After graduating in Psychology from Edinburgh University, Liz worked in the health sector and academia, designing, researching and implementing pioneering multi-disciplinary cardiac and chronic pain services; simultaneously teaching medical undergraduates on the wider determinants of health and health inequalities. Moving into the learning disabilities field Liz carried out research to influence policy and practice to grow social inclusion and promote the participation of service users and their carers in decision-making and service design.

She then spent six years with Arts Council England focusing on social exclusion-related work that spanned regeneration, criminal justice, health, and education and learning-related agendas. Liz’s initiation of a joint venture between Arts Council England and strategic health authority (SHA) NHS, West Midlands led to creation of the Arts and Health Senior Manager post within SHA, the only one of its kind nationally; its purpose being to support greater collaboration between the arts sector and health sector to better address health inequalities.

Three years followed in the philanthropic sector, working with the Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s Social Justice Programme and leading on criminal justice with an emphasis on women and girls. More recently, Liz has worked as an independent social justice consultant during which time she was instrumental in the development of AGENDA, a unique philanthropic sector-voluntary and community sector alliance aimed at stimulating change in the way statutory services respond to women and girls who have experienced multiple difficulties.

In late 2015 Liz joined mental health charity Mind, developing and implementing its nation-wide grants giving programmes.