Afshan is a recognised specialist in urban regeneration and community safety strategy. She has a track record of developing, winning and targeting funds to tackle complex social and economic regeneration challenges. Afshan has worked in a number of key local authority posts and has over 20 years experience working in crime prevention / community safety, education and the equalities field. She has extensive experience in project development, implementation and delivery.

Afshan has wide experience of working at senior management level within local government and the voluntary sector. She has successfully developed and sustained partnerships and motivated and managed multidisciplinary, multi-agency teams to tackle large complex projects.

Recently, Afshan has been responsible for the development, promotion, implementation and evaluation of an effective multi-agency strategy. This has involved developing an action plan for community safety (including other aspects under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998) and regeneration. She has successfully developed innovative crime reduction programmes, securing external funding for work with a focus on hard to reach communities.

She has also worked with the Department of Health, the Health Authority and other partners, both voluntary and statutory, to develop and deliver the first national project, introducing guidelines on domestic violence for health professionals. This project was cited as a model of good inter-agency practice in the report "Living Without Fear" (2000) produced by the Cabinet Office.