Care City is an innovation centre for healthy ageing & regeneration and innovation partner to East LDN's health & care system

As Delivery Director at FutureGov, I’m a member of the senior management team. I oversee a range of complex digital consultancy projects and the strategic direction of our global products. I manage a fantastic team of service, product and organisational designers and together we work with governments across the world to design public services that are fit for the digital age.

Having helped the company to grow and take investment, I was promoted to Head of Product as a member of the companies management team. I was responsible for overseeing product strategy of five digital products and for line managing the product team, who were responsible for designing and scaling digital products and prototypes. This role also included taking on increased responsibility for sales.Notable achievements:• I helped to scale the Casserole Club product to 6 new clients in the UK and to win new funding for the product's development. I oversaw the products establishment in Australia and led an agile development team to extend the product's functionality.• I helped to sell and scale the Local Offer product to 6 new clients in the UK. I led the product team, overseeing all aspects of the products design and build. I recruited a small support team and setup FutureGov's product implementation and support process.• I was appointed the companies Information Security Officer and helped to maintain our accreditation for ISO 27001:2015.

I moved from a freelance consultant at FutureGov, to a full time position. I led FutureGov's consultancy programme, managing small projects through to large innovation labs. I line managed a small team of innovation consultants and community organisers.The innovation team was responsible for setting up and delivering a number of innovation labs in local government. Through the innovation labs we delivered a number of projects and created digital prototypes and products.Notable achievements:• I led the team to setup an innovation lab West Sussex County Council. I successfully delivered three complex change projects in: the highways service, adult social care and children's social care. I identified an opportunity and led the development of the Local Offer digital product, overseeing the design and build: https://westsussex.local-offer.org• I led the project team that designed Doc Ready http://www.docready.org/. A digital tool that helps young people to make the most of mental health related GP visits. I oversaw the product's design and managed the development team to create and deliver user stories. The product has helped hundreds of thousands of young people.

I managed a number of consultancy projects and supported the development of digital products from concept to live, by applying agile development and design techniques. I successfully wrote and won a number of funding bids to help design new digital products.Notable achievements:• I led the initial product team that created and implemented http://www.casseroleclub.com/ A digital service that connects people who like to cook and are happy to share an extra portion of food, with somebody living nearby that could benefit from a hot meal.• I helped to deliver a range of small consultancy projects with clients, these included: designing a new website for Lambeth Council, setting up an innovation lab in Surrey Council and supporting Swindon council to use tech to better communicate with their residents.

I founded Poblis Consulting Ltd, as an independent consultancy. I worked with clients in the public sector and tech for good space on a range of small projects, alongside my work at FutureGov.Projects involved applying expertise and knowledge to advise on:• Local government policy and performance • Open data in the public sector• Product management (technology products)• Project management• Change management• Writing funding proposals• Social media and online communications support

I managed and supported a range of innovative and complex change projects in the Office of the Chief Executive.Notable achievements:
• I created an 'open data by default' policy for the organisation. I designed and gained commitment to a set of open data principles by senior leaders in the council. I worked with ICT to create an open data schedule for release, crowdsourcing ideas with residents at a hack day. This work gained coverage as best practice in the sector: http://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Using-open-data-in-local-government• I setup a social media network of council officers in an attempt to increase the use of social media tools and the Internet to communicate with residents and between staff. I organised and ran an event with Twitter UK and the LGiU inviting local residents for Social Media Week 2012. http://storify.com/skinner_m/the-lambeth-social-for-smwlambethsocial• I completed detailed quantitative analysis of resident's survey data on a quarterly basis and improved the process by using data visualisations to highlight patterns. I also converted all previous survey data to machine readable format and released it openly on the council's website.• I designed and tested a new model for measuring the maturity of organisations by working with a local housing tenancy management organisation board and residents.

I project managed and developed policy with multiple public, private and voluntary sector partners. I developed new relationships and partnerships to make things happen.Notable achievements:• I created workforce development and training activities with public, private and voluntary sector partners. I designed and commissioned an online ‘cooperative university’ to share training opportunities more widely.• I was responsible for supporting the statutory Health and Wellbeing Partnership and managing projects, I also helped to setup new partnerships like the http://lambethcollaborative.org.uk/.• I managed the finance and performance of the Future Job Fund contract (over £2 million value). I built excellent relationships with over 24 public and private contracted employers, and helped to create over 300 new jobs in one year.

Graduate trainee manager in local government, on the National Graduate Development Programme https://www.ngdp.org.uk/.

 Placements in: Children and Young People's Services, Democratic Services, Local Strategic Partnership team.

Notable achievements: 
• I designed and managed an innovative project with the Young Enterprise charity to help looked after children (not in employment or education) develop their enterprising skills with local businesses.• I co-designed Lambeth’s corporate commitment to children in care, working with young people. I commissioned a website and children’s rights book, that was recognised as best practice by London Councils.• I managed a new strategic partnership to focus on workforce development issues, in particular increasing the amount of apprenticeships in the borough working with Lambeth college.• I was responsible for creating Lambeth’s Councillor development programme, reporting to the senior leadership team and running a successful induction event.

I supported various projects in Adult Social care team. I managed the design and delivery of the Older People's strategy 2008.

I was commissioned by former MP Robert Russell of Colchester, to conduct research and analysis (using Parliamentary resources) and produce a detailed report on the viability of introducing more direct democracy at the local level.