A former teacher, Josh founded the social work charity Frontline in 2013. He stepped down from his role as Chief Executive to lead the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, which was published in May this year. It was ‘a once in a generation opportunity to transform the children’s social care system and provide children with loving, safe and stable families’ and a total reset: “What we need is a system that…unlocks the potential of wider family networks to raise children, puts lifelong loving relationships at the heart of the care system and lays the foundations for a good life for those who have been in care.”
We were delighted that our pilot programme, Family by Family which we ran in Stoke-on-Trent since March 2021, was featured in the review and highlights: “Peer-to-peer support often has the added bonus of being non-judgemental. Working with someone who is ‘like you’ and who may have faced similar problems brings down a lot of barriers for families who may feel scared of accessing help from the state.”
Josh is committed to thinking afresh about how we support children without the safety, stability and love that many of us take for granted. Under his leadership, the review will deliver a wide-ranging plan to extend the joy, growth and safety of childhood and the esteem, love and security of family life to all children.
He is also a supporter of Shared Lives for young people leaving care. Find out more about our members’ work for young people 16+ and our members’ support and resources for parents with a learning disability.
