Penny Rimmer
Southport,Merseyside
Summary
Senior Policy Officer at Resolve Poverty with experience leading policy, research, and influencing work at local, regional, and national levels. I work closely with local authorities, partners, and national stakeholders to provide analysis, insight, and evidence to inform decision-making and shape policy responses to poverty.
I have a strong track record in supporting the development and review of local anti-poverty strategies, alongside a particular policy specialism in local welfare provision. My role includes supporting local authorities to build and strengthen their approach, convening stakeholders to share learning and drive action, and bringing together evidence, policy insight, and lived experience to inform policy, governance, and delivery.
I am a confident communicator and relationship builder, with experience working across sectors and managing projects and people. I bring a strong foundation in social research, alongside a clear commitment to tackling poverty through evidence-led policy and practice.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
12
12
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Senior Policy Officer
Resolve Poverty
2024.09 - Current
- Leading the delivery of policy, research, and strategy work across commissioned projects with local authorities and partners.
- Supporting the development, review, and implementation of local anti-poverty strategies across a range of contexts, working with different stakeholders, local authority sizes, and stages of delivery, including action planning and prioritisation.
- Bringing together national policy insight, evidence, and learning to inform local decision-making and shape effective approaches.
- Producing policy research reports, briefings, consultation responses, and strategy documents at local, regional, and national levels.
- Undertaking qualitative and quantitative research, including analysis of data, policy, and literature to inform evidence-led recommendations.
- Designing and delivering participatory research and engagement, including focus groups, workshops, and roundtables with stakeholders and people experiencing poverty.
- Supporting local authorities to build and strengthen their approach to poverty, including local welfare provision and financial resilience.
- Convening stakeholders to share learning and support the development and implementation of policy, governance, and service responses.
- Leading the Local Authority Officers’ Forum, bringing together local authorities to share learning, respond to policy developments, and strengthen approaches to poverty.
- Monitoring the policy landscape and providing insight to inform organisational and sector-wide work.
- Building and maintaining relationships with local authorities, government departments, and partner organisations.
- Managing projects and supporting delivery across teams, including line management responsibilities.
- Facilitating meetings, forums, workshops, and conferences with stakeholders across the public and VCSE sectors.
Policy Officer
Resolve Poverty
2022.04 - 2024.09
Workforce Support Assistant
Aintree University Hospital
2020.11 - 2021.07
- Provided administrative and system support to the electronic rostering team, managing telephone and email queries from system users.
- Delivered day-to-day support for the rostering system, investigating and resolving issues, errors, and system malfunctions.
- Monitored system usage and ensured compliance with key processes and deadlines, including roster approval timelines.
- Maintained and updated spreadsheets and databases, ensuring data accuracy and consistency.
- Produced and updated user guidance to support effective system use and improve user understanding.
EPR Configuration Support
Aintree University Hospital
2019.07 - 2020.02
- Supported the implementation of a new Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system across three NHS trusts: Aintree University Hospital, Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital Trust, and Liverpool Women’s Hospital.
- Worked as part of a large multi-disciplinary implementation team, contributing to the rollout of complex healthcare IT systems.
- Provided support across systems including Sigma, Trac, and Meditech, assisting with system configuration, testing, and issue resolution.
- Contributed to the coordination of system changes, supporting the transition to new digital processes across services.
- Gained experience of large-scale system implementation, data management, and working within complex organisational environments.
Research assistant
University of Liverpool
2018.11 - 2019.05
- Supported academic research alongside PhD students, contributing to the development of a dataset on Private Military and Security Companies in civil wars.
- Conducted data mining and systematic evidence gathering using the LexisNexis database and other sources.
- Collated and organised large volumes of qualitative data, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and reliability.
- Applied research skills to identify relevant information, assess sources, and extract key insights.
- Contributed to the development of a structured dataset to support analysis and research outputs.
Education
BA (Hons) - Sociology and International Politics and Policy
University of Liverpool
2016.09 - 2019.07
MA - International relations and security
University of Liverpool
2019.09 - 2022.09
A-Levels -
King George V college
2014.09 - 2016.06
GCSEs -
Greenbank High school
2009.09 - 2014.06
Skills
Communication skills
- Confident verbal communicator with experience delivering forums, presentations, meetings, workshops, and conferences, and engaging a wide range of stakeholders
- Strong networking skills, with the ability to build relationships and establish rapport with individuals from different backgrounds
- Ability to handle complex situations with tact and diplomacy, developed through experience across policy, research, and NHS roles
- Experience contributing to advisory and steering groups to support and inform decision-making at local and national levels
Technical skills and knowledge
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and document management systems
- Competent in SPSS statistical software and LexisNexis
- Strong analytical capability, with the ability to research, interpret, and present information clearly and concisely using digital tools
Research and analytical skills
- Ability to collate, critically appraise, and present data and information from a range of sources, with experience across both qualitative and quantitative research methods
- Experience designing and delivering participatory research and engagement, including focus groups and workshops with people experiencing poverty, to inform policy, strategy, and decision-making
- Strong analytical skills, with the ability to synthesise complex findings into clear, evidence-based insights and recommendations
- Experience working with sensitive topics, with a strong understanding of ethical research practice, including safeguarding, informed consent, confidentiality, and appropriate protocols to support participants
- Ability to facilitate discussions with diverse groups, with an awareness of power dynamics and ensuring participants feel safe, respected, and able to contribute meaningfully
- High attention to detail and accuracy, with experience managing and analysing large volumes of information from multiple sources
Activities and Interests
- I enjoy travelling and exploring new places, and have travelled extensively across Europe and the Caribbean.
- I also enjoy creative hobbies, including flower arranging.
- I actively support charitable fundraising initiatives, including raising money for leukaemia research.
REFERENCES
Available on request.
Timeline
Senior Policy Officer
Resolve Poverty
2024.09 - Current
Policy Officer
Resolve Poverty
2022.04 - 2024.09
Workforce Support Assistant
Aintree University Hospital
2020.11 - 2021.07
MA - International relations and security
University of Liverpool
2019.09 - 2022.09
EPR Configuration Support
Aintree University Hospital
2019.07 - 2020.02
Research assistant
University of Liverpool
2018.11 - 2019.05
BA (Hons) - Sociology and International Politics and Policy
University of Liverpool
2016.09 - 2019.07
A-Levels -
King George V college
2014.09 - 2016.06
GCSEs -
Greenbank High school
2009.09 - 2014.06