Mark Nicholas is a Clinical Director and Chief Social Worker at NHS Digital, and currently has clinical responsibility for the Vaccinations and Wayfinder programmes, the NHS App and the Child Protection Information Sharing system. He is also the Head of Profession for Social Care Informatics. Mark has a long career working in local government and the NHS, spanning safeguarding, mental health and preventative services. He was a Sure Start Programme Director, opening the first fully operational Children’s Centre in the country and negotiating information sharing protocols between local stakeholder organisations.

He set up the national Digital Social Care Advisory Group with the Local Government Association to steer investment in technology for the social care sector, commissioned research into digital capability for social care professionals and helped to facilitate an inclusive approach to digital leadership across the NHS and social care systems.