What’s your role and what do you find exciting and interesting about it?
I’m the lead member for children’s services and for children’s social care. This is a really big opportunity for Stoke-on-Trent to really prioritise children. The city’s narrative and where we’re going is being shaped by children. We are making them our first priority and building Stoke-on-Trent for children. It is very exciting to be part of that and help to look at where we can push children forward and make a massive difference to the lives of the children.
You work with teams in children’s services – what are your thoughts of the teams there?
We have incredibly dedicated staff in Stoke-on-Trent who want to put children first and completely at the centre of what they do. They support each other and they are one big team. And there is always humour and bucket loads of good and commitment along the way.
Through your role you meet with huge numbers of children and young people across the city – what do you want to change for them?
We want children to get the best opportunities possible in Stoke-on-Trent. We want them to be front and centre in all that we do as a council and as a city. We would like them to be able to fulfil their potential. Right now, childrens’ life chances are determined by where they live. We need to get to a position whereby children’s life chances are determined by the child themselves – not their postcode. We also want to make sure that children’s voices are heard on decisions taken about them as well as in decisions taken about where the city is going with its support for children and young people.
Why should people come and work in Stoke-on-Trent?
Social workers do what they do because they care about children. There is no organisation more dedicated to children than Stoke-on-Trent City Council. There is I think nowhere else that you’ll be supported more from a professional, political and a city point of view. If you want to make a massive difference to children, then Stoke-on-Trent is the place for you to come. You’ll have an opportunity to really shape the future for a generation of children and that’s exactly what dedicated workers want to do.