Penny Nicholls

Penny Nicholls leads the division responsible for delivering all direct services with children and young people in one of England’s leading social justice and campaigning charities – The Children's Society.

She oversees an incredibly diverse portfolio of social care programmes that address a range of children’s issues from early years’ development at children’s centres to integrating young refugees into the community and helping disabled children and their families. Penny’s role is pivotal in joining up information gathered from practice and research to the charity’s policy and parliamentary work.

Trained as a radiology nurse, she resumed her career in 1980 after taking time out to raise her three children. After a decade working as a child protection specialist in wardship and care proceedings, Penny joined The Children's Society in 1991 as a project worker at the former Leeds Safe House - a refuge for young runaways – providing advice, advocacy and representation. Rising to project leader within three years, Penny developed policy and procedures around the Operation of Refuge under Section 51 (Children’s Act 1989). While at Leeds Safe House, she oversaw full management responsibilities for their 24 - hour residential accommodation and phone helpline for under-16s.

From 1996 to 1999, Penny took her operational management skills to a regional level and strategically oversaw The Children's Society's direct practice with children and young people first in Yorkshire and the Humber and then East Anglia. In addition to the day-to-day management of a portfolio of projects, she led negotiations across a mix of external agencies from local authorities to voluntary organisations.

Following her success, in 1999 Penny was appointed to the role of Programme Manager for the charity’s Safe on the Streets Programme, campaigning for a national network of services for runaways and protecting children from sexual exploitation.

In 2001 she first assumed the role of Director for Children and Young People, and – after three years as the organisation’s Strategy Director from 2004 – returned to this function in 2007.

Through all her experience in direct practice working with children and young people, Penny provides sound leadership for The Children’s Society and its social care responsibilities.

While Penny has committed most of her professional life to working across the country, she hails from Leeds, Yorkshire. She is married with three adult children and two grandchildren and currently lives in Gravesend, Kent. Outside of work, she is interested in antiques and horses and enjoys walking along the river Thames with her Parsons Terrier Molly.

Areas of expertise

• Young Runaways
• Disabled Children
• The impact of Alcohol and Drug Misuse on children and young people
• Child Sexual Exploitation
• Children's Centres
• The Good Childhood® Inquiry
• Early Intervention
• Safeguarding of children and young people
• Issues affecting young refugees and asylum-seeking children and young people