Blog News List
At what point do you stop being an...
Having just celebrated my 6th anniversary as Manchester’s Director of Children’s Services (DCS) (do I qualify as ‘experienced’?) and...
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Dare to lead…
Thinking about the time we have ahead of us as a sector, I have been reflecting on what it means for the kind of leadership that will be required...
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Standing shoulder to shoulder with...
There are over 150,000 children growing up in kinship care in England today, and with the publication of the Independent Review of Children’s...
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The power of our Association
This blog was first due a couple of weeks ago, but the small matter of an ILACs inspection diverted my attention. I can confirm that spending...
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A role like no other
I find myself writing this blog at a strange time – two days before I am due to leave Northumberland County Council to take up the Director of...
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A game of marginal gains
I am sure that the West Midlands is no different to any other region, in that recruitment and retention seems to be our number one topic of...
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Two years on...
Two years ago I remember sitting in my garden during the spring time of the first lockdown with so many mixed feelings. There was a sense of...
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Between the hammer and anvil
As Director of Children’s Services (DCS) for one of the 75 areas eligible for the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, I am pleased that...
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Navigating a time of change
Looking outside at the spring sunshine it feels like change is in the air, although as I’m in the North East it’s still a bit chilly. This...
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Plenty on the horizon
I am pleased and proud to continue to chair the ADCS Health, Care & Additional Needs Policy Committee. The committee has a wide remit but an...
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