A highly experienced social researcher, manager and senior specialist on all aspects of community engagement, taken leading roles in major community engagement programmes across England working with disadvantaged communities on some of the most difficult issues that can affect communities. These include community needs and public service provision around issues of drugs use, mental health, regeneration, crime and offending. Held senior roles in research, management, consultancy and teaching on the issues of youth violence, gangs, violent extremism and community cohesion. The Government’s Prevent programme has been a specific focus of work and interests, undertaking a range of commissions including those for the Department for Communities and Local Government, local authority partnerships and the Metropolitan Police Service.Common to all the research, management and collaborative consultancy projects, has been the application, adaptation and development of community engagement models as a pioneering method of successfully engaging so-called ‘hard to reach’ communities on sensitive and controversial issues. Combines a strategic grasp of policy and practice with the practical tools required to conduct and drive forward multi-dimensional projects with an array of partners, both statutory and voluntary/community, on the ground. In addition bring to bear direct experience as national lead on major community engagement programmes on substance misuse and criminal justice, commissioned by Department of Health and Home Office together with associated teaching, consultancy and team management/supervision across England. Wide range of publications and good practice guidance in the above areas. A regular contributor and speaker at conferences at home and abroad and hold a number of professional positions in community, voluntary and statutory sectors.Specialties: Regeneration, Substance Misuse, Mental Health and Well-Being, Health and Social Care, Criminal Justice, Community Engagement, Equality, Diversity & Human Rights, Inter-faith, and Inter-Community Dialogue, Community Development, Community Cohesion, Social Inclusion, Preventing Violent Extremism, Neighbourhood Policing, Crime and Community Safety