Deputy Director of Children’s Centres and Extended Schools, Department for Education

Sally has had a wide ranging career in the Civil Service, originally as an economist but more recently focusing on policy development. She spent six years in HM Treasury, and has also worked in DfES, Communities and Local Government and the Social Exclusion Unit. She was instrumental in developing the original Sure Start policy, helped to set up the Children and Young People’s Unit, and led work on the Social Exclusion Unit’s Breaking the Cycle Report. She also spent a year at Kent County Council during which time she reviewed the council’s procurement of social care and helped to develop their local public service agreement. Most recently she led the secretariat for Sir Michael Lyons’ Inquiry examining local government and how it is funded.

She joined DCSF in July 2007 to lead on Children in Care, including implementation of the Care Matters White Paper. Since March 2010 she has been leading Children’s Centres and Extended Services Division and is leading on the implementation of the Coalition Government’s commitments on Sure Start.