Leading the 'Social Justice & Early Childhood Development' comparative research study.This research critically investigates how contemporary systems, policies and strategies in Norway and England address the opportunity of the 'First 1000 days' and draws out the wider implications for social justice in early childhood.

Directing the Evidence, Advocacy & Campaigns Group at the Lumos Foundation, an international children’s charity founded by author JK Rowling that works with governments around the world to transform child protection systems away from harmful institutions. Caputuring learning from country programmes in Moldova, Czechia, Bulgaria, Haiti, Kenya, Russia, Colombia and Ethiopia and using the evidence as a catalyst for change globally. Establishing a major partnership with The Lancet and leading international experts to publish a Global Commission on the scale and harms of institutionalisation of children. Leading Lumos’ global advocacy and child participation work including: UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty; UN Day of General Discussion on Children in Alternative Care; original studies on orphanage trafficking and unaccompanied, migrant and refugee children; and influencing EU internal and external funding, policy and programmes to shift away from support of harmful institutions.

Leading innovation, learning and cross-partnership collaboration for the £215m A Better Start programme, which aims to tackle inequalities and improve Early Childhood Development in five of England’s most economically disadvantaged communities. This place-based innovation programme aims to improve early language; diet and nutrition and socio-emotional development by pioneering and co-designing new services and systems reforms over ten years.

This role brought together responsibility for leading national programmes of research, advocacy and service design in the UK's largest child protection charity. I was national spokesperson on neglect, pregnancy and early childhood development. I collaborated with international experts to design and rigorously evaluate a portfolio of innovative, award-winning and evidence-based services for children. These services operated in 30+ locations across the UK, with a workforce of almost 200 frontline practitioners. Policy development and campaigning work included the report ‘All Babies Count’ and a series of thematic reviews on babies affected by parental mental illness; by drug and alcohol misuse; by parental involvement in the criminal justice system; and by homelessness. I led the charity’s successful £45m bid and strategy to establish the Blackpool Better Start programme.

Directing a high profile programme of Cross Whitehall strategic analysis and policy reviews commissioned by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and the Social Justice Cabinet Committee. I led ‘Think Family’, a major cross-Whitehall review into improving the life chances of ‘families at risk’. The review drew together evidence on the influence of unmet parental needs on children’s outcomes and secured a package of systems and policy reforms. Other reviews included: Aspirations and Attainment of Young People in Deprived Areas; Social Impacts of the Economic Downturn; Women Offenders; Inclusion Health; and Social Exclusion of Older People in Rural Areas. Each review comprised original empirical analysis, as well as in-depth local fieldwork, negotiating policy commitments and monitoring implementation of agreed actions by government departments.