Louise is the full-time director of Atkin Associates.  She is an expert in youth policy and practice development with many years of experience of leading nationally on outcomes for young people and best practice.  Louise is a critical thinker with strong skills in analysis and ability to create effective strategic and operational solutions. She is a skilled trainer and has undertaken many research projects directly involving young people.   She oversees all work undertaken by Atkin Associates to ensure the quality of our services and customer satisfaction. 

Louise is a Practice Fellow at the Centre for Youth Impact, due to her in-depth involvement in the Youth Programme Quality Intervention alongside her work on the NYA Quality Mark and the Welsh Government Quality Mark. Louise brings expertise in youth work training and significant involvement in two prominent quality frameworks used in the UK. Louise is currently leading on the roll-out of training for the YPQI across the UK. Louise was an Ofsted additional inspector for Youth Services, Connexions Partnerships and Youth Offending Teams for 9 years and prior to this was lead adviser for Learning and Development at the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales. 

Bill is a qualified social worker and has 25 years experience of transforming and improving services within the the public, private and third sector.  Bill has a substantial background in leadership and management. Bill has held Chief Executive roles in independent and third sector organisations including Connexions and Assistant Director and Senior Consultancy roles within Local Authorities and was Head of Service for the Youth Offending Team in Worcestershire and Hereford. Bill is an enthusiastic and innovative professional who combines public service values with a modern business ethos. Bill has successfully led high profile change and improvement initiatives leading to better outcomes for local communities and individuals.  

Bill and Louise have worked together with a number of local authority Children’s Services following poor outcomes from Ofsted inspection, leading and designing improvement programmes.  Bill has led on development of alternative delivery models including comprehensive options and appraisal and service redesign in youth justice and children’s service programmes.

Sue has a long history in the youth sector both in the statutory and voluntary sector within the Merseyside area.  She was Principal Youth Officer in Halton and National Programme Manager at the National Youth Agency (NYA).

Sue was lead associate for Atkin Associates on the Quality Mark for Youth Work in Wales 2016-19 working across Wales. Sue devised and managed the Quality Mark Programme at NYA, recruiting, training and managing a team of assessors, and delivering promotional and training events.  Sue is working as an associate consultant on the Quality Mark for Youth Work in Wales with Atkin Associates. 

Sue was also responsible for a large Local Government Association programme at NYA. This programme delivered quality improvement and organisational development packages to 70+ local authorities across England. She managed a team of Associates to support this programme and devised a quality assurance process to enable the right level of support, expertise and challenge were used to ensure maximum impact and effect.