Edward Timpson steps down as Cafcass chair after being elected as MP
Fiona Simpson
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
Former children's minister Edward Timpson has permanently stepped down as chair of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) after being elected as a Conservative MP.
Timpson, who was elected as MP for Eddisbury in Cheshire in the 12 December general election, was appointed to the role in April 2018. His appointment was expected to last for three years.
He stood down temporarily in November ahead of the election campaign.
Sally Cheshire, deputy chair of Cafcass will take over the chair’s duties until Timpson’s successor is appointed by the Ministry of Justice, Cafcass said.
Timpson also acts as an adviser to children’s commissioner Anne Longfield and has not yet confirmed if he will stand down from that role.
The former children’s minister, who lost his role after failing to be re-elected to represent Crewe and Nantwich in the 2017 general election, led a review into school exclusions earlier this year.
Honoured and proud beyond words at being sworn in as the Member of Parliament for Eddisbury. Thank you to all who put their trust in me. Now let’s get on, there is a lot of work to do! #BackBoris #GetBrexitDone @Office_ECA @Conservatives pic.twitter.com/yC0X0G1H4Z
— Edward Timpson CBE MP (@edwardtimpson) December 18, 2019
The review, published in May, makes 30 recommendations to improve arrangements for children and young people who have been excluded from school.
It recommends that the government develops new accountability measures to stop the practice of "off-rolling" - where disruptive or low-attaining pupils are removed from the school roll without being formally excluded.
This could include developing new incentives to prevent schools from excluding pupils and ensuring the attainment of excluded pupils is included in exam league tables.
In 2012, Timpson was appointed junior minister for the Department for Education with responsibility for adoption and children in care and chaired all-party parliamentary groups (APPG) on both looked-after children and care leavers and adoption and fostering, and vice chair of the APPG for runaway and missing children.
