Our People

Our team brings together leading experts in children’s social care in the UK, as well international experts in outcomes management and related research practices.

Our Core Operational Team

Dr Emma Woodward - Director of Operations

Dr. Emma Woodward is a renowned Psychologist with over two decades of leadership experience in the mental health sector, spanning the UK and New Zealand. Emma’s career is dedicated to driving transformative change for children, adolescents, and families through evidence-based therapeutic practices that foster resilience and deliver measurable results across public and charitable sectors. Her expertise includes large-scale program implementation, mental health strategy, and cross-sector collaboration, making her a trusted advisor to schools, local authorities, and organisations aiming to improve mental health assessments and interventions.

As the Director of Operations at OOC, Emma spearheads nationwide projects and oversees strategic initiatives that deliver tailored, impactful services. Her leadership is grounded in a commitment to empowering communities. Her innovative, collaborative approach ensures the successful rollout of sustainable, supportive systems that promote long-term positive mental health outcomes at scale.

Charlie Whitfield - Special Projects Officer and Project Management Office Lead

Charlie Whitfield has a strong foundation in psychology and social care across the UK and New Zealand. He has dedicated his career to implementing meaningful, child-centred change for children, young people, and families through evidence-based, strength-based approaches.

With a Master of Science in Psychology from the University of Auckland, Charlie’s academic research explored the impact of social media use on young people’s well-being. Charlie is passionate about using research-backed strategies and cross-sector collaboration to drive systemic improvements that deliver lasting, positive outcomes for children and families.

At OOC, Charlie is the Special Projects Officer and Project Management Office Lead, managing national projects focused on improving outcomes in children’s social care. He oversees the implementation of evidence-based tools; managing project timelines, streamlining internal systems and fostering collaboration between stakeholders. Charlie also researches and gathers feedback to ensure initiatives are ethical, sustainable, and aligned with best practices. Charlie is the steady hand that keeps projects on track, bringing people together towards a shared goal. With his ability to connect the dots and keep momentum going, Charlie makes collaboration seamless and enjoyable.

Our Specialist Team

Professor John Lyons - Founder of Transformational Collaborative Outcomes Management (TCOM) and developer of Communimetric assessments

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Lauren Mergen - Distance Learning Director

Dr Olga Vsevolozhskaya - Precision Analytics and Reporting

Dr. Olga Vsevolozhskaya is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biostatistics and the Center for Innovation in Population Health at the University of Kentucky. Prior to joining the faculty, she held a postdoctoral fellow position at Michigan State University, where she worked on statistical issues associated with the epidemiology of drug abuse and genetic susceptibility to human health conditions. Her research focused on the development of statistical methods for characterising interactions between risk factors associated with transition to drug dependence and on statistical genetics approaches for finding heritable components of health-related human traits.

Dr. Vsevolozhskaya’s work focuses on functional data analysis, which uses curves to summarize information over continuously varying variables, such as time or distance. The techniques for functional data analysis that she has been working with are applicable to a wide variety of studies and types of data, including those found in epigenetic and drug abuse research.

Mark Lardner - Senior Policy Analyst

Mark Lardner, LCSW-C is a Senior Policy Analyst at the Center for Innovation in Population Health at the University of Kentucky, providing training and technical assistance to systems implementing Transformational Collaborative Outcomes Management (TCOM) and the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS). Mark also works with a several child welfare systems, providing support around the implementation of their Title IV-E waivers.

Mr. Lardner is the former director of CANS Implementation for the State of Maryland while working at the Institute for Innovation and Implementation at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. In this role he worked closely with the child welfare system on cross-systems initiatives aimed at developing a comprehensive service array based upon the identification of youth needs and strengths. In addition, Mark served as a liaison between the public and private sides of the child welfare system. He was awarded a Praed Foundation Outcomes Champion Award in 2013 for his work in Maryland.

Prior to coming to UK, Mr. Lardner was at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago supporting TCOM implementation within child serving systems. Mr. Lardner worked directly with children and families in the child welfare system and the education system in Maryland and New York City. He earned his MSW from the University of Maryland and his BA from Fairfield University.

Our Trustees

Mark Owers - Consultant in children’s social care, fostering, adoption and youth justice.

Jeremy Penny

Jeremy Penny is a highly experienced Family Lawyer with nearly 30 years of dedicated service within the family justice system. After qualifying as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court, Jeremy began his career supporting families in resolving private family matters, honing his skills in negotiation and dispute resolution.

He later transitioned into Public Law, where he became a trusted advocate for Children’s Services, representing local authorities in complex cases involving child protection and welfare. Jeremy’s extensive experience spans all levels of the legal justice system, from the Magistrates' Court to the Supreme Court, giving him a unique perspective on the intricacies of family law.

A passionate advocate for the rights of children, Jeremy is deeply committed to ensuring their voices are heard and their best interests upheld. His expertise and unwavering dedication have made him a respected figure within the legal and local authority communities.