Meet Pene

Penelope Turnell is a specialist child protection and family and domestic violence practitioner, consultant and trainer with more than 20 years’ international experience, including experience managing a residential men’s behaviour change program.

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Her work focuses on the complex intersections between domestic abuse, coercive control and child protection, with a particular focus on understanding danger, strengthening safety and keeping the experiences and voices of victim-survivors at the centre.

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Drawing on extensive practice experience, international work and her own lived experience of domestic abuse, Penelope supports practitioners and organisations to make sense of complexity and move beyond fragmented assessments and simplistic solutions.

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Her approach is grounded in curiosity, compassion and risk intelligence. She helps practitioners recognise both danger and existing safety, understand the impact of violence on adults and children, and develop practical, action-focused approaches that increase safety while holding those who use violence accountable.

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Penelope has extensive experience in practice development across the full case practice continuum, working alongside agencies to develop and implement effective practice frameworks and methodologies. She supports practitioners and leaders to navigate the complexity of children’s services while keeping relationships, connection and belonging at the heart of practice. Her work is grounded in the understanding that effective child protection practice requires not only a clear understanding of danger and safety, but also a commitment to building and strengthening the relationships and connections.

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Penelope is committed to supporting practitioners to hold complexity without becoming overwhelmed by it — seeing danger without losing sight of possibility, and keeping connection, belonging and hope at the heart of child protection practice.