Lindy Simpson is a qualified social worker, and her career began with the Local Authority in Cumbria over 30 years ago. She gained in-depth experience of the issues and challenges of being taken into care, living in and then leaving care. Using a participatory approach, she has led on the development of leaving care services, the Independent Reviewing Service and also managed advocacy and participation services, holding the position of Children’s Rights Officer for some years. She spent ten years in the NHS leading the development of acute psychiatric inpatient services for adolescents, leading on social work and participation. The work gained national recognition and numerous awards for making a real difference to young people’s mental health. She then joined UCLan as a Senior Lecturer, completing an MA in Contemporary Practice with Children and Young People. She teaches on the BA (Hons) Social Pedagogy, Advocacy and Participation degree.