Janet Galley appointed as Chair of Safeguarding Children in Northants

A renowned and experienced child safeguarding professional has been named as the new independent chair of the Local Safeguarding Children Board Northamptonshire.

Janet Galley has spent more than 40 years working in children’s social care as a practitioner, a manager and most recently as senior social care manager with Oftsed.

She has worked for many local authorities in various social care capacities, now lectures in social work and since retiring from Ofsted, has evaluated the quality of serious case reviews submitted to the inspectorate by LSCBs.

Janet takes over the reins from Chris Few, who stepped down as chair during the summer.

As the chair, Janet’s tasks will include; ensuring all agencies involved in safeguarding work together effectively, to act as the public face of the board and develop good relations with key players, monitor best policy and practice in safeguarding and ensure all agencies are fulfilling their duties and guarantee statutory guidance in relation to Serious Case Reviews is met.

On starting in her new role Janet said: “I am delighted to be taking on the role of independent chair of LSCB Northamptonshire.

“The safety and wellbeing of our children is fundamental to the wellbeing of society as a whole, and I hope to build on the work of my predecessor to ensure that children and young people in Northamptonshire receive the best possible service from all partner agencies.

“These are challenging times and there is much to be done, but I know all members of the board are highly committed to achieving this aim, and I am very much looking forward to working with them.”

LSCBs were established country-wide to ensure the effectiveness of work to safeguard children and young people, promote the welfare of children by co-ordinating the work of partner agencies and ensuring their effectiveness, and to co-ordinating wider safeguarding activity in Northamptonshire.

Paul Burnett, director of children and young people at the county council, said: “I am delighted Janet has become the new independent chair. She brings a wealth of expertise and knowledge to the role at a time when the safeguarding of children is under the spotlight. I wish her well in her new role.”

The LSCBN is a statutory, multi-agency body established under the Children Act 2004 and comprises senior representatives of all of the main agencies involved in providing services to children in the county.

It is to ensure the work to safeguard children is effective, to promote the welfare of children by co-ordinating the work of partner agencies and co-ordinate a wider safeguarding activity in Northamptonshire.