Emma Bennett

Emma is the Executive Director of Families for the City of Wolverhampton Council, having been appointed to this role in September 2017. In October 2019, Emma’s responsibilities were extended to include education services. Prior to this appointment, Emma joined Wolverhampton in 2007, initially as Deputy Head of Service for Children and Young People in Care. During her ten years in Wolverhampton, she worked her way up to Head of Service for Children and Young People in Care through to Assistant Director for Children's Services and then secured her current role.

Emma is an experienced practitioner and manager in children's social care who began her social work career in a children's secure home in Staffordshire and then moved into frontline child protection work. She had a number of roles in Staffordshire and Doncaster MBC before returning to the Midlands and began working in Wolverhampton. Whilst in Wolverhampton Emma has played a major role in the leadership of the Transforming Children's Services programme, which culminated in being judged as 'good' by Ofsted in March 2017 following an inspection of Children's Services, including demand management and ensuring children and young people are at the heart of service delivery.

Emma represents the City of Wolverhampton at the West Midlands Association of Directors of Children's Services and leads on the 'Quality of Practice' priority for the region.