Employment History
Agency Decision Maker
Liverpool City Council
February 2022 – December 2022
- Making all SHOBPA decisions
- Making Adoption & Matching decisions
- Making Fostering Decisions
- Approving Foster Carer Reviews
- Approving long term matches.
- Approving Regulation 24 Placements, Reg 25s and Variations
- Working closely with the Fostering Service around recruitment
- Providing Service Manager cover for Fostering, Adoption abd Children in Care Services whenever required.
I have also recently developed a mobile app for Care Leavers. This app provides all of the information that they may need, right at their fingertips. The app can be customised to your own Local Authority, including corporate colours, logos, local resources etc.
In addition, I have developed a mobile app for Children in Care, helping them to understand the processes and systems, giving advice and support, explaining all of the terms and acronyms used and preparing them for their time in care.
Liverpool City Council
April 2021 – February 2002
Service Manager for Permanence, Care Leavers, Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children and Participation.
- Strategic Management and development of services
- Strategic Safeguarding responsibility for service area
- Development of policies and procedures
- Development of Corporate Parenting Strategy
- Development of Social Work Practice Standards
- Development of UASC services
- Development of Fostering Recruitment and Sufficiency Programme
- Management of the Children in Care Council, Care Leavers Council and young people’s participation.
I recently co-wrote a business book (The Entrepreneurs Marketing System), that I have subsequently developed into a system for the recruitment of foster carers within Local Authorities.
April 2019 – April 2021
Agency Decision Maker & Strategic Project Lead
- Making all SHOBPA decisions
- Making Adopter & Matching decisions
- Making Fostering Decisions
- Writing strategy, Policies and Procedures
- Strategic oversight of ASYE Programme
- Development of UASC Team
- Development of Supported Lodgings Scheme.
- Internal Service Audits
Bournemouth Borough Council
Total Duration: 3 yrs 3 months
16+ and Care Leavers Team Manager
Separated Children Seeking Asylum Team Manager
Jan 2018 – April 2019
For clarity, during my three and a half years in Bournemouth, When I was managing the Private Fostering Team I also managed the LAC Team from April 2016 to October 2016 (two teams). When I was managing the Supported Lodgings Team and the Separated Children Seeking Asylum Teams (2 teams) I also took over the 16+ and Care Leavers Team from January 2018 (so managing three teams). In November 2018 I handed over the Supported Lodgings Team to the Fostering Service (as it had grown so big), but continued to manage the Separated Children Seeking Asylum Team and the 16+ and Care Leavers Team (two teams).
- Restructured the 16+ and Care Leavers Team into the POD Model
- Developed and implemented a Performance Improvement model
- Developed and Rewrote Policies and Procedures
- Set up an Out of Hours Support Service for Young People and Foster Carers (Talk It Out)
- Development of mandatory 8 week training programme for PAs
- Development of Traineeship Programme with local radio station
- Development of NEET Multi Agency Working Group
- Quality assurance and service development.
- Development of a range of policies, procedures and practice documents
- I sit on a number of panels including, Best Care Panel, LAC Monitoring Panel, Housing Allocation Panel and occasionally Fostering Panel.
- Developed regular event nights for young people
Supported Lodgings Team Manager
Separated Children Seeking Asylum Team Manager
Jan 2017 – October 2018
- Set up and developed a new Team working with Separated Children Seeking Asylum (formerly known as UASC)
- Recognised Nationally by the Home Office as a model of good practice
- Established clear and stable pathways for Social Care, Education and Health
- Developed a mobile App especially for Separated Children Seeking Asylum
- Jointly delivered a Keynote speech with the DCS on the development of the model at a national conference in Milton Keynes
- Delivered savings of £200k in year 1 of the scheme
- Developed a number of support projects with the Third Sector, including Peer Mentoring, Football League Teams, Trauma Based Yoga, Drama, Cookery lessons, Cultural Awareness and ESOL
- Developed the Supported Lodgings Service into three areas, Standard, Separated Children Seeking Asylum and Enhanced
- Increased capacity in the scheme by 160%, whilst at the same time raising standards and improving outcomes for young people.
- Introduced AQA Unit Awards Scheme for Supported Lodgings Carers aligned to the 21 Life Skills
- Developed specific 8 week training programme for prospective Supported Lodgings Carers
Private Fostering Team Manager
Nov 2015 – Jan 2017
Managing the Private Fostering Team.
• Developing and delivering Awareness Raising strategy. • Liaison with Language schools and partner agencies. • Strategic Service development. • Quality Assurance • Development of promotional videos, posters, infographics etc • Workshop and training development and delivery. • Developing a Traded Service that has been commissioned by Dorset County Council
Looked After Children Team Manager
Apr 2016 – Oct 2016
Managing the LAC Team (in addition to the Private Fostering Team)
• Strategic Service development • Quality assurance and audit • Management of a number of capability, performance and disciplinary issues. • Development of an out of hours support service for LAC children and care leavers (Talk it Out) • Staff recruitment
I have recently written a guide book for foster carers and adopters entitled “Caring For Somebody Else’s Child”, offering strategies, advice and guidance. This is available from www. Amazon.co.uk.
Portsmouth City Council
Special Guardianship Project Manager
Jun 2015 – Oct 2015
Reviewing all aspects of Special Guardianship and support services Writing Kinship Care Policy Writing Special Guardianship Policy Reviewing and redesigning Fostering Scale of Allowances Designing and implementing Special Guardianship / Kinship Care Framework Review of procedures in line with new Policies Staff training on new framework, policies and procedures
Fostering Support Service Manager
Oct 2014 – Jun 2015
- Review of Fostering Duty Service • Review of Out of Hours Service • Development of recruitment video & Website • Quality Assurance & Audit • Ensuring compliance with current legislation and guidance • Policy development • Supervision of Practice Leads • Staff recruitment & management • Permanence Panel member • Development of e-learning modules for carers • Development of Supported Lodgings Scheme to increase capacity for challenging YP and Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers • Service & Strategy Development
Author
I took two months off work to write a book entitled “Adoption Panel – The Missing Manual”. This isintended for new Panel members to equip them for the task ahead of them. It contains valuableinformation about expectations, roles and responsibilities, quality assurance, making assumptions,making recommendations, disruptions, legislation…and everything in between. It is available to purchase in paperback at Amazon.co.uk and for the Kindle
Walsall Council
Adoption & Fostering Panel Manager and Advisor
June 2014 – September 2014:
Recruiting to the Central List
Panel training, development and action planning
Quality Assurance (and development of a QA system)
Online marketing & recruitment (using video, social media, Youtube, etc)
Development of online Adopter feedback system
Panel Advisor role
Ensuring compliance with current legislation and guidance
Development of Adoption Passport
Development of Education Policy for Adopted children
New CPR training & development
Worcestershire County Council
Adoption Panel Manager & Advisor
March 2014 – June 2014:
Recruiting to the Central List
Panel training, development and action planning
Quality Assurance (and development of a QA system)
Online marketing & recruitment (using video, social media, Youtube, etc)
Developing Fostering to Adopt Scheme
Development of online Adopter feedback system
Developing joint adopter training with Hereford with a view to merging some
of the Adoption Service functions as part of the West Mercia Project
Coaching a new Team Manager
Panel Advisor role
Ensuring compliance with current legislation and guidance
Ensuring Ofsted readines
December 2013 – March 2013
Exploring Career options
Surrey County Council
April 2013-August 2013:
Assistant Director Intern,
I was part of the South East Succession Planning Programme, and as part of this I
completed a 20 week (one day per week) Internship with Surrey County Council
working at Assistant Director level. I was working on a strategic project, examining
safeguarding within the voluntary, faith and community sector across Surrey. I
worked closely with the Assistant Director for Youth and Community in partnership
with the community and voluntary sector leaders to analyse the current situation in
Surrey and to develop a strategic plan to address identified deficiencies. This will
result in improved awareness, improved practice and better safeguarding of children
who are not within the statutory remit of the local authority.
Through this programme I have been able to further develop my leadership and
mentoring skills, alongside strategic planning and implementation.
Isle of Wight Council
July 2011 – December 2013:
Group Manager For Looked After Children
In this strategic role I:
Played an instrumental role in the major reorganisation of the whole of Isle of
Wight Children‟s Services in 2011 in order to implement the “Reclaiming
Social Work” Model as advocated by Eileen Munro.
I developed and transformed the service area that I am currently responsible
for and have led them through times of difficult change and a recent
inadequate Ofsted inspection, through listening, enabling, modelling and
coaching.
I Delivered a reduction in mainland and agency placements for looked after
children,
I Established a Performance Framework for my service area which improved
practice and enhanced outcomes for looked after children. This framework
was later adopted by other service areas.
Under my confident leadership statutory visiting to Looked After Children has
drastically improved to 95%. I implemented a successful performance
management system which, amongst other things, has led to an increase in the
uptake of LAC medicals, timeliness of LAC Reviews, up to date Care Plans
and many other performance related measures, which means that children in
public care on the Isle of Wight receivdD a better service.
I played a key role in developing and implementing a Missing Persons
Strategy across the Island (alongside Police colleagues), that has led to a
significant reduction (85%) in the numbers of missing LAC children. This
strategic model is now being considered for implementation nationally across
a number of Local Authorities and police forces.
I regularly chaired the Isle of Wight Permanency Planning Panel, Legal
Planning meetings and I was the Islands‟ Adoption Panel Advisor, ensuring
that the right decisions were made for children‟s futures in line with relevant
legislation and guidance.
Isle of Wight Council
2005 – 2011:
Team Manager, Fostering Service,
I led the development and growth of the Fostering Service, and delivered a
reduction in mainland and agency placements for looked after children,
resulting in a 60% financial saving. This meant that Island children were
returned to the Island (when appropriate) to be close to their families and
support networks, and felt less isolated and alone.
Set up a Specialist Intensive Bridging Foster Scheme, thereby reducing
reliance on agency and mainland placements and consequently significantly
reducing costs to the Local Authority.
Led the development of a nationally recognised Supported Lodgings Scheme
to improve outcomes for care leavers and homeless young people.
Led the development and growth of a Family Link Scheme for children with
disabilities. This provided regular respite and consistency for children and
their families. It was cost effective and is seen as a model of best practice.
I played a key role in the development of a fee free adoption consortium. This
reduced costs and improved inter agency working across local authorities.
Conceived and led the development of a mother and baby fostering placement
scheme. This enabled the local authority to argue against expensive, Court
directed assessments and enabled mothers and babies to stay together for the
assessments. This provides for a more realistic and authentic assessment.
Managed the Fostering Panel
Undertook the role of Agency Advisor to the Fostering Panel
Isle of Wight Council
2002 – 2005: Team Manager, Looked After Children’s Team (0-16),
In this role I introduced and pioneered the development of Family Group Conferences
on the Island, which later developed into a multi agency commissioning forum. This
led to improved outcomes for children; reduced costs to the local authority and the
development of good inter authority / agency working.
2000 – 2002: Team Manager, Long Term Team, Isle of Wight Council
1999 – 2000: Team Manager, Assessment Team, Isle of Wight Council
1997 – 1999: Social Worker, Isle of Wight Council
1996 – 1997: Social Worker, St Helens Borough Council
1995 – 1996: Social Worker, Salford City Council /Community Drug and
Alcohol Worker
1991 – 1995: Assistant Hostel Warden, Merseyside Probation Service.