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Helen

What does belonging mean to you?

To me, belonging means feeling accepted, valued, and supported for being who I am. It’s knowing that I’m part of something bigger, where my voice matters and I can contribute and work effectively alongside others to help deliver great services to children and young people and their families.

Tell us about your team

We are a mixed team of project and change specialists, responsible for leading and supporting initiatives aimed at improving the quality and effectiveness of services provided to children and families in North Northamptonshire.

We work alongside services to help design and implement changes that improve outcomes for children and young people, align services with best practices, and ensure compliance with statutory requirements where needed.

What's the best thing about working for NNC?

There are so many things! I suppose for me one of the best things about working for North Northamptonshire Council is the opportunity to make a real difference in the community, while being part of a supportive and collaborative team.

The people here are great, and everyone genuinely cares about making positive impacts on children and young people. Having that shared drive and commitment really bonds people together and creates a positive and friendly (and often fun!) working environment.

Tell us about your favourite place in North Northamptonshire

North Northamptonshire is a fantastic mix of peaceful countryside and vibrant town life. One of my favourite places in the area is the market town of Oundle. It’s a lovely spot where you can really experience that blend of tranquillity and accessibility - they have a great selection of coffee shops that serve amazing cakes! Rushden Lakes is another favourite place of mine, which has a great mix of shops, restaurants, a cinema, and outdoor activities like walking and cycling around the lake.

What are you most proud of achieving in your career so far?

I think probably one of the proudest moments so far has been the successful delivery of my first large scale project when working for our old County Council. I was a relatively new Project Manager into the team but was entrusted with managing the delivery of a very large, and highly complex project – to set up a local authority trading company (LATC) to become the new delivery arm for all the council Adult Social Care services across Northamptonshire.

This was a 12-month project and involved pretty much every area you could imagine (legal, estates, IT, HR, procurement and many more!) and involved multiple workstreams and stakeholders. This was a challenging project, which definitely took me out of my comfort zone at times, but I’m so grateful I was given the opportunity to have been involved and learned so much from this experience. I am proud to say the project was successfully delivered on time, to the agreed scope and within budget!

Last updated 03 March 2025