was a Groupwork Probation Officer at the flagship Camberwell Probation Centre in the former Inner London Probation Service (ILPS), specialising in BME Offender and Cognitive Behavioural groups. Chiatulah ran over 500 BME offender group sessions and wrote the most influential handbook in this field. His unique level of experience and empowering training style has led to an ever increasing demand for his skills as a trainer and consultant from criminal justice agencies nationwide. He has delivered training packages to over 2,500 staff in Youth Offending and Probation teams to date and is currently taking bookings months in advance so please be aware that you will need to book early.

Backstop MD 

Andrew
Andrew Thorne, Backstop founder, is a qualified social worker with ten years experience of working with young offenders both in the UK and the USA. He worked in a busy London YOT until the summer of 2001. Realizing that the usual recruitment agencies had little idea of what working in a YOT actually meant, Andrew decided to utilize his knowledge of the criminal justice field and set up a specialist recruitment agency. Backstop was subsequently launched in September 2001. Since that time Andrew has continued to manage the company; however he has a strong desire to get back into frontline YOT work again on a part-time basis so any YOT managers looking for an experienced practitioner…… Also has a strong interest in meteorology so be aware what you're getting into if you mention the weather.

the friendly Backstop Finance Department

Chris
With 10 years' experience in the finance sector working with Conran Restaurants, The Wolesley Grand Café, The Work Foundation and most recently Reed in Partnership, Chris now heads up our Finance team here at Backstop. Chris brings with him a wealth of knowledge in managing customer-focused finance teams. When he's not balancing books, Chris loves nothing more than travelling to far-flung destinations and back home is excellent at entertaining guests with his worldly cooking skills. 

Alicja

Alicja is the Backstop finance officer. Should you have any questions about pay or time sheets you will be speaking to her or Linda. Accurate and friendly, she will be happy to talk you through any general finance question you may have regarding temporary work. Alicja has a Masters degree in Finance from Gdansk University and at present she is updating her knowledge to British standards by studying the professional level of ACCA. Before joining Backstop she worked for an international architectural practice as an accounts assistant. Beyond work, her hobby is restoring antique rugs and needlework (a piece of her work is even  in the British Museum).

 

Linda
Our very efficient Finance Assistant. Linda joined the Backstop team as Finance Assistant in August 2007 after having worked in retail banking for over 20 years, performing various roles including processing customer transactions and customer services. Within the finance team Linda is responsible for processing the weekly payroll for all locums and will be happy to assist you with any payroll queries you might have.