Interview: Enver Solomon, policy director, The Children's Society

But despite admitting that he has never embraced religion, the values of The Children’s Society clearly resonate strongly with Enver Solomon’s social justice mantra.

On further inspection it is not too difficult to see why Solomon plies his trade at the charity, one that fosters the tenets of love, justice and forgiveness. Indeed, clues giving away his outlook are on open display in his north London home.

Pinned to a board in the kitchen – alongside pictures of his two daughters – is a copy of the poem Children Learn What They Live.

Starting each line with the word "if" and suggesting first the damaging consequences of raising children poorly, it then poses alternative benefits if the child is the recipient of encouraging attitudes.

The poem sums up the compassionate philosophy Solomon espouses. He certainly has no time for the so-called "tough love" approach, privately dismissing a particular proponent of such methods as "dangerous".

Passion for change

"I want to drive through policy changes that make a difference to children and young people, work to ensure equality of opportunity, tackle disadvantage and deliver social justice," he says. "What gets me out of bed every day is that passion."

Delivering these objectives in a time of economic stagnation and public spending cuts will be tough though. While relatively confident that The Children’s Society can expand its provision of services in the new commissioning climate, he fears that children in general are facing a far tougher time.

Highlighting funding cuts, concerns around child poverty levels, and shifting national and local priorities, he argues it is now more important than ever that vulnerable young people have a strong voice fighting
their corner.

"I think Bob Reitemeier [former Children’s Society chief executive] got it right when he said the next 10 years risks being the most difficult for children in a generation," he says.

"I think over the next decade there is a real danger that overall resources will drift away from children to the elderly, particularly with an ageing population, the power of the grey vote and the increasing costs of social care for the elderly. Given children don’t have the vote it makes the role of organisations like The Children’s Society who provide a voice for children even more important."

Although seemingly at home at The Children’s Society, it has been a varied journey to his current position. After joining the BBC World Service as a graduate trainee in the early 90s, Solomon spent a year in China. He worked for ten years at the BBC, but grew disillusioned with a lack of opportunities to do "more thoughtful investigative work".

Opting to pursue his interest in criminal justice, he joined campaign group the Prison Reform Trust after further study. "I have never looked back," he says.

His shift to wider children’s issues beyond the justice system was a natural progression. "It became increasingly obvious to me that by the time an adult enters custody you are limited as to what you can do [to help them]," he says. "So much is about what happens in childhood – those life experiences are critical to what happens in later life.

"If you get it wrong for children then you are going to create enormous social problems whether it be around mental health, drug misuse, offending or violent behaviour."

Solomon has also worked at the Revolving Doors Agency, the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies and Barnardo’s. Conceding that his CV may make him seem "impatient", he puts the changes down to "opportunities and circumstances".
He is less forthcoming on his future ambitions but does rule out following former Children’s Society policy adviser Lisa Nandy, now Labour MP for Wigan, into politics.

"I think the public lacks faith in the political system and politicians have become discredited," he says. "There is a risk that when you are involved in the minutiae of policymaking, you lose sight of the fact that decisions really do impact on children’s lives."

Solomon feels he can influence more change from outside rather than inside the institutions of parliament. The Children’s Society, he suggests, has huge ability to influence change, citing a "radical edge", afforded by its religious basis and the fact it does not perceive itself as "just another delivery arm of the state".

Holistic approach

Its holistic approach to childhood wellbeing is typified by one of its key areas of work for this year, the Good Childhood Report 2012, launched last month.

It outlines six key priorities needed for a happy childhood based on interviews with more than 30,000 children aged eight to 16.

It is something Solomon hopes gathers momentum and can influence policymaking, filling the "vacuum" left by the coalition government’s move away from the Every Child Matters doctrine.

"We need a radical new approach to childhood for this age group because, with the passing of Every Child Matters, there is no longer a framework that everyone working with children can use to work around," he says. "A new approach is needed, promoting positive wellbeing for children."

One particular group of young people about which he is growing increasingly concerned is vulnerable older children. Solomon fears the government’s focus on early intervention is shifting attention too much towards the early years. This, he warns, risks creating a "lost generation".

"I think there is a real danger that older children are going to miss out more so than younger children," he says. "We know that a quarter of serious case reviews concern young people over the age of 11. We know it is an age group that has significant needs.

"We have found indications of long-term consequences of their experiences of maltreatment and they are far less likely to be noticed as maltreated by professionals. Agencies see them as more able to cope than smaller children; the threshold is higher for them. There is a real need for creative thinking about how services should reach out and respond to them."

In his most explicit criticism of the government, he argues that the only provision for older children is the divisive National Citizen Service.

He also suggests the Munro review of child protection has failed to deliver for older children. "I think to some extent Munro was a missed opportunity to think about how services could be shaped so there is more consideration given to areas of differentiation in service provision for children in the older age group, particularly child protection services, so they are designed to reach out to them more," he explains.

"There is also still a lot that needs to be done to look at accessibility routes through school and community services to specialist services. If they focus on a more rigid academic agenda and wellbeing is less prominent, children in this age group experiencing difficulties could easily be lost."

The battle to get these issues heard and addressed will depend largely on the influence that can be exerted by pressure groups, and will involve a new approach to lobbying and a recognition among social reformers of the changing dynamic of politics.

"In a world of localism with more powerful local decision makers, such as the new policing and crime commissioners, there is a real need for the children’s lobby to not only think local but act local," he says.

"Rather than simply directing our influencing activity at Whitehall and Westminster we need to refocus on the local level and think creatively about how to impact on local decision makers.

"It is not an easy gear change but is critically important given that the nexus of power is moving to local spheres."

It is a shift that many on the frontline of children’s services will be hoping is successful.

ENVER SOLOMON CV

• Newcastle University – studied politics and Chinese (1989–1993)
• BBC World Service and BBC News, graduate trainee (1994–2001)
• Senior policy officer at the Prison Reform Trust, penal campaign group (2001-04)
• Head of research and policy at Revolving Doors Agency, a national charity providing services for offenders with mental health problems (2004-05)
• Deputy director at the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies (2005-09)
• Assistant director of policy at Barnardo’s (2009-10)
• Chair of the Standing Committee for Youth Justice (September 2011 to present)
• Director of policy at The Children’s Society (January 2011 to present)