Joint working - Atkinson caught up in political storm

The appointment of Maggie Atkinson as England's next children's commissioner should have been straightforward. As an experienced director of children's services in Gateshead and a former president of the Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS), Atkinson on paper appeared a sound and remarkably uncontroversial choice.

A four-strong interview panel had judged her the best candidate. They were director-general for children and families Tom Jeffery; director-general for criminal justice Helen Edwards; National Children's Bureau chief executive Sir Paul Ennals; and Georgina Butcher, an independent assessor at the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

Independence in question

But Atkinson's appointment has since turned into a major political row. The children, schools and families select committee's pre-appointment hearing concluded that it "would like to have seen more sign of determination to assert the independence of the role ... and to stretch the remit of the post, in particular by championing children's rights." Its rejection of her nomination was last week ignored by Children's Secretary Ed Balls, prompting committee chair Barry Sheerman to brand Balls a "bully."