David is the Chair on the Association Board for 2016-2017 (having previously been the joint Vice Chair for 2015-2016 and Regional Director for East of England).
He currently is the Independent Chair of Norfolk Safeguarding Children Board, where he is leading whole system improvement with partners. He has previously been the Chair of South Tyneside and Manchester LSCBs and is also a member and chair of other Improvement and Partnership Boards. David has worked at a senior Director level in children’s services for the past 25 years, including operational responsibility for all aspects of safeguarding and children’s social care and education in a number of local authorities. He was part of the Joint Review Team from the Audit Commission and SSI which developed the first systematic inspection regime for social care. He is an accredited specialist consultant and advisor in child protection, and an associate member of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services.
David has also been an author and chair of serious case reviews for several years, and has worked with many LSCBs using different approaches to tackle performance, governance and learning. He also undertakes other improvement, mentoring, inspection and investigation assignments in children’s services, covering social care, education and health responsibilities.
