OBE for Sunderland DCS in Queen’s birthday honours

Colbert, who is also chief executive of Together for Children, which runs the North East council’s children’s services, has been recognised for services to children’s social care.

This year’s honours list was released ahead of the Queen’s platinum jubilee.

• Sunderland City Council: Local Spotlight

Colbert was named DCS and chief executive for Together for Children in July 2018.

She started her career as a youth justice social worker at Birmingham City Council and moved on to work at the Southern Birmingham NHS Trust as an HIV prevention outreach worker with sexually exploited adults and children before joining the Children’s Society as a project manager leader between 1999 and 2006.

We are incredibly proud that our Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services at Sunderland City Council, Jill Colbert, has been recommended to Her Majesty the Queen for the honour of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Birthday 2022 Honours List. pic.twitter.com/boJn62ejnK

— Together for Children (@tfcsunderland) June 2, 2022

Colbert then worked as assistant director of commissioning at Knowsley Council and corporate director for children, families and wellbeing at Trafford Borough Council before taking up her current role at Together for Children.

Stephen Blunden, former chief executive of Childhood First, has been awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for services to children and young people.

Blunden retired from his post last year following 17 years as chief executive of the charity that provides therapeutic care for children living with trauma, as part of a 40-year career working in academia, international development and children’s services.

Others to be recognised for their services to children and young people include:

• OBE - Afia Choudhury, foster carer at Tower Hamlets Council.

• OBE - Graham Cowley, independent chair, Blackpool Opportunity Area.

• OBE - Claire Dorer, chief executive of the National Association of Independent Schools and Non-Maintained Special Schools. 

• OBE - Lindsay Graham, deputy chair of the Poverty and Inequality Commission Scotland. 

• OBE - Elizabeth Maudsley, former SEND policy manager at the Association of Colleges.

• OBE - Lisa Pascoe, deputy director of social care policy at Ofsted. 

• MBE - Graeme Conley, manager of Monument View children’s home in Sunderland.

• MBE - Susan Hunter, foster carer at City of Edinburgh Council.

• MBE - Chrisann Jarrett, chief executive of We Belong.

• MBE - Stephen and Deborah Lawlow, foster carers at West Sussex County Council.

• MBE - Brigid Robinson, managing director at Coram Voice and Young People’s Programmes.

A record number of young people, aged under 30, have also been recognised in this year's honours including three former iWill ambassadors who have all been handed British Empire Medals.

They are Katrina Lambert, former co-chair of the Back Youth Alliance, Patrick Cantelow board member of Youth Employment UK and Naomi Lea, who is an iWill board member and founder of Project Hope. Lea was also a young judge at last year's Children and Young People Now Awards.