About Bez Martin




 

Bez Martin is a nationally recognised specialist in children's rights and rights-based participation, with more than 25 years' experience across the voluntary and statutory sectors.

A qualified youth worker, Bez has championed children and young people's participation throughout her career, developing particular expertise in the application and implementation of the Lundy Model of Participation. Her work focuses on the interface between systems change and practice — supporting organisations to move beyond individual participation activities and embed children's rights, voice and influence into leadership, strategy, workforce development and everyday practice.

Bez has extensive experience working with children's services, local authorities, voluntary-sector organisations, senior leaders and practitioners. Her work has included strategic participation development, workforce training, leadership development, organisational change, participation resources and frameworks, and supporting organisations to strengthen rights-based approaches to practice and decision-making. She also has extensive experience establishing and leading national communities of practice, creating spaces for professionals to share learning, strengthen practice and build collective approaches to change.

Her previous roles include Rights and Participation Manager at Leicester City Council, where she championed the voices of children in care and supported the implementation of the Lundy Model across early help and social care services.

Alongside her consultancy, Bez holds a senior national role within the children's sector, where she leads work focused on rights-based participation and the meaningful involvement of children, young people, parents and carers. She also has extensive experience developing national learning and resources for frontline practitioners and senior leaders.

Through Bez Martin Consultancy, she brings this depth of strategic and practice experience together to provide independent consultancy, professional mentoring, leadership support, facilitation and specialist training. Her approach combines children's rights expertise with an understanding of the realities of organisational systems — helping leaders and practitioners turn ambition into meaningful and sustainable change.