About us

We are a highly experienced group of consultants and researchers who share a passion for improving services for the most vulnerable people, delivering projects that help organisations achieve tangible, measurable and sustainable changes for their clients.

CPI has been trading since 2000. In that time we have developed a strong track-record in delivering high quality projects for a range of clients including central government departments, local government and charities. CPI’s work has been delivered across the UK as well as internationally.

CPI was incorporated as a Community Interest Company (CIC) in 2005 making us one of the first CICs in the country. This means we marry the entrepreneurialism of the private sector with the value base of a charity.

Because we specialise in working with the public and not-for-profit sectors we have a deep understanding of the specific needs of these sector and understand the challenges and issues that you face.

managing director

Mark Napier

The Centre for Public Innovation is a Community Interest Company that provides research, training, support and advice in the fields of health, social care and criminal justice. CPI’s mission is to improve the outcomes of public services for their users, with a particular emphasis on the most disadvantaged. As Managing Director I lead on all aspects of the performance and development of the company including strategy, business development and pipeline, management of consultants and implementation of CPI’s quality assurance framework as well as project delivery.

CPI has worked with a broad range of clients including central government departments, local authorities, clinical commissioning groups, Police and Crime Commissioners and NHS England as well as with a range of charities and social enterprises.

CPI’s work covers all aspects of the commissioning cycle including needs assessments and service reviews, market engagement and building, specification development and provider performance management. CPI have particular expertise in the field of outcome-based commissioning.

My projects include:
• A review of Drug Intervention Programme across 32 London boroughs
• A review of Liaison and Diversion projects across four counties for NHS England
• A review of SARC provision across five counties for NHS England
• Supporting the commissioning of youth workers in A&E

I am currently the Programme Manager for the London Information Sharing to Tackle Violence programme which collects data regarding interpersonal violence from A&Es to share with criminal justice agencies.

My work has meant that I have developed experience of working with and delivering projects on behalf of a range of vulnerable and marginalized communities and groups including victims of crime (including sexual assault), offenders, drug and alcohol users, people with mental health conditions, refugees and asylum seekers.

As well as extensive experience of research and consultancy, I am also an experienced trainer and facilitator.

Arun Sondhi has twenty years’ experience of working in the criminal justice system where he has undertaken research projects for police forces, Public Health England (and previous to that the National Treatment Agency), NHS England, prisons and local authorities. 

Arun has delivered research projects for prisons including HMPs Altcourse, Blantyre House, Blundeston, Bronzefield, Coldingly, Chelmsford, Downview, Sutton Park, Elmley, Ford, Highdown, Highpoint, Hewell, Hollesley Bay, Lewes, Liverpool, Long Lartin, Maidstone, Rochester, Send,  Standford Hill, Swaleside, Wormwood Scrubs, Warren Hill. 

ASSOCIATE

Steve Kenny MPhil

Steve Kenny is an independent consultant with an extensive 20 year history of substance misuse and mental health consultancy, evaluation, academic research and needs assessment. Originally trained as a community development social workers Steve worked in the field of community development addressing diversity issues in London, Newcastle and Manchester. In the 1990s she was a senior manager in the voluntary and community sectors before being appointed as a senior lecturer in Applied Community Studies at Manchester Metropolitan University, specialising in substance misuse and mental health.

At the university she developed a substantial research, consultancy and evaluation profile as well as being the Course Director for a new MA in Substance Misuse Interventions, and developing a long distance OCN accredited Certificate in Substance Misuse and Communities. She also enjoyed a 12 month secondment to the Home Office Drug Prevention Initiative.

Steve has had extensive experience of reviewing and evaluating commissioning practice and the planning, configuration and delivery of mental health and substance misuse services in various areas of the UK. She has managed projects at a national (Home Office, Youth Justice Board, DIES, Department of Health), regional (GO NW, GO SE, GO YH), and local level (Drug and Alcohol Teams, PCT, SHAs social services, voluntary organisations).

Associate

Ian Knighton

Ian has over 35 years’ experience in health and social care, managing change programmes, strategic planning, project management, and commissioning in commissioner and provider settings. He has held senior management positions in acute, primary, community & health authority settings.

Ian has experience of consulting with a wide range of professional stakeholders across health, local authority services and the community sector. Ian led on stakeholder consultation for CPI’s needs assessments for Bedfordshire and Luton Councils and so has an in-depth understanding of the interplay of services in relation to offending and substance misuse.

Melissa Scholey

Melissa has a Masters’ degree in Social Research and over a decode of experience in the field of social and market research. She has a wide range of experience in both quantitative and qualitative techniques and has worked in a variety o fields including social services, health and community regeneration, road safety and transport. She has managed large scale national surveys (Highways Agency and Department for Transport) and was responsible for the development of the Area Road User Satisfaction Surveys (ARUSS) for the Highways Agency area teams. Smaller projects have included a number of evaluations of Sure Start programmes for local authorities.

She began her career as the lead researcher on a two year project evaluating the use of volunteers in the interviewing of young offenders (Youth Justice Board). Her key interests lie in survey design and data analysis. Within all the projects she has worked don she has advised on methodology, questionnaire design, reporting structures and carried out complex data analysis.

Associate

Julie Kumar

Julie is a social researcher with extensive experience of conducting both quantitative and qualitative research. As an experienced project manager, Julie has designed and managed projects for both the private and public sectors across a range of areas including, customer and stakeholder research, communication services, sustainable strategies, transport and travel behaviour, and service evaluations.

Julie is a trained focus group moderator, and in-depth interviewer, with strong analysis and reporting skills.