Lou has lived in Newcastle for a few decades and loves its people and surrounds. As a social worker, she has experience across not-for-profit, private practice, and government services. This includes as manager, leader, supervisor, researcher, and consultant. Her work has spanned complex residential environments to designing and managing services alongside lived experience workers and educators. Lou sees the strengths of individuals, groups, and communities and the importance of them being central in collaborations to create responsive services and systems. Lou has extensive experience in professional supervision and development and considers education and learning to be fundamental to advocacy, change, and impact.