Louise has spent all her career working in the public sector serving the South-West (where she is from) and the Midlands. She has a BSc (hons) in Psychology with Sociology and a Postgraduate in Further and Higher Education.

Throughout her career she has worked on some great programmes, enjoyed many highlights and has been recognised with various awards over the years for the work she has done.

Here Louise tells us more about it:

“I started my career as a Psychology Lecturer and after a couple of years moved into the Health, Care and Early Years Team, at a college of further and higher education. I was a Senior Lecturer and qualified as a subject learning coach. I spent three years assisting the senior leadership team, to improve teaching and learning across directorates and subject specialisms, a role which earned me a teaching award for innovation.

“After 13 years of teaching I decided it was time for a change and I started work on a programme of behaviour change with police and fire officers at Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue. The programmes were targeted at young people (aged 16-25) who were likely to engage in risk taking behaviour. Over three years, I supported a team of professionals to reach approximately 30,000 students, when their decision making was at its most vulnerable. I left this role on a high after receiving the Gloucestershire Police Crime Commissioner’s (PCC) Spotlight Award and the PCC’s elite ‘Award for Excellence’.

“Following that I held other roles within the police, commissioning services protecting children and young people from harm and reducing youth crime, before moving on to work for Worcestershire Children First (WCF). Here I put my people and partnership skills to good use maintaining relationships, promoting productive communications and effective management of stakeholders. I was the lead for a multi-agency Special Education Needs and Disabilities improvement programme and managed the publication of a co-production policy as well as developing a Joint Commissioning Strategy with Adult Social Care and the NHS. I also created and embedded a Business, Transformation and Commissioning Service Delivery Plan to deliver the company’s strategic vision, incorporating new processes.

“It was during this role when the pandemic hit and I had my proudest career moment to date - seeing my wonderful team delivering an exemplary service, for frontline children social care and education colleagues, during the pandemic. It really was amazing.

“The COVID-19 lockdown had a huge impact on people. When the opportunity arose to work for Public Health Walsall, on ensuring there was support in place post pandemic for overweight and obese adults, I grabbed it. Health and wellbeing is a real passion of mine and it’s through that passion that my journey into Walsall Together began.

“As colleagues I work with will know, I like to ask questions and pose challenges around wellbeing. I’m excited therefore, to have been given the chance to lead on the co-production of a Wellbeing Outcomes Framework, with the aim of providing the infrastructure required of a wellbeing approach for Walsall. One of the biggest pluses to doing this as part of Walsall Together is because of the people. I feel privileged to be working with a team and partners, who have a vested interest in improving quality of life and want to make a difference like I do.”

“Right enough about work, I think it’s time to tell you a little bit more about the out of work Lou!

"I am a mother of two lovely daughters, Bryoni aged 20 and Korin aged 18, as well as Rose our Rottweiler and Spud our Terrier.

“I am lucky to live within a large, extended, supportive family and network of friends who I love socialising with and walking my dogs with.

“Perhaps one of the most exciting things to tell you is that this weekend (22 October), I am going to be walking down the isle, to marry my partner of ten years. My married name will be Louise Edwards and that is the first time I have seen my new name typed!

“Right, I better start getting ready – I’ll leave you with one of my favourite quotes:

 “Together we can change the world, alone we can change the world for some people within it.”