Board of Directors

President

Ms Rachel Dickinson
Executive Director People
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Rachel joined Barnsley MBC in 2013 as the Director of Children’s Services and took on responsibility for Adult Social Care Services in 2015. Qualifying as a social worker in the 1980’s, Rachel worked in a variety of social work and managerial roles in Derby and Derbyshire across both adults and children’s services. She moved to Derby as Assistant Director for Children’s Social Care in 2000 and went on to establish the integrated children’s trust arrangements in Derby in 2005. Rachel held an integrated children’s services portfolio in Derby from 2006, before moving to Leicester City Council as Director of Children’s Services in 2009. Rachel participated in the ADCS Staff College Director of Children’s Services Leadership Programme and was a member of the fabled ‘Cohort Five’. She has gone on to support learning and development within the sector through her roles as vice-chair of East Midlands ADCS, and then vice chair and subsequently chair of Yorkshire and Humber ADCS. Returning to Yorkshire for family reasons in 2013, Rachel was delighted to find herself working in Barnsley following in her great-grandfather’s footsteps, although in a very different capacity, he was a glassblower by trade.

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Honorary Secretary

Mr Clive Jones
Director of Children’s and Adult Services
Telford and Wrekin Council
Email

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Honorary Treasurer

Mr Stuart Carlton

Corporate Director - Children and Young People’s Service
North Yorkshire County Council
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Stuart became ADCS Honorary Treasurer in October 2017, having previously been an Elected Director of the Association since 2014.

Stuart joined North Yorkshire County Council in 2017 as the Corporate Director of Children and Young People. His previous role was as Assistant Director in Lincolnshire County Council.

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Elected Director

Ms Kathryn Boulton
Deputy Director of Children’s Services
Derbyshire County Council
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Biog to follow

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Elected Director

Ms Sarah Jones
Assistant Director
Norfolk County Council
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Biog to follow

Vice President

Ms Jenny Coles
Director of Children’s Services
Hertfordshire County Council

Biog to follow

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Immediate Past President

Mr Stuart Gallimore
Director of Children’s Services
East Sussex County Council

Stuart qualified as a Social Worker in 1984 and worked as a social worker, team leader and middle manager in Cheshire, North Yorkshire and Bradford. He then moved into management and in 2000 relocated to the south coast, becoming the Head of Safeguarding at East Sussex County Council (ESCC) before leaving in 2004 for the position of Assistant Director of Children’s Services at Portsmouth City Council. He has since been the Deputy Director and then Director of Children’s Services at West Sussex County Council. Stuart returned to ESCC as Director of Children’s Services in April 2014.

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Elected Director

Ms Bernie Brown
Assistant Director
Bolton Council
Email

I am a qualified Social Worker with 25 years’ experience across both the UK and New Zealand having previously worked in 7 Local Authorities, 2 voluntary sector agencies and had my own consultancy business for 5 years. I have also had the role of Chair for a Local Children’s Safeguarding Board, and see the management of risk, and the approach to managing the complexity of issues to safeguard children effectively from many perspectives drawing on many experiences.

I am committed to delivering excellent Social Work practice in partnership with families and enjoy the opportunity to be actively involved with the training and development of foster carers, the Children in Care Council and Kinship networks locally and nationally.

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Elected Director

Ms Helen Blackman
Assistant Director
Nottingham City Council
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Helen qualified as a social worker in 1989, working in a patch based inner city team, in both Emergency and long term services. With experience in court and duty work she worked with children in care and adoption from 1991-1997. She was fortunate to be able to work with a number of young people for the majority of their teenage years, learning the value of relationships and how being there for years was so very important for children who experienced loss and change. A manager from 1997, Helen has been Assistant Director in Nottingham City since 2013 joining the early help and specialist services directorates.