Previously skills minister at the then Department for Education and Skills, Hope says his varied background helps him understand the problems facing the voluntary sector.
He admits the relationship between the voluntary and statutory sectors is not as strong as he would like. "Part of my job is to ensure that the partnership government has gets stronger and better. On a local level, we need stronger partnerships between local authorities and the third sector," he says.
He is emphatic that the voluntary sector should not be seen as a cheap way of delivering children's services and has called for these organisations to be given more responsibility. "I'd like to see the third sector be much more important as part of planning at a local level of children's services," he says. "They can go beyond just having a voice and be involved from planning to delivery."
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