Mrs. Mckenzie-Thomas
Mrs. Patricia McKenzie-Thomas
OSF International Social Care Services Practice Development Consultant
Founder & Director, One Step Forward Consultancy (OSFC)
Co-Founder & Director, OSF International Social Care Services (OSFISCS)
Mrs. McKenzie-Thomas is a qualified social work practitioner with over 40 years of experience in children’s services across safeguarding teams in the United Kingdom. Her expertise spans Child Protection, Safeguarding, and holistic family assessments, where she has led interventions that strengthen families and protect vulnerable children.
Before founding OSFC, she worked in Jamaica with the Law Offices of Ms. Jennifer Housen, Immigration UK Limited, as a Senior Immigration Case Worker. In that capacity, she liaised closely with the British High Commission, the UK Border Agency, and local stakeholders, deepening her cross-cultural understanding of family and child welfare systems.
In 2014, inspired by a desire to strengthen child protection in the Caribbean, Mrs. McKenzie-Thomas launched the International Safeguarding Children Conference (ISCC) in Jamaica. The conference has since become a key platform for knowledge exchange between Caribbean and UK professionals in social work and child safeguarding.
Through OSFC and OSFISCS, she continues to lead community programmes, training initiatives, and school-based projects that empower children, families, and practitioners. Her work remains focused on advancing social work standards in the Caribbean through professional development, training, and collaborative practice.