Soundbites

● “Children’s services is about heart. It’s not about ‘you give me the money and I’ll give you a widget’. It’s about the spirit of volunteering. Even if you are paid for it.” David Hawker, director of children, families and schools, Brighton and Hove Council

● “I do worry about people who compete against service user-led organisations for council contracts and their motives for doing so.” Bill Kilgallon, chief executive, Social Care Institute for Excellence

● “Since coming to this role, I’ve realised how poor I was as a director in seeking help from other authorities.” Andrew Cozens, Improvement and Development Agency