Passionate about working with regional and local public services and communities to help shape and deliver a fairer future for all.

Helen Sunderland

Partner, Government & Infrastructure, Ernst & Young LLP

Transforming local public services. Supporting residents and communities. Champion for social mobility. Mum of two. Average runner.

Helen Sunderland is Consulting Lead in the local public services team at EY LLP. With 20 years of experience in service redesign and transformation, Helen helps local government and public sector organisations improve outcomes for residents and communities by utilising data to reduce homelessness and for local authority transformation. 

Helen leads the team’s transformation proposition, focussing on digitally enabled pathway redesign and operating model development to help redress homelessness and improve access to social care and financial services for individuals and organisations. 

Helen has a strong background across social care commissioning, operating model design and early intervention and prevention.

She holds an MChem in Chemistry from the University of York and is MSP and PRINCE2 qualified.

How Helen is shaping the future with confidence

“By working with local public services, partners and communities, I help transform how services are delivered—ensuring better outcomes for citizens. Recently, this has included leading multi‑agency transformation programmes to redesign frontline pathways and improve access to social care and financial support. I focus on building alliances and fostering innovation to create sustainable, value-driven change.

My goal is to support organisations to plan for the future with confidence, supporting collaboration, strengths-based working and sustainability—making a positive impact on society by helping communities and families to thrive.”

Helen's Latest thinking