Eileen Munro’s safeguarding review panel unveiled

The panel that will help Professor Eileen Munro in her review of the child protection system has been revealed exclusively to Community Care.

Members include Professor Sue White, from the University of Lancaster and a former member of the Social Work Task Force, district judge Nicholas Crichton of the Inner Family Proceedings Court, Barnardo’s outgoing chief executive Martin Narey, president of the Association of Director’s of Children’s Services Marion Davis, a care leaver, Daniel Defoe, a self-employed social worker, Melanie Adegbite, and a foster carer, Avril Head.

White said the Munro review would work alongside the social work reform board, rather than overlap with it: “The direction of travel established by the reform board is the correct one. The Munro review builds on this to look both more specifically at children’s services and more broadly at the regulatory frameworks.”

White said she hoped some of the work would inform developments in adult services as well.

Crichton said he hoped Munro’s work would fit in with the Family Justice Review. He added he wanted the panel to prioritise early intervention.

“In my court, more often then not, we feel that action should have been taken sooner,” he said.

“But it’s also easy to understand why social workers want to try to keep children with their families. It’s a very difficult area of work.”

The advisers: judge, ‘wondermum’, social worker, professor, charity chief exec, care leaver

Avril Head (right) was crowned the Sun‘s “Wondermum” in 2007, having fostered more than 130 children over 25 years.

Daniel Defoe is a 21-year-old care-leaver who has been a member of Newham’s Children in Care Council for the past two years.

Marion Davis (right) is president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services and strategic director of children, young people and families at Warwickshire Council.

Melanie Adegbite is a self-employed social worker who is currently a senior social work practitioner in Newham’s safeguarding and intervention team.

Nick Crichton, district judge at the Inner London Family Proceedings Court at Wells Street, is the lead Family Justice Council member for work on hearing the voice of the child.

Prof Sue White (below right) is a former Social Work Task Force member currently professor of social work at Lancaster University. She will be moving to the University of Birmingham on the 31 July.

Martin Narey (below right) is chief executive of children’s charity Barnardo’s. He is stepping down from the charity in 2011.

Munro has issued her call for evidence online and wants to hear from practitioners, starting 1 July. The deadline for submissions is 30 July, 2010.

Call for evidence

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