About Gill

What do you do?

Gill with the children who interviewed her for her job.

I will be taking up the newly created post of Staffordshire Children's Commissioner in January 2006. I will be working with partners, children and young people, their families and carers to bring their rights and any issues that affect them, to the top of the agenda. I will also develop policies and strategies to secure their participation in the planning and delivery of children's services and do all I can to help those with the power to improve children's lives.

We (adults) are often very good at asking children and young people what went wrong after the event and then trying to put things right. My job is about making sure that we get things right from the onset - that we know exactly what children and young people want at the planning stages, before we start to deliver services.

Describe a typical day.

I anticipate that I will spend a good deal of time visiting various agencies. Staffordshire is a large and complex shire county with six Primary Care Trust's and eight district councils, with sprawling rural areas, urban and industrial areas and pockets of deprivation.

It is my intention to start by finding out exactly 'what is out there' - who is doing what, where and how.  I will be encouraging the involvement of children and young people in local decision making, particularly those groups who are marginalised and whose views are not easily accessed.

My role will be to raise awareness of the best interests of children and young people, and to look at how local agencies and organisations listen to them.

What other agencies and who else within your organisation do you work with?

I am answerable to the Children's Trust Board and will therefore be working alongside county councillors and the Council's Children and Lifelong Learning directorate (which comprises Education, Social Care and Health for children, and Staffordshire Youth Service). My work will also be alongside Connexions, Health, Youth Offending Services (including local Youth Offending Institutions), Housing, Police, Voluntary organisations and, of course, the children and young people, their parents and carers.

How did you end up in your job?

I have worked with children and young people for the last 28 years and began my career as an Assistant Houseparent in what was a local children's home. I absolutely loved it and have never looked back. I subsequently gained extensive experience and have worked as an Education Welfare Officer, an Area Social Worker and a Paediatric/maternity Social Worker. I have experience of family placement work; I was Staffordshire's Teenage Pregnancy Implementation Officer and have a track record of setting up projects from scratch. I currently coordinate Staffordshire's Placement Unit, whose primary focus is on children who need to be looked after, finding a suitable placement for them that matches their assessed needs.

When I saw the post of Children's Commissioner advertised, I knew it was the job for me. It's the reason I came into social work all of those years ago - to make a difference.

What qualifications do you need?

A Social Work qualification - I hold the Dip SW and a PQ SW. I also have a Foundation Degree in Project Management and am currently partway through a BA(Hons) in Business Management. Whilst it is crucial to have a good understanding of children's services, the legislation and the issues facing children and young people, I also think that skills such as good communication, leadership, networking, enthusiasm and sound values are equally important.

What are the main goals you set yourself?

To always try to see things from a child/young person's perspective, to be child focused, to be fair, open and honest, treat others as I'd expect to be treated, believe in myself and live life to the full!

What is the biggest challenge?

To build a participatory culture and to create a climate that allows this to happen, by securing the commitment of those who work with children to ensure that participation is embedded in all of the work that we do.

This needs to happen, in order  to see a society where children and young people are valued, are expected to make a contribution and are supported in doing so; where children and young people are truly at the centre of policy and practice; where the views of children and young people's views are actively sought, listened to and acted upon and where children and young people's rights are upheld.

What advice do you have for others wanting to do this kind of work?

Gain as much practical experience as possible as well as undertaking formal training with qualifications. If you think that you can do something - go for it and believe in yourself.

Last Modified: 29/09/2006 08:27:43
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