Merle is currently Head of Community and Early Intervention within Blackpool Children Adults and Families Department. Formerly DfES National Attendance Advisor, leading on the joint DfES/Home Office “Tackling it Together” initiative and the Regional Child Poverty Adviser for GONW, Merle now has lead responsibility in Blackpool for the development of Child Poverty and Early Intervention. Her responsibilities cover Children’s Centres, Early Years, Adult Education, Young People’s Services and Emotional Well being and Integrated Teams around schools as well as Key government initiatives such as Community Based budgets, Early Intervention Place and workless families.

In her previous role in Blackpool she was responsible for the integrated children’s agenda through cross-cutting processes such as Common Assessment Framework, Lead Professional, BHLP and Team around the Family. She was also a member of the DCSF Integrated Working Group. Merle is passionate about the need to “Think Family” and worked closely with the Cabinet Office in the development of the ‘Think Family’ reports as well as the development of Springboard, Blackpool’s Family Intervention Project, which works with some of the families with the most complex needs across the town.

Merle’s background is in community education and she has worked in Scotland, England, Borneo and Germany in a variety of roles both with the voluntary sector and the statutory sector.