Baroness Claire Tyler reappointed as the Chair of Cafcass
The Secretary of State announces today the reappointment of Baroness Claire Tyler as the Chair of Cafcass for 3 years from 24 January 2015.
The Lord Chancellor would also like to announce the appointments of Nickie Aiken, Caroline Corby, Fay Selvan and Stuart Smith as board members of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) for 3 years from 1 December 2014.
Cafcass was created under the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000. The body safeguards and promotes the welfare of children involved in family court proceedings.
These appointments were made on merit in accordance with the principles of the Commissioner for Public Appointment’s Code of Practice and political activity plays no part in the selection process. Caroline Corby has declared that she canvassed on behalf of the Labour Party during the last general election and distributed leaflets. Nickie Aiken has been a Conservative Party councillor for the Warwick ward in Pimlico, London since 2006. Both Fay Selvan and Stuart Smith have declared that they have not been involved in any political activity in the last 5 years. These appointments are subject to clearance checks.
Biographies
Baroness Claire Tyler
Claire Tyler (Baroness Tyler of Enfield) became the Chair of Cafcass in February 2012. She is also the President of the National Children’s Bureau, a position she has held since August 2012 and Chair of the Make Every Adult Matter coalition of charities. Between 2007 and 2012 Claire was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Relate, the UK’s leading relationship support agency and is now their Vice President. This followed a number of senior positions within government including the Director of the Social Exclusion Unit and Director of the Vulnerable Children’s Group at the Department for Children, Schools and Families (now the Department for Education (DfE)). Claire was nominated as a Liberal Democrat Peer in November 2010 and from 1 February 2011 has sat in the House of Lords as Baroness Tyler of Enfield. Baroness Tyler chaired Cafcass during a period of improvement that led to an achievement of ‘good with outstanding features in leadership’ following the first national inspection of Cafcass by Ofsted in early 2014.
Nickie Aiken
Nickie Aiken has been a Conservative Party councillor for the Warwick ward in Pimlico, London since 2006. She is a cabinet member for public protection and oversees the borough’s relationship with the Metropolitan Police, emergency planning, licensing, environmental, health and safety services. From 2010 to 2013, she was the cabinet member for children, young people and community protection and oversaw the merger of Westminster’s children’s services department with Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea.
Caroline Corby
Caroline Corby worked in the City for 13 years specialising in private equity where she also served on a number of private sector boards across a range of industries. In 2007 she joined the board of London Probation Trust and she served as Chair of LPT from 2012 until July 2014. Caroline is a non executive director of London North West Healthcare NHS Trust and the Criminal Cases Review Commission. She also chairs fitness to practice panels for the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Fay Selvan
Fay Selvan has been the CEO of the Big Life Group since 1991 which has grown from a community organisation with a turnover of £17,000 a year into one of the largest social enterprises in the UK with a turnover of around £8 million and 300 staff. She is also currently the Chair of Trafford Healthcare Trust (since 2006) which has a turnover of around £80 million and 2,000 staff.
She was previously the Chair of Trafford Primary Care Trust (2001 to 2006); Executive Sponsor of Manchester, Salford and Trafford Health Action Zone (1999 to 2002); Tenant Liaison Officer, Manchester City Council (1986 to 1989) and Administrator/Project Officer at Great Manchester Low Pay Unit (1985 to 1986). She was also a Department of Health Social Enterprise Mentor between 2010 to 2011 and a Commissioner with the Street Weapons Commission in 2009.
Fay was a member of the Cafcass Board form 1 April 2010 until 30 November 2014. Vacancies on the Cafcass Board were advertised in 2014 and Fay applied and was successfully appointed for a term of 3 years beginning on 1 December 2014.
Stuart Smith
Stuart Smith is the Director of Children Services for Calderdale Council where he was appointed to lead the council’s strategy to meet the requirements of the DfE Improvement Notice for Children’s Social Care. Stuart is also reviewing the council’s approach to school improvement and early intervention services.
Previously Stuart was employed as Director of Education, Skills and Communities at Wigan Borough Council where he led on the new relationships with schools and the redesign of the school improvement service. He was also the Executive Director of Children, Adult and Family Services at Liverpool City Council (2001 to 2011) where he was responsible for budgets in excess of £800 million and oversaw a large increase in school attainment at all levels.
In previous roles he has been Assistant Director, Students and Communities at Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council (1999 to 2001); Head of Behaviour Support Services, Kent County Council (1995 to 1999); Deputy Principal Youth Officer, Wirral LEA (1992 to 1995); Training and Development Officer, Wirral LEA (1990 to 1992) and Community Development Officer, Dudley MBC (1987 to 1990). He has also held various teaching and youth worker roles.
Stuart was a member of the Cafcass Board form 1 April 2010 until 30 November 2014. Vacancies on the Cafcass Board were advertised in 2014 and Stuart applied and was successfully appointed for a term of 3 years beginning on 1 December 2014.