Meet our Senior Leadership Team

Our Senior Leadership Team is responsible for ensuring that Together for Children delivers it's vision and priorities as a company. The team has a strong track record in delivering excellence and improvement, and lead on delivery of the priorities set out in our company business plan.

Jill Colbert

Director of Children's Services and Chief Executive

Jill Colbert commenced in post as Director of Children's Services and Chief Executive for Together for Children in July 2018.

Jill started her career as a Youth Justice Social Worker in Birmingham Council and moved on to working in a community NHS Trust as an HIV Prevention Outreach Worker with sexually exploited adults and children. Wishing to focus more on work with vulnerable children, she moved into a national children's charity and managed a range of services for young people missing from home in Manchester.

Jill has an undergraduate degree in Sociology, and a Public Service MBA from the University of Birmingham. She has spent the last 13 years in local government, most recently in Trafford Council for six years, where she was the Corporate Director for Children, Families and Wellbeing. This incorporated the role of Director of Adult and Children's Services, and briefly, acting Chief Executive.

Helen Monks

Interim Director of Children's Social Care

Helen was appointed as Interim Director of Children's Social Care in April 2024, having joined Together for Children as a Service Manager for Safeguarding Services in July 2019.

Helen has 25 years' experience as a qualified social worker and has worked in other parts of the region in a variety of roles including within Early Help and Safeguarding services.

Helen has a Master's Degree in Social Work; and has demonstrated a commitment to ongoing professional development with a range of further awards in specialist social work and leadership programs.

Simon Marshall

Director of Education Services

Simon was appointed as Director of Education Services for Together for Children in April 2016.

Simon has 26 years' experience working in education across the North East of England, teaching in a range of schools across the region. He spent twelve years specialising in leading schools in challenging circumstances. 

Karen Davison

Director of Early Help

Karen was appointed to the post of Director of Early Help for Together for Children in February 2017.

Karen has 21 years' experience in education across the North East of England, starting in the secondary sector and moving on to primary school leadership and experience in the special school sector and a Pupil Referral Unit. Karen moved on to spend eight years in Local Government in the region, firstly in school improvement, pupil place planning and capital projects, and later in the areas of special educational needs, early years and childcare, and early help.

During her time as a Headteacher, Karen worked as a Denominational Inspector of Church of England schools, and between 2002 and 2010, she was a Respite Foster Carer for a North East authority.