Providing an Outstanding service in exceptional circumstances – adapting to and learning from Covid-19

Sue qualified as a social worker in 1979, working in a London borough for the first eight years of her career before moving to Hampshire. This coincided with the implementation of the Children Act 1989 -an exciting time in social work. Sue has held a number of different social work and managerial posts in her 40 years as a social worker. These have been both operational and strategic, overseeing and managing children’s homes, fostering and adoption services, statutory work with children in care, disabled children and children in need of protection. For three years Sue worked in Government Office for the South East in a safeguarding advisory role, before returning to Hampshire, soon afterwards taking up her current role, managing the services delivered across the five districts in the West of Hampshire and the multi-agency safeguarding hub. As well as holding a BA in social sciences, an MA in sociology and social policy and a strategic management qualification, Sue holds a Certificate of Qualification in Social Work and is accredited under the National Assessment and Accreditation System.

Alison qualified as a social worker in 1995, working for the first sixteen years of her career in the probation service as a probation officer and senior probation officer in a variety of settings in Hampshire. During that time, she had a three-year secondment to what was Wessex youth offending team as a team manager. Leaving probation in 2011, Alison moved to Hampshire County Council’s children’s services as a lead independent reviewing officer, managing the reviewing service in the west of the county. She became head of service for the newly formed Hampshire youth offending team in 2012, taking additional responsibility for the Isle of Wight youth offending team in 2013 following the strategic partnership of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight children’s services in that year. In 2016, Alison became strategic lead for transformation in Hampshire’s children’s services, leading on the set up of the transformation work undertaken as a result of Hampshire being in the first round of the DfE’s Partners in Practice (PiP) local authorities. Since November 2018, Alison has occupied the role of head of sector-led improvement and service development, leading on the improvement and support work with other authorities and the continuous improvement and development of Hampshire’s quality practice. Alison is really pleased to be sharing Hampshire’s journey and learning with wider colleagues at CC Live.