Laura currently heads up Safeguarding, Quality and Learning in children and young people’s services at Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. She has been a children’s safeguarding social worker for over 20 years, with experience in all areas of local authority statutory safeguarding children’s social work, and over ten years in leadership including Service Manager, Principal Social Worker and Head of Service.
During her career Laura has developed and led practice improvement programs for Local Authority and supported partner agencies, written local procedures and contributed to national policy changes, and supported national bodies in safeguarding vulnerable children. This includes leading the local aspect of the national pilot for supporting the wellbeing of children in care in conjunction with the Anna Freud organisation and the Department for Education. Her particular interests include safeguarding vulnerable groups and ensuring that the voices of children are listened to and they have the opportunity to participate in developing services that are provide to them.