"It's a very demanding job - 12 hours a day, seven days a week," he says. But despite the gruelling challenges thrown up by what has been a transformational period for children's services, he is proud that the authority has been up to the task.
In fact, Clark is not quite ready to let go. When announcing his departure from the post earlier this year, he agreed to a substantial handover period lasting until July 2010, to help prepare his successor for the challenges ahead.
"It is very important to secure the best you have done and say: 'Here are the areas where we need to change'. But I don't think people in these top jobs should stay here just for the sake of it," he says. "You should make your contribution, make a positive difference and then move on to let someone else make theirs."
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