Putting trust in Sandwell: Jacqui Smith, chair, Sandwell Children's Social Care Trust
Derren Hayes
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Derren Hayes talks to Jacqui Smith, chair of Sandwell Children's Social Care Trust.
Former Labour Home Secretary Jacqui Smith was appointed by the Department for Education in July to chair the independent trust that will take over the running of Sandwell children's social care services from the council later this year or in early 2018. The decision to establish a children's trust in the West Midlands authority was taken by former children's minister Edward Timpson in October 2016 after Ofsted rated children's services "inadequate" in June 2015.
What have you been focusing on in your first few months as chair?
We have appointed two non-executive directors, but still need to recruit a chief executive, three executive directors and another three non-executive directors for the board. I'm overseeing recruitment of these roles: we're looking for enthusiastic people who have driven improvement elsewhere.
It is not just a director of children's services role [the chief executive]. We want someone who is really passionate about children's services, is able to run an organisation and has a track record of driving change.
The setting up of the trust legally is my responsibility, and I've spoken to Andrew Christie, independent commissioner in Birmingham [which is moving children's social care services to an independent trust] and Colin Hilton, chair of Doncaster Children Services Trust, about the models they have developed.
Ofsted recently reported that improvements are not happening quickly enough in Sandwell. How will you address that?
I've been talking to staff to find out what they think is holding improvement back. Not having enough qualified social workers has been raised and there is an emphasis on trying to raise levels of permanent and agency staff.
We want to make the trust the place people want to come and work and stay. If you can't give people manageable caseloads, provide resources and develop practice through continuing professional development, you are not going to be able to recruit the best people.
We also want to build on some of the areas Ofsted identified as improving: such as front-door services and multi-agency safeguarding work. Seeing professionals from different agencies sitting next to each other is really encouraging as one of my roles is to step up the work we do with partners.
Ofsted criticised Sandwell's work in key areas of child protection. Why should a trust be any better at turning things around?
This is a fresh start. Staff have said to me ‘when we go to meetings with partners, they look at us and say we've been failing'.
When you're working for an organisation that is said to be constantly failing, it wears you down. We have something new to offer and this is a resetting of those partnerships and collaboration. It is also an opportunity to work differently and say let's really go for it.
You do not have any direct experience of running children's services. How have you overcome this?
I've been living and working in the West Midlands for the past 35 years, so I'm not coming from another part of the country. I am already learning a lot about Sandwell. For example, Sandwell is a collection of six towns.
I work with health partners in Birmingham, and I know the senior politicians and set-up.
I was also a teacher for 11 years and was the minister responsible for children's services for two years as an MP, leading the government response on the Victoria Climbié inquiry.
So I know the DfE and some of the debates around children's services locally. I may not be a children's services expert, but I know my way around Whitehall and the local politics.
How have discussions gone with the council over the transfer of children's social care services?
The council has come to the recognition we need to be working together on this. There will be difficult negotiations as we work through the money and legal issues, but there's been no animosity.
What principles will underpin the new trust when services and staff transfer to it?
I want professional practice and relationships that social workers build with families to be at the heart of what we do. I want to look at how we will be distinctive. It's not impossible to find the things that will make people want to come to Sandwell and stay there.
I will be setting the tone, supporting people and holding them to account throughout the organisation. The role of a chair is to build partnerships, be outward facing and to champion children's services. That tends to be my style.
What other skills will you bring to the role?
The chief executive at the NHS Trust that I chair says that I sometimes come over as too nice, but he knows that I'm not. It is my job to talk to the children's minister, council staff, stakeholders, and children and families locally.
I have the political understanding of different groups and organisations that have a stake in this - it's a complicated environment.
I can use my experience to protect people whose job it is to do the work with children and families - to make sure we're fulfilling our regulatory requirements, but in a way that is not putting pressure on the frontline.
JACQUI SMITH CV
- July 2017 - appointed chair, Sandwell Children's Social Care Trust
- 2013 - appointed chair, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
- 2007-2009 - Home Secretary
- 2005-2007 - Minister of state for schools
- 2003-2005 - Deputy minister for women
- 2001-2003 - Department of Health minister
- 1999-2001 - Under-secretary of state, Department for Education
- 1997-2010 - Labour MP for Redditch