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Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) board members announced
The appointment of the Independent Safeguarding Authority's ten board members, who will oversee the delivery of a new vetting and barring process, was announced today.
From November 2008 the ISA board will help improve the safety of children and vulnerable adults by assuming responsibility for deciding who is placed on the existing barring lists, a role currently partly carried out by ministers.
Members of the board have been chosen for their wide-ranging expertise in work with vulnerable people and those who abuse them.
ISA chairman Sir Roger Singleton said:
"I am delighted to announce that the Board of the Independent Safeguarding Authority is now in place. This is an important milestone towards improving the safety of the most vulnerable people in our society.
"I am looking forward to working alongside such a wealth of experience to ensure that those who are judged to pose a risk to children and vulnerable adults are barred from working with them.
"My aim is to develop the best possible arrangements for protecting children and vulnerable adults. The ISA will play a vital part in ensuring that the tiny minority of people who are not suitable to work with these groups are legally prevented from doing so."
When the ISA scheme goes live in October 2009 it will provide employers with the most comprehensive vetting service on offer anywhere in the world.
It is expected that under the ISA scheme approximately 11.3 million employees and volunteers will be registered once the scheme is fully implemented.
The ISA board will be starting work to define the criteria for barring individuals in preparation for when the full scheme goes live.
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The ISA was established following the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham. A subsequent enquiry by Sir Michael Bichard recommended the creation of a single agency to oversee the vetting and barring process. It will go-live in October 2009.
2. The Independent Safeguarding Authority will create two lists of people statutorily barred from working with children and vulnerable adults. They will replace the existing barring lists currently covered by List 99, the Protection of Children Act (POCA) and Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA).
3. The ISA board consists of ten public appointments headed by Chairman Sir Roger Singleton. ISA chief executive Adrian McAllister will sit on the board but as an employee of the ISA.
4. The appointments were made following a publicly advertised recruitment process at the end of last year. Candidates were selected following interviews overseen by the Office for Public Appointments.
5. The board will meet regularly at the headquarters of the ISA in Darlington.
6. All members of the board will be ISA registered when the scheme goes live in October 2009.
7. For more information log on to http://www.isa-gov.org.uk
ISA Board Biographies
Sir Roger Singleton CBE
Sir Roger is the first and current Chairman of the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).
Sir Roger has a background in education, children's services, policy and management and is a former chief executive of Barnado's where he expanded the organisation significantly from an association providing residential homes to one principally supporting children and young people within their own home and communities.
Dr Valerie Brasse
Valerie graduated from the London School of Economics & Political Science with a masters degree and doctorate in economics.
After a brief spell as a financial journalist and a business school academic she joined the Department of Health in 1987 as economic adviser becoming a policy administrator in 1990.
She has led policy development and implementation in a number of key areas concerned with children's social care and child protection, including implementing parts of the Children Act 1989,
In 2001 she was seconded as the social care adviser to the Victoria Climbie child abuse Inquiry. On retiring from the civil service in 2006 she was appointed secretary/adviser to the Cumberlege Commission established by the Catholic Church in England and Wales to review the Church's safeguarding arrangements for children and vulnerable adults.
Dr John Belcher, CBE, Chief Executive, Anchor Trust
John has held a number of positions both in the UK and Canada. He came to the UK to study at the London School of Economics & Political Science.
After returning to Canada he took up post at the Department of National Health where he worked on issues such as unemployment insurance and researching and improving social welfare. On his return to the UK, John held a number of positions including being responsible for social and health services for the borough of Lewisham. He subsequently joined Bexley social services, Scope and then the London Borough of Redbridge. He took up his current post as Chief Executive of Anchor Trust where he has since promoted a customer-focused culture and encouraged business efficiency. Anchor is now the leading not-for-profit provider of care, housing and support for older people in England.
Richard Black O.B.E
Richard qualified in social work in Northern Ireland in 1968. Since then he has undertaken a number of posts in social services and was appointed Assistant Director in 1973.
In 1990, he became Unit General Manager and subsequently Chief Executive of a new Health and Social Services Trust in 1993. The Trust consisted of psychiatric and learning disability services.
He retired from this position on 31 March 2007.
Donald Findlater
Donald graduated from the University of Kent and East Anglia where he gained a law degree and Masters in social work in 1981.
He has since followed a career in the probation service, specialising in work with convicted sex offenders both in prison and in the community from 1989. Since then he has been seconded to the Lucy Faithful Foundation which was set up to manage the Wolvercote clinic, it is a child protection charity, specialising in the prevention of child sexual abuse.
Donald is currently Director of Research and development at the Foundation. Following the recommendations of Sir Michael Bichard Inquiry, Donald has assisted the DFES in the design and implementation of 'safer recruitment' training. Since early 2006 Donald has worked on Sir Roger Singleton's 'Expert Panel' assisting in recommendations to the DCSF regarding the barring of individuals referred due to their past misconduct or potential future risk to children. He currently sits on the Surrey Safeguarding Children Board.
Tom Davies
After completing his science degree at Liverpool University he enjoyed a 20 year career as a teacher, Deputy Head and Head at a variety of comprehensive schools in North Wales and Cheshire.
Since then Tom served for ten years as Director of Education in Cardiff before taking up post of Director for Wales of the Prince's Trust. Since 2003 he has been commissioner for the Independent Police Commission with responsibility for Wales.
Mehmuda Mian Pritchard
A former solicitor in private practice, Mehmuda has worked for the Office of Supervision of Solicitors before being appointed as a member of the Police Complaints Authority.
She is currently a commissioner at the Independent Police Complaints Commission (part-time) with responsibility for the Metropolitan Police (South East). Mehmuda has been a non-executive director of North Birmingham Mental Health Trust and the NHS Litigation Authority. In November 2006 Mehmuda was appointed as a BBC Trustee.
Professor Don Grubin
Don is professor of psychiatry at Newcastle University and Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist in the Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Trust. He is also Project Director of the Newcastle Sexual Behaviour Unit. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
After obtaining his BA from Oxford, he undertook his medical training at the University of London, and his training in psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, and the Maudsley and Broadmoor Hospitals.
In additional to his clinical work with offenders, he has researched and written widely on the assessment, treatment and management of sex offenders. He is a member of the Correctional Services Accreditation Panel, a board member of the Scottish Risk Management Authority, a member of the Newcastle and Hexham Diocesan Safeguarding Commission, and he sits on the Northumbria Strategic Management Board for MAPPA (multi-agency public protection arrangements).
He is also a psychiatric advisor to the prison and probation services sex offender treatment programmes. In April 2006 he was appointed to Sir Roger's Independent Panel of Experts to advise on referrals to List 99.
Debbie Ariyo
Debbie is the founder and Executive Director of AFRUCA - Africans Unite against Child Abuse, an organisation established in 2001 to promote the welfare of African children in the UK.
She holds a Masters degree in Urban Policy from the University of North London and Bachelors in French and Education from University of Benin, Nigeria. As a child rights campaigner, Debbie has been very vocal in highlighting issues affecting the safeguarding of African children in the UK.
Debbie has also written and spoken extensively on issues affecting the welfare of children in the UK. She is a Governor at a foundation school in South London and has received many award and commendations for her work with African children in the country.
Moira Murray
Moira has worked for The Children's Society for the past ten years and is currently their Safeguarding Co-ordinator responsible for all aspects of safeguarding and child protection, including historical abuse.
Having obtained a Bed degree in 1974 from Goldsmith's College, University of London, Moira decided to enter social work and having qualified in 1979, she has been involved in safeguarding and child protection work for over 30 years. Her experience includes working for inner London boroughs and as a Guardian ad Litem. In April 2006 she was appointed to Sir Roger's Independent Panel of Experts to assess the suitability of adults referred to the panel to work with children and was subsequently seconded to the DCSF to undertake an historic file of review of cases previously referred to the Department's List 99.
Peter Withers
Born and brought up in the West Midlands, Peter was educated at Oldbury Grammar School and RAF College Cranwell with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering.
He was a career Governor in the Scottish Prison service from 1972 culminating as Governor of Barlinnie, Scotland's largest prison, from 1989 to 1995. He then spent ten years on the SPS Board in operational roles as Director of Custody, Area Director and, lastly, Director of Prison Services until he retired in 2006. Peter is currently a Board Member for the Tayside Health Board and Risk Management Authority as well as voluntary role as Executive Vice Chairman [Resources] for the Civil Service Sports Council.
His specialist professional interests include Corporate Governance, Risk Management and Human Resources [Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development].
