Frances Brennan - Biography

Frances BrennanFrances Brennan

Director for the South West

 

Frances Brennan was appointed Regional Director for the South West in 2008. She is responsible for overseeing the regions day-to-day operations, the delivery of 12 contracts, 120 people and a budget of £16million. One of the contracts is the Flexible New Deal contract for Devon and Cornwall, which has helped more than 1,000 people into work to date.

 

Frances joined Working Links when it was founded in April 2000, as the Zone Director for Plymouth. As one of the first people on board, Frances was instrumental in building the business from its roots in the South West which now includes Bristol, Gloucester, Swindon, Cornwall and as far a field as the Isles of Scilly.

 

Frances has been involved in several successful flagship projects for Working Links including the award winning Warbarth contract.  Warbarth, the innovative Cornish programme that helped ex-offenders turn their lives around, won national recognition winning both the Howard League for Penal Reform Award and the National Criminal Justice Award in 2007. The pioneering project was awarded for its outstanding contribution for its work with offenders and brought in double the projected outcomes.

 

Frances has worked in the welfare to work field for over 23 years. She began her career as a civil servant with Jobcentre Plus, developing extensive first hand experience of helping disadvantaged people into work.

 

Outside of work Frances is the chair of the local Parish council. She has worked in Plymouth for the last 21 years, but has lived in Cornwall for the last 30 years. When Frances is not spending time with her young grandson, she is interested in all aspects of craft work and makes stained glass windows.