News

The latest new appointments in the social care sector:

Peter Kemp

Durham social services director Peter Kemp is leaving his job next April. Kemp, who has been in the job for 18 years, is leaving to “take a change of direction”.

 

 

Dudley Council has appointed Hilary Jackson as assistant director for business services in its social services directorate. She was previously principal policy development officer. Richard Carter has been appointed assistant director for learning disability and mental health services. He joins the department permanently after being on secondment from West Midlands social services inspectorate since April last year.

Frances Done is to join the Audit Commission as managing director for local government, housing and criminal justice. Done is best known as the former chief executive of Manchester 2002, the organising committee of the Commonwealth Games.

Warrington Council’s director of social services, David Whitehead, has taken on the job of acting chief executive until the council makes a permanent appointment next year. An announcement is expected shortly on who will become acting social services director.

Angela Killick has been become interim chairperson of CAFCASS – the Children and Family Court Advisory Service – following the resignation of Anthony Hewson in October. Killick has been chairperson of three National Health Service authorities.

Mike Gardiner, Hampshire Council’s senior social services manager for Winchester and Andover, is retiring after 28 years in social services.

Paul Osburn

Harrow council has appointed Paul Osburn to head one of four new directorates introduced by the council to replace traditional departments. Osburn will become the executive director of ‘People First’, which brings together health, social care and learning services in a multi-agency approach. Osburn was formerly director of education at Harrow.

 

Former social worker Beryl Seaman has been appointed as a commissioner with the Commission for Social Care Inspection. Seaman is currently chairperson of the Probation Boards Association and chairperson of the South Yorkshire Probation Board. CSCI is a new regulatory body which is expected to become operational in April 2004.

Christine Lenehan is to take over the post of director of the Council for Disabled Children from Philippa Russell. Lenehan started her career as a social worker in London and joined the CDC as principal development officer in 2000. After nearly 30 years as director, Russell is moving to the National Children’s Bureau to take up a senior policy and consultancy post.

Cheryl Blaber

The Shaftesbury Society has recruited Cheryl Blaber as a new director of adult support services to head the newly reorganised department. Blaber joins the organisation from the National Care Standards Commission where she was area manager for the Avon region.

 

Jack Blackmore is replacing Tony Hunter as director of social services, housing and public protection at East Riding of Yorkshire Council. Blackmore is currently the head of social services at the council. Hunter is leaving to become executive director of supported living and community safety with Liverpool Council at the end of October.

Bernice Law, is leaving her post as acting chief executive of Warrington Council to become executive director of operations at the Northwest Development Agency. She has worked in local government for more than 28 years.
Alan Turley, currently the council's head of economic development, is also joining the NWDA as its executive director of enterprise and innovation.

The Fostering Network has appointed Robert Tapsfield as its new executive director. Tapsfield is currently chief executive of the Family Rights Group, a position he has held since 1999. During his time at the organisation he has been involved in the promotion of family and friends care for children, who are unable to live with their birth families.
Tapsfield will be joining the Network in January 2004, replacing interim executive director Gillian Ashmore. Previous director Gerri McAndrew left the organisation in August to join the Frank Buttle Trust.

BBC social affairs editor Niall Dickson is set to be the new chief executive of the King's Fund from 1 January 2004. He will take over from Rabbi Julia Neuberger, who had been in post for six years.

Allison Ogden-Newton

Allison Ogden-Newton has joined socialenterpriselondon (SEL), the regional agency that promotes social enterprise in the capital and increases the scale of social economy. Ogden-Newton was previously CEO at Women's Education in Building, a social enterprise that promotes education and training in the construction trades for women who face barriers into employment.

 

Dianne Strauss

Social Work Solutions recruitment agency has appointed Dianne Strauss as its new managing director. Strauss, originally from Melbourne, has run health sector recruitment desks in Australia, New Zealand and the UK.


Luton Council has appointed Jo Cleary as its interim corporate director of housing and social services. Cleary, who is head of policy at the Social Services Inspectorate (SSI), is due to start working on a six-month secondment in November. She will be taking over from Hugh Dunnachie who is leaving to become social services director for Hillingdon Council.

The Department for Education and Skills has appointed Lesley Staggs as its national director for the Foundation Stage - which sets out early learning goals for three to five-year-olds. Staggs has been appointed to develop links between the foundation stage and the early years of formal schooling.

Sonia Richardson has joined the Mental Health Foundation as the head of Mental Health in Later Life. Richardson is a qualified social worker and previously worked for Age Concern for over six years as a trainer on areas such as dementia, rights and risks, depression and mental health in later life. Since 2000, she has been teaching students on the professional social work training course and specialising in work with adult service users.

Health minister John Hutton has welcomed the appointment of Carmel Flatley as chief executive and a shadow non-executive team member to the board of the planned NHS Professionals Special Health Authority. She has worked mainly in human resources and was appointed as senior vice president, chief human resources and training officer at MacDonalds in 1998.

John Rose is to be the new acting chief executive at the Wales Youth Agency following the retirement of Brian Williams due to ill health. Rose, currently deputy chief executive, will take on the role until April. The agency's board will be starting a recruitment drive for a new chief executive shortly.

Mary Ney, chief executive of Greenwich Council, has been appointed co-chairperson of the Learning Disability Task Force. She will replace Chris Davies, former social services director in Somerset, who has taken up a new post with Cardiff Council. Ney will co-chair the task force with Michelle Chinery, a member of the National Forum of People with Learning Difficulties.

Sonia Richardson has started at the Mental Health Foundation as the head of Mental Health in Later Life. A qualified social worker, she has been a senior social services manager, and for over six years she has worked for Age Concern as a trainer on areas such as dementia, rights and risks, depression and mental health in later life. Since 2000, she has been teaching students on the professional social work training course, and specialising in work with adult service users.

Hugh Dunnachie will join the London borough of Hillingdon as its director of social services in mid-November. Dunnachie is currently director of housing and social services at Luton Council. He takes over from Jim Wilson, who has been Hillingdon's interim director since October 2002.

Alan Weale

Alan Weale has been appointed as the head of the Institute of Health and Social Care at University College Worcester. Weale was previously the head of the department of psychology, health and social care at UCW.

 

 

 

 

Social care charity, Turning Point, has appointed a new board of trustees. The 10 appointees come from a range of sectors linked to the charity's work.

Lionel Joyce has been reappointed as chairperson of the trustees, he was previously the chief executive of a NHS mental health trust and is a service user.

Other members of the board include:

Matt Muijen, director of the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health

Elisabeth Al-Khalifa, group head of the equality strategy and human rights at the Department of Health

Andrew Webster, an existing Turning Point Trustee and executive director of social services and health improvement with Lambeth Council

Richard McKendrick, has been appointed as the director of the Albert Kennedy Trust, a charity providing foster care and supported lodgings services to lesbian, gay and bisexual young people. McKendrick used to be acting regional director at social care charity Turning Point. He takes over from Carole Thomson, who left in late May after three years' service.

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