Safeguarding Consultant, Trainer & Director
Meet Penny Rogers
Professional Profile
A Clinical Career in Safeguarding, Mental Health and Public Protection
Professional Profile
Penny Rogers is a registered HCPC therapist with qualifications in both music therapy and systemic psychotherapy. Her work as a therapist with children, adolescents and adults who had experienced trauma and abuse encouraged her to undertake further training in safeguarding and mental health law.
For many years, Penny practised as a safeguarding professional lead within large NHS mental health providers and worked as a trainer and consultant across safeguarding, mental health and public protection.
Academic and Clinical Experience
Penny enjoys academia and has completed several master’s degrees throughout her career, reflecting her interest in interdisciplinary thinking. She has lectured nationally and internationally on therapy with families living with trauma and abuse and has had more than 20 papers published in therapy journals and books.
Most recently, she co-edited, with Jacqueline Robarts, a book about symbolic play in therapy, which is due to be published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers in spring 2027.
NHS Leadership and Legal Experience
Before establishing CHART Safeguarding, Law & Training Ltd, Penny held several senior safeguarding positions within the NHS, including Head of Safeguarding, Managing Partner for Safeguarding and Public Protection, and Deputy Director of Safeguarding and Public Protection.
In her most recent role, from 2016 to 2026, as Deputy Director of Safeguarding and Public Protection, her portfolio included the practical application of legislation and the Trust’s legal portfolio.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Penny and her colleagues brought before the courts the dilemma faced by clinicians when NHS guidance advised that assessments under the Mental Health Act could use remote technology, while the Act required patients to be “personally seen” under section 11 or “personally examined” under section 12.
In Devon Partnership NHS Trust v Secretary of State for Health and Social Care [2021] EWHC 101 (Admin), the court ruled that initial Mental Health Act assessments under sections 2, 3, 4 and 7 could not be completed remotely.
Safeguarding Expertise
Penny’s professional experience encompasses safeguarding children and adults, mental capacity, mental health law, domestic abuse, trauma-informed practice, Prevent, MARAC, MAPPA, clinical ethics, complex-case review and organisational safeguarding leadership.
She has extensive experience contributing to Safeguarding Adults Reviews, Domestic Homicide Reviews, Child Practice Reviews and Mental Health Homicide Reviews.
Penny combines strategic safeguarding knowledge with extensive clinical, teaching and training experience. Her approach is practical and reflective and is designed to help professionals apply their safeguarding responsibilities confidently in real situations.
Qualifications
- Mus.B (Hons)
- LGSM (MT)
- MSc in Cognitive Neuropsychology
- MA in Child Protection and Working with Families
- MSc in Systemic Psychotherapy
- PGDip in Mental Health Law
- Numerous additional professional training programmes
Musical Career
Outside of her professional work, Penny is a cellist. She studied music at Manchester University with Bernard Gregor-Smith of the Lindsay String Quartet and undertook postgraduate study at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
She has recently resumed her musical studies with Trish Calnan of the Lyric String Quartet and is a member of the Lyric Chamber Orchestra and the Torbay Symphony Orchestra.
Penny has a deep love of the quartet repertoire and plays in several quartets.
Penny Rogers is a registered (HCPC) therapist with qualifications in both music therapy and systemic psychotherapy. Her work as a therapist with children, adolescents and adults who had experienced trauma and abuse spurred her on to complete further trainings in safeguarding and mental health law and for many years Penny practised as a safeguarding professional lead within large NHS mental health providers and as a trainer and consultant in all aspects of safeguarding, mental health and public protection
Penny enjoys academia and during her career has completed several Masters Degrees (the range reflecting her interest in interdisciplinary thinking), has lectured both nationally and internationally on therapy with families living with trauma and abuse and had over 20 papers published in therapy journals or as chapters in books. Most recently co-editing (with Jacqueline Robarts) a book about symbolic play in therapy, due to be published by Jessica Kingsley Publications in Spring 2027
Before establishing CHART Safeguarding, Law & Training Ltd, Penny held several senior safeguarding positions within the NHS, including Head of Safeguarding, Managing Partner for Safeguarding and Public Protection and Deputy Director of Safeguarding and Public Protection.
In her most recent role (2016-2026) (as Deputy Director; Safeguarding & Public Protection) her portfolio included practical application of legislation and the Trust legal portfolio. In this role, Penny and colleagues brought to the courts the dilemma clinicians faced during covid, when NHS Guidance advised clinicians assessing patients under the MHA could use remote technology whereas the MHA stated patients must be ‘personally seen’ (s.11) or ‘personally examined’ (s12). The court ruled (in Devon Partnership Trust v Secretary of State for Health and Social Care [2021] EWHC 101 (Admin) that initial mental health assessments under sections 2,3,4 & 7 cannot be done remotely.
Her professional experience encompasses safeguarding children and adults, mental capacity, mental health law, domestic abuse, trauma-informed practice, Prevent, MARAC, MAPPA, clinical ethics, complex-case review and organisational safeguarding leadership. She has extensive experience of contributing to Safeguarding Adults Reviews, Domestic Homicide Reviews; Child Practice Reviews and Mental Health Homice Reviews.
Penny combines strategic safeguarding knowledge with extensive clinical, teaching and training experience. Her approach is practical, reflective and designed to help professionals apply their safeguarding responsibilities confidently in real situations.
Penny’s academic qualifications include: Mus.B(Hons); LGSM(MT); MSc (Cognitive Neuropsychology); MA (Child Protection, Working with Families); MSc (Systemic Psychotherapy); and PGDip (Mental Health Law), alongside numerous other trainings.
Outside of work, Penny is a cellist (having studied music at Manchester University with Bernard Gregor-Smith of the Lindsay Quarter) and as a post-graduate at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. She has recently resumed her musical studies with Trish Calnan of the Lyric String Quartet and is a member of the Lyric Chamber Orchestra and the Torbay Symphony Orchestra. Penny has a deep love of the quartet repertoire and plays in a number of quartets
At a Glance
- More than 36 years of NHS experience
- Former Deputy Director of Safeguarding and Public Protection
- Safeguarding consultant and trainer
- Mental health and public protection experience
- Clinical, teaching and academic experience
- Director of CHART
Professional Profile
Career Timeline
Credentials
Professional Qualifications and Education
Expertise
Areas of Professional Knowledge
Safeguarding and Public Protection
Strategic and practical safeguarding knowledge developed through senior NHS leadership, consultation and complex-case work.
- Safeguarding Children
- Safeguarding Adults
- Child Welfare
- Public Protection
- Complex-Case Review
- Safeguarding Leadership
Mental Health, Capacity and Law
Supporting professionals to understand complex legal, ethical and clinical responsibilities.
- Mental Health
- Mental Health Law
- Mental Capacity Assessment
- Clinical Ethics
- Trauma-Informed Practice
Clinical and Therapeutic Practice
Bringing clinical understanding, professional curiosity and reflective thinking into safeguarding practice.
- Psychotherapy
- Clinical Supervision
- Clinical Research
- Reflective Practice
Training and Organisational Development
Helping professionals and organisations translate safeguarding knowledge into confident everyday practice.
- Healthcare and Public-Sector Training
- Workshop Facilitation
- Policy and Organisational Change
- Professional Education
Penny's Approach
A Knowledgeable and Human Approach
Penny understands that effective safeguarding requires more than knowledge of policies and legislation. Her work brings together professional curiosity, clinical understanding, reflective practice and compassionate communication.
Her training is designed to help people examine complex situations, understand their responsibilities and make safer, more confident professional decisions.
Where appropriate, Penny’s wider experience in psychotherapy, personal development and mindfulness informs her calm, reflective and person-centred approach.
Effective safeguarding combines professional knowledge, clinical understanding, reflective practice and compassionate communication.
Teaching & Research
Training and Academic Experience
Penny has extensive experience in lecturing, professional training and workshop facilitation. She has also lectured for Bournemouth University and contributed to Best Interests Assessor training.
Her academic and professional writing explores child protection, abuse and neglect, trauma, psychotherapy, music therapy, memory and clinical practice.
Lecturing
Professional Training
Workshop Facilitation
Academic Writing
Selected Publications
Rogers, P. (2013). “Children and Adolescents with PTSD and Survivors of Abuse and Neglect,” in Guidelines for Music Therapy Practice in Mental Health.
Rogers, P. (2003). “Working with Jenny: Stories of Gender, Power and Abuse,” in Psychodynamic Music Therapy Case Studies.
Rogers, P. and Smeyatsky, N. (1995). “Short-term verbal and musical memory in Schizophrenia.”
Rogers, P. (1995). “Child sexual abuse: Dilemmas in therapeutic practice.”
Rogers, P. (1993). “Research in music therapy with sexually abused clients.”
Rogers, P. (1992). “Issues in Child Sexual Abuse,” Journal of British Music Therapy.
