Penny Nicholls
Director of Children and Young People
Penny Nicholls, 57, leads the nearly 600-strong division responsible for delivering all our direct services with children and young people, policy development and research in one of the UK’s leading social justice and campaigning charities – The Children's Society.
She oversees an incredibly diverse portfolio of social care projects that address a range of children’s issues from early years development at children’s centres to restorative justice. Penny’s role is pivotal in joining up information gathered from practice and research to the charity’s policy and parliamentary work.
She began her career from 1980 to 1990 as a child protection specialist working in wardship and care proceedings. With this experience behind her, 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 day-to-day management of a portfolio of projects, she lead 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. 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 one grandchild and currently lives in North London. Outside of work, she particularly enjoys antiques and horses.
Areas of expertise:
- Youth Justice
- Young Runaways
- Disabled Children
- Alcohol and Drug Misuse
- Traveller and Gypsy Children
- Child Sexual Exploitation
- Children's Centres
- Mentoring
- The Good Childhood Inquiry