ADCS - Key Persons


Barnet London

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council Team

Becca Dove

Job Titles:
  • Vice Chair

East Riding


Edwina Grant - Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman
  • Chairman of the ADCS Health, Care and Additional Needs.

Emma Taylor - CEO

Job Titles:
  • Chief Executive
  • Sandwell Children 's Trust

Esther Kavanagh Dixon

Job Titles:
  • Chief Officer

Fiona Corless

Job Titles:
  • Vice Chair

Florah Shiringo

Job Titles:
  • Vice Chair

Gary Dumbarton

Job Titles:
  • Business Support Manager

Jo Sullivan-Lyons

Job Titles:
  • Vice Chair

Katy Block

Job Titles:
  • Policy Officer
  • Senior Policy Officer
ADCS Policy Officer: Katy Block supports the work of the committee. To contact Katy, email katy.block@adcs.org.uk

Mac Heath

Job Titles:
  • Co - Chair
  • Director of Children 's Services
  • Director of Children 's Services, Milton Keynes Council
  • Milton Keynes City Council

Mary Sunderland

Job Titles:
  • Business Support Officer

Matt Cunningham

Job Titles:
  • Policy Officer
  • Policy and Press Officer
ADCS Policy Officer: Matt Cunningham supports the work of the committee. To contact Matt, email: matt.cunningham@adcs.org.uk

Mr Adrian Loades

Job Titles:
  • Corporate Director of People

Mr Alasdair Smith

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children and Families

Mr Andrew Carter

Job Titles:
  • Strategic Director of Children 's Services

Mr Andy Smith

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board of Directors
  • Vice President of the Board of Directors
  • Strategic Director of People Services / Children and Young
  • Strategic Director of People Services / Derby City Council
Andy works in Derby as the Strategic Director for People Services which encompasses the role of Director of Children's Services (DCS) and Director of Adult Social Services (DASS), a role he's held since 2016, although he was the DCS from 2015. Andy is a qualified social worker and prior to moving to Derby in 2014 as the Director for Early Help and Children's Safeguarding, worked in Leicester in a variety of roles for nearly 20 years. Between 2010-2017 Andy also worked as a local authority associate inspector with Ofsted which provided him with learning and experience on the previous SLAC and SIF frameworks. Andy was previously chair of the ADCS Standards, Performance and Inspection Committee for two years prior to becoming Vice President of the association in April 2023. As a former child in care who was adopted by his foster carers when aged 10, Andy always knew that he wanted to be a social worker from an early age, and has always tried to use his previous lived and positive experiences of the care system and of social workers throughout his career.

Mr Ashley Whittaker

Job Titles:
  • Strategic Director of Children 's Services

Mr Chris Munday

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council Team
  • Executive Director for Children and Family Services

Mr Chris Spencer

Job Titles:
  • Interim Strategic Director for People

Mr Colin Foster - CEO, Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman
  • Chief Executive
  • Northamptonshire Children 's Trust

Mr Colin Pettigrew

Job Titles:
  • Corporate Director for Children, Young People and Schools

Mr Darryl Freeman

Job Titles:
  • Corporate Director for Children and Young People

Mr David Haley

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services
  • Plymouth City Council

Mr David Watts

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director, Adults, Health Partnerships and Housing and Executive Director of Children 's Services

Mr Dheeraj Chibber

Job Titles:
  • Corporate Director Children, Families and Education

Mr Gerard Jones

Job Titles:
  • Managing Director, Children and Young People

Mr Harmesh Bhogal

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board of Directors
  • Elected Director
  • Interim Director of Children 's Services
  • Interim Director of Children 's Services / Bedford Borough Council

Mr Ian Dodds

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council Team
  • Director of Children 's Services, Kingston and Richmond

Mr James Stroyan

Job Titles:
  • Group Director of People

Mr James Thomas - CEO

Job Titles:
  • Chief Executive
  • Birmingham Children 's Trust

Mr Joe Tynan

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director of Children 's Services

Mr John Gregg

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director of Children and Young People Services

Mr John Macilwraith

Job Titles:
  • Corporate Director for Children 's Services

Mr John Pearce - President

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board of Directors
  • President
  • President of the Board of Directors
  • Corporate Director Children and Young People / Durham County Council
  • Corporate Director of Children
  • Corporate Director of Children and Young People
  • President Conference.
John has been the Corporate Director Children and Young People (DCS) for Durham County Council, since September 2019 and prior to that held DCS/DASS roles in two other Councils. He has been involved in ADCS for many years, prior to becoming Vice President in 2022 he held the role of North East Regional Chair and a member of the ADCS Council of Reference. John has a strong track record of improvement in Children's services and has developed and led high quality services in different areas. He is a great believer in Sector-Led Improvement leading the establishment of the Regional Improvement and Innovation Alliance in the North East. He has previously worked with DfE as a ‘Partner in Practice' supporting system wide improvement and has also supported a local authority in intervention as the Independent Chair of an Improvement Board. John became ADCS President on 1 April 2023. John Pearce, ADCS President , responds to a report on profit making and...

Mr Jon Abbey

Job Titles:
  • Corporate Director Children 's Services

Mr Jonathan Jones

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director Children 's Services

Mr Jonathan Williams

Job Titles:
  • Acting Director of Children 's Services

Mr Laurence Jones

Job Titles:
  • Leicester City Council
  • Strategic Director, Social Care & Education

Mr Martin Birch

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children and Family Wellbeing

Mr Martin Kelly

Job Titles:
  • Corproate Director of Children Services, Interim

Mr Martin Purbrick

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director for Children, Education and Families / New Shire Hall Emery Crescent Enterprise

Mr Michael Marks

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director ( Children and Public Health )

Mr Mil Vasic

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services

Mr Nigel Chapman

Job Titles:
  • Strategic Director, Children and Young People

Mr Nigel Minns - Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman
  • Executive Director for Children and Young People

Mr Paul Marshall

Job Titles:
  • Strategic Director of Children and Education Services

Mr Pinaki Ghoshal

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director for Children & Young People

Mr Richard Baldwin

Job Titles:
  • Director Children, Education and Families

Mr Risthardh Hare

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director of Children 's Services

Mr Robert Henderson

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director of Children and Learning
  • Southampton City Council

Mr Robert South

Job Titles:
  • Strategic Director of Children 's Services

Mr Simon White

Job Titles:
  • Interim Director of Children and Family Services

Mr Stephen Kitchman

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services

Mr Steve Reddy

Job Titles:
  • Interim Corporate Director - Children 's Services

Mr Steven Forbes

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director, Children 's and Adults Services

Mr Stuart Ashley

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services

Mr Stuart Carlton

Job Titles:
  • Corporate Director - Children and Young People 's Service

Mr Stuart Collins

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children and Young People 's Futures

Mr Stuart Easingwood

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services

Mr Tim Aldridge

Job Titles:
  • Honorary Treasurer
  • Member of the Board of Directors
  • Executive Director of Children and Learning / Camden Council
  • Executive Director of Children and Learning.

Mr Tom Brailsford

Job Titles:
  • Strategic Director for Children

Mr Tony Theodoulou

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director, People Services

Mr Vik Verma

Job Titles:
  • Interim Corporate Director of Children & Young People

Mrs Alison Jeffery

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services

Mrs Charlotte Ramsden - CEO

Job Titles:
  • Chief Executive Officer
  • Immediate past President
  • Member of the Board of Directors
  • Bradford Children and Families Trust
  • Chief Executive Officer / Bradford Children and Families Trust
Charlotte qualified as a social worker in Manchester and worked in a variety of roles around Greater Manchester, including as DCS and DASS in Salford between 2014 and 2022.. In 2022 Charlotte was apppinted as the first Chief Executive Officer for Bradford Children and Families Trust, which started to operate on 1 April 2023. Charlotte has previously been chair of the ADCS Health, Care and Additional Needs Policy Committee in 2016 and served as President of the Association during 2021/22.

Mrs Jill McGregor

Job Titles:
  • Corporate Director of Children 's Services

Mrs Marium Haque

Job Titles:
  • Strategic Director, Children 's Services

Mrs Sue Harrison

Job Titles:
  • Birmingham City Council
  • Strategic Director for Children and Families / Children and Young People Directorate, PO

Ms Alison Hinds

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services

Ms Alison Noble

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board of Directors
  • Assistant Director / Derbyshire County Council
  • Elected Director

Ms Allison Parkinson

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services

Ms Amanda Perraton - Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman
  • Director of Children 's Social Care
  • Director of Children 's Social Care, Warrington Council

Ms Ana Popovici

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services
  • Director of Children 's Services, Wandsworth Council

Ms Ann Graham

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services
  • Director of Children 's Services, Haringey Council

Ms Ann James

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services

Ms Ann-Marie Matson

Job Titles:
  • Director for Children 's Services

Ms AnnMarie Dodds

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director - People, Children 's Services

Ms Audrey Kingham

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director of Children, Young People and Education

Ms Beate Wagner

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services

Ms Bernie Brown

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services

Ms Carly Speechley

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director of Children 's Services

Ms Carol Cammiss

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director of Children 's Services

Ms Cath McEvoy-Carr

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children, Education and Skills
  • Newcastle City Council

Ms Catherine Driscoll

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services

Ms Catherine Underwood

Job Titles:
  • Corporate Director for People
  • Nottingham City Council

Ms Cathi Hadley

Job Titles:
  • Corporate Director - Children Services

Ms Chris McLoughlin

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services, Stockport MBC
  • Executive Director for People and Integration

Ms Chris Sivers

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director - Department for People

Ms Claire Shiels

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services

Ms Claire Winter

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director Children and Family Services

Ms Colette Dutton

Job Titles:
  • Vice - Chair
  • Director of Children 's Services

Ms Colleen Male

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director: Children and Customer

Ms Dawn Godfrey

Job Titles:
  • Strategic Director for Children and Families

Ms Deb Austin

Job Titles:
  • Brighton & Hove City Council
  • Executive Director, Families, Children & Learning

Ms Debbie Jones

Job Titles:
  • Interim Corporate Director, Children, Young People and Education

Ms Deborah Woodcock

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director of Children 's Services

Ms El Mayhew

Job Titles:
  • Interim Director Children and Families

Ms Elaine Allegretti

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council Team
  • Strategic Director, Children 's and Adults

Ms Elaine Redding

Job Titles:
  • Interim Director of Children 's Services

Ms Florence Kroll

Job Titles:
  • Director for Children 's Services, Royal Borough of Greenwich
  • Director of Children 's Services

Ms Grainne Siggins

Job Titles:
  • Executive Dirctor, People

Ms Hannah Woodhouse

Job Titles:
  • Bristol City Council
  • Executive Director Children and Education

Ms Heather Sandy - Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman
  • Member of the Policy Committee
  • Chairman of the ADCS Education Policy Committee
  • Education
  • Executive Director of Children 's Services

Ms Helen Brackenbury

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services

Ms Helen Fergusson

Job Titles:
  • Strategic Director, Social Care and Lifelong Learning

Ms Helen Lincoln - Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman
  • Chairman of the ADCS Families, Communities and Young People.
  • Executive Director for Children, Families & Education

Ms Helen Watson

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services

Ms Hilary Brooks

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children and Young People Services

Ms Jacqui McShannon

Job Titles:
  • Strategic Director of Children 's Services

Ms Jacqui Old

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director of Education and Children 's Services

Ms Jacquie Burke

Job Titles:
  • Group Director for Children and Education

Ms Jane McSherry - Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman
  • Executive Director of Children, Lifelong Learning and Families
  • Executive Director of Children, Lifelong Learning and Families, Merton Council
The London Innovation and Improvement Alliance's (LIIA) dedicated website can be found here. The LIIA the ALDCS sector-led improvement partnership, hosted by London Councils.

Ms Jane Moore

Job Titles:
  • Honorary Secretary
  • Member of the Board of Directors
  • Director, Children and Family Services

Ms Jeanette Richards

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director of Children, Young People

Ms Jenny Turnross

Job Titles:
  • Corporate Director for Children and Young People 's Service
  • Liverpool City Council

Ms Jill Colbert - CEO, Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman
  • Chief Executive
  • Sunderland City Council / Together for Children
Jill Colbert, Chief Executive /DCS, Together For Children, Sunderland City Council

Ms Jo Britton - Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman
  • Executive Director
  • Executive Director, Children 's Services, Telford & Wrekin Council
This West Midlands regional programme is supported by the West Midlands ADCS Network team; more information can be found via the regional chair, by contacting info@wmchildrensservices.

Ms Jo Fisher - Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman
  • Executive Director of Children 's Services

Ms Jo Siddle

Job Titles:
  • Strategic Director of Children 's Services & Education

Ms Judith Finlay

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director of Community and Children 's Services ( DCS and DASS )

Ms Julie Firth

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services

Ms Julie Jenkins

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children and Young People 's Services

Ms Julie Kelly

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director Children Services

Ms Julie Longworth

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children and Families Services
  • Leeds City Council

Ms Justine Davies

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services

Ms Kate Evan-Hughes

Job Titles:
  • Strategic Director - Together for Families

Ms Kathryn Boulton

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council Team
  • Corporate Director for Children and Families / Civic Offices PO

Ms Kirston Nelson

Job Titles:
  • Chief Parnerships Officer / Interim Director of Children 's Services
  • Coventry City Council

Ms Lara Patel

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director of Children 's Services

Ms Lee-Anne Farach

Job Titles:
  • Director of People

Ms Lin Ferguson

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director of Children 's Services and Education

Ms Lisa Arthey

Job Titles:
  • Corporate Director of Children 's Services / Swindon Borough Council

Ms Lisa Lyons

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services

Ms Lucy Butler

Job Titles:
  • Co - Chair
  • Director for Children, Education and Families, West Sussex County Council
  • Director of Children 's Services, West Sussex County Council
  • Executive Director of Children, Young People and Learning
The South East region is co-chaired by Lucy Butler, Director of Children's Services, West Sussex County Council and Mac Heath, Director of Children's Services in Milton Keynes Council

Ms Lucy Townsend - Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman
  • Corporate Director of People
  • Corporate Director of People ( DCS ), Wilshire Council / Chair
  • Corporate Director of People, Wiltshire County Council

Ms Mary Kearney-Knowles

Job Titles:
  • Director Children Services and Education ( DCS )
  • Director, Children 's Services and Education, Bath and North East Somerset Council

Ms Melissa Caslake

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director of Children 's Services
  • Salford City Council

Ms Meredith Dixon-Teasdale

Job Titles:
  • Strategic Director of Children 's Services

Ms Merlin Jospeh

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director of Children, Families and Schools

Ms Nancy Meehan

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services

Ms Neelam Bhardwaja

Job Titles:
  • Director for Children and Families

Ms Nicola Curley

Job Titles:
  • Strategic Director of Children and Young People 's Services

Ms Parmjit Chahal

Job Titles:
  • Director Children 's Services

Ms Pauline Turner - Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman
  • Director, Children, Young People and Family Services
  • Hull City Council

Ms Rachael Wardell - Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman
  • Executive Director of Children, Families and Lifelong Learning
  • Executive Director of Children, Families and Lifelong Learning, Surrey County Council. to Contact Rachael

Ms Rachel Smith

Job Titles:
  • Interim Director of Children and Families

Ms Rebecca Wilshire

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services ( Acting ) West Northamptonshire Council

Ms Riana Nelson

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children, Young People and Families

Ms Sally Giles

Job Titles:
  • Interim Director of Children and Education / Sandwell Council

Ms Sally Robinson

Job Titles:
  • Director, Children 's and Joint Commissioning Services

Ms Sara Tough - Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman
  • Chairman of the ADCS Families, Communities and Young People
  • Executive Director of Children 's Services
Commenting on the NCB's report on early help, Sara Tough, Chair of the...

Ms Sarah Daly

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children, Families and Education
  • Portsmouth City Council

Ms Sarah Hammond

Job Titles:
  • Corporate Director - Children, Young People and Education

Ms Sarah Newman

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director Bi - Borough Children 's Services
  • Westminster City Council

Ms Sarah-Jane Smedmor

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services

Ms Sharon Hubber

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services

Ms Sheila Murphy

Job Titles:
  • Corporate Director of Children 's Services

Ms Simone White

Job Titles:
  • Director for Children, Families and Education

Ms Suanne Lim

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board of Directors
  • Director of Early Help and Children 's Social Care / Derby City Council
  • Elected Director

Ms Sue Butcher

Job Titles:
  • Chief Executive and Director of Children 's Services

Ms Sukriti Sen

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board of Directors
  • Director of Local Delivery / Essex County Council / Immediate past President
  • Elected Director

Ms Tanya Miles

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director of People

Ms Tara Geere

Job Titles:
  • Director of Starting Well ( Stat Director of Children 's Services )

Ms Theresa Leavy

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director for People - Children

Ms Tina Russell

Job Titles:
  • Chief Executive Worcestershire Children First and Director of Children 's Services

Ms Vicky Schofield

Job Titles:
  • Corporate Director, Children and Young People

Ms Victoria Gent

Job Titles:
  • Director of Children 's Services

Ms Zoe Fearon

Job Titles:
  • Executive Director, Children Services

Rebecca Denny

Job Titles:
  • Events and Communications Officer

Richard Selwyn

Job Titles:
  • Vice Chair

Richmond Upon Thames

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council Team

Roxanne Ali

Job Titles:
  • Press Officer

Sarah Wilson

Job Titles:
  • Policy Officer
ADCS Policy Officer: Sarah Wilson supports the work of the committee. To contact Sarah, email sarah.wilson@adcs.org.uk

Suzanne Chester

Job Titles:
  • Finance Officer

Tania Townsend

Job Titles:
  • Vice Chair

Wigan Town Hall

Job Titles:
  • Library