Meet the members of the partnership

Partnership members have the opportunity to introduce themselves in our quarterly newsletter. We have already heard from some key members of our partnership and their introductions can be found on this page. Keep an eye out for our future newsletters and further member introductions coming soon. 

Hello everyone, I am delighted to have joined North Somerset Council as the new Director of Children’s Services in January 2024. I started my career working with children and young people in the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland and have been passionate about improving outcomes for children ever since. 

Before joining North Somerset, I spent seventeen years working in Children’s Services in Dorset, most recently as Corporate Director for Commissioning and Partnerships. In that role I had the privilege of working across a broad range of services including social work, early help, special educational needs and disabilities, early years and commissioning.

I am deeply committed to relationship-based practice; driven by making a difference to the people we serve and a strong believer in the power of partnerships to deliver. I have been spending some time getting out and about meeting teams working in Children’s Services and getting to know partners in health and education settings. I am looking forward to working with you all and very much looking forward to engagement events, where we will get chance to talk about the future of the Partnership and our priorities.

Claire

I am delighted to be introducing myself to you all. I am Liz, the Detective Chief Superintendent responsible for leading child protection and safeguarding across the whole of Avon and Somerset. North Somerset has a special place in my heart as I spent many years here as the local Neighbourhood Inspector for Weston-super- Mare and live here with my family.

Undertaking a role where I can focus on improving outcomes for children and their families is a huge privilege and one I am wholeheartedly committed to. My whole policing service, I have interchanged between neighbourhood and public protection roles. From 2013-2015 I spent two years working on the national domestic abuse portfolio with the Home Office and am a trustee for the national charity SafeLives.

Reading the Baroness Casey report, we still have much work to do; I know the best ideas to improve practice come from people doing the roles or from codesigning with children and families- my plea is that if you have ideas please share them. There are hugely talented and inspirational people across North Somerset and, working together, I know we can all make further improvements to ensure children and their families thrive.

At school my annual report would often include the feedback that I was a chatterbox, as an adult I haven’t changed and have decided this is a core skill- if you would like to reach out to me to discuss anything or for me (or colleagues) to visit your teams at all then please get in touch.

Liz

Introduction to come

Zoe Gartland, Business Manager, NSSCP

Dear Colleagues, I would like to introduce myself and say ‘hello’: my name is Zoe. I was appointed as your Safeguarding Children Business Manager for the North Somerset Partnership in September 2023. 

My background is working as a teacher for 23 years and most recently as a deputy head and Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) in North Somerset. I look forward to sharing my experience and knowledge with you all and to assist you in building a safer and stronger children’s partnership in North Somerset.

I believe that building trusting relationships is the key to working with and supporting children to fulfil their potential and have the best possible life, but also to developing honest and productive professional connections.

If you have any safeguarding children information to share in future newsletters or would like to be added to the mailing list, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Zoe

Sarah Burnett, Business Support Officer, NSSCP

Hello everyone, I’m so thrilled to introduce myself to you all as the new Business Support Officer for the North Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership. My role was introduced to support the Business Manager in practical, business and administrative duties. 

In my previous role, I supported a variety of multi-agency meetings within North Somerset Children’s Services. This experience deepened my understanding of the profound impact that coordinated, multi-agency support can have on the lives of children and families. 

I’m so fortunate to now be in a position where I can contribute to the North Somerset Safeguarding Partnership’s vision and I’m eager to learn and develop within this role, embracing the opportunities it presents for both personal and professional growth. I’m committed to working diligently and dedicating myself fully to the responsibilities entrusted to me as Business Support Officer.

If you have any safeguarding children information to share in future newsletters or would like to be added to the mailing list, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Sarah

Ellen Mutch, NSSCP Multi-Agency Trainer

I have lived and worked in the Southwest all my life and been interested in people from an early age. I started my career path as a youth worker in the early 2000s whilst studying psychology and religion at university. In 2005, I qualified as a social worker specialising in children and families. My career in Children’s Social Care has been longer than most, incredibly varied and afforded me the privilege of working with families across a broad spectrum of teams including intake & assessment, community & court, long-term fostering, kinship and adoption. 

After 15 years working on the ‘front line’, it was time for a change. I first became involved in delivering training when I made the transition into the world of professional and recreational sport which combined my passion for people with my great other love, cricket! Over the last 5 years my work with Gloucestershire Cricket and the England and Wales Cricket Board has given me the opportunity to use my experience, knowledge and skills to teach others about safeguarding and kept me updated on the latest developments in this area. I also think it’s satisfied my inner performer too! 

I have been lucky enough to have travelled extensively around the world to places including India, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and South America. Many of these trips I have taken on my own which has tested my courage and resolve but also shown me how resilient and resourceful I can be. Learning firsthand about other people’s cultures has given me a new perspective on my own background and identity and shows that there is way more that unites us than divides us. But I still haven’t ticked every cricket-playing nation off my bucket list yet!

Ellen

Kevin Gibbs, Independent Scrutineer, NSSCP

Hello everyone, I am really pleased to have the chance to introduce myself to you as the new (and first…) Independent Scrutineer for the Safeguarding Children Partnership. This is a crucial role in making sure that the children and families in North Somerset are supported to achieve the best outcomes for their future lives. 

I’ve been fortunate to have had a range of working experiences in multiagency safeguarding and social work including in the Probation Service, clinical practice, child protection, family justice and the voluntary sector. I spent a number of years as the senior leader for Cafcass in this area and have kept an interest in the services being delivered in North Somerset. In my safeguarding career, I’ve seen the benefits of agencies and organisations coming together to deliver the best possible services for children, young people and families and am committed to making this happen here.

I’ve got a strong interest in working to identify strengths in families and in existing professional practice across all agencies. The importance of listening to children, being clear on what improvements need to take place, measuring progress, and celebrating when we get there are a crucial part of what the Partnership can achieve in the future. I’m looking forward to being part of the journey with you.

Kevin

Lisa Simpson, Superintendent

I am so pleased to be involved in the work of the NSSCP. Thank you for such a warm welcome into this great team! I lived and worked in the area for some ten years in the early 2000s and have a real soft spot for this community. I have 28 years policing experience and have enjoyed every minute of it even though the content of my work can be tragic, demanding and sometimes unfathomable. I try never to let go of the principle that we have the privilege to walk into people’s lives at some of the worst moments and that we can make a huge difference and impact.

I have worked in Bristol in Neighbourhood, Response and CID roles and have been involved in training our CID teams, particularly around vulnerability and interviewing. I was promoted to Chief Inspector when I was pregnant with my first child in 2008, so have been involved in the senior leadership roles of Somerset, North Somerset and in Professional Standards and Neighbourhood policing.

I have only this year returned to local policing as the Commander for both Somerset and North Somerset. (It’s not at all confusing to find different names ‘across borders’ for the same meetings and project themes! I am, however, loving the challenge.) Most recently, I was the lead for the constabulary’s approach to improving our service and outcomes to victims and perpetrators of rape (Operation Bluestone) .I am hoping to share learning from the work in this project throughout my new role, which shone a light on so much about investigating vulnerability-based crimes. I am most proud though of my family – a husband who has given passionate service to constabulary for 45 years and our children: Freya (14) and Harry (16) who go to school in Taunton. Their patience with my slightly sprawling and chaotic working life is quite humbling!

Lisa