President
Andy Smith
Strategic Director of People Services
Derby City Council
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Andy works in Derby as the Strategic Director for People Services which encompasses the role of Director of Children’s Services (DCS) and Director of Adult Social Services (DASS), a role he’s held since 2016, although he was the DCS from 2015. Andy is a qualified social worker and prior to moving to Derby in 2014 as the Director for Early Help and Children’s Safeguarding, worked in Leicester in a variety of roles for nearly 20 years. Between 2010-2017 Andy also worked as a local authority associate inspector with Ofsted which provided him with learning and experience on the previous SLAC and SIF frameworks.
As a former child in care who was adopted by his foster carers when aged 10, Andy always knew that he wanted to be a social worker from an early age, and has always tried to use his previous lived and positive experiences of the care system and of social workers throughout his career.
Andy was previously chair of the ADCS Standards, Performance and Inspection Committee for two years prior to becoming Vice President of the association in April 2023.
Andy became ADCS President on 1 April 2024
Vice President
Rachael Wardell
Executive Director of Children, Families and Lifelong Learning
Surrey County Council
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Rachael has been the Executive Director for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning (DCS) for Surrey County Council, since December 2020 and before that held DCS roles in two other Councils, twin-hatting as a DASS between 2013 and 2018. Rachael has been actively involved in ADCS since joining the Workforce Policy Committee (WPC) as an Assistant Director in 2009. Before becoming Vice President in 2024 she chaired the WPC for eight years and was a member of the ADCS Council of Reference.Over this period she has also been at various times a Board Member / Trustee of The Staff College, Skills for Care and Become (the charity for children in care and young care leavers). She is currently a member of an Integrated Care Board.
Rachael’s background in children’s services began in Early Years inspection and regulation and one of her happy places will always be a daycare setting or a reception classroom.
Immediate Past President
John Pearce
Strategic Director of Children and Young People
Durham County Council
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John has been the Corporate Director Children and Young People (DCS) for Durham County Council, since September 2019 and prior to that held DCS/DASS roles in two other Councils. He has been involved in ADCS for many years, prior to becoming Vice President in 2022 he held the role of North East Regional Chair and a member of the ADCS Council of Reference. John was ADCS President 2023/24.
John has a strong track record of improvement in Children’s services and has developed and led high quality services in different areas. He is a great believer in Sector-Led Improvement leading the establishment of the Regional Improvement and Innovation Alliance in the North East. He has previously worked with DfE as a ‘Partner in Practice’ supporting system wide improvement and has also supported a local authority in intervention as the Independent Chair of an Improvement Board.
Honorary Secretary
Jane Moore
Director, Children and Family Services
Leicestershire County Council
Honorary Treasurer
Tim Aldridge
Executive Director of Children and Learning
Camden Council
Elected Director
Harmesh Bhogal
Director of Children’s Services
Bedford Borough Council
Elected Director
Sukriti Sen
Director of Local Delivery
Essex County Council
Elected Director
Suanne Lim
Director of Early Help & Children’s Social Care
Derby City Council
Elected Director
Diane Benjamin
Director of Children’s Social Care
Hackney Council
Board of Directors
The ADCS Ltd Board of Directors comprises the following positions:
- President
- Vice President
- Immediate Past President
- Honorary Secretary
- Honorary Treasurer
- 4 Elected Directors
All posts are elected by Ordinary Members of the Association. Any Ordinary member may hold office as an Elected Director and need not be a DCS.
Council of Reference
The Council of Reference of ADCS comprises:
- Board of Directors
- Policy Committee Chairs
- Regional chairs and representatives and the Chair of the Associates Network.
