Keynote speakers
David Behan CBE
Director General for Social Care, Local Government and Care Partnerships
Was appointed Director General: Social Care in the Department of Health in June 2006. He took up post in September 2006. From November 2003 he was the first Chief Inspector of the Commission for Social Care Inspection. From 1996 to 2003 he was Director of Social Services, London Borough of Greenwich and a member of the Greenwich Primary Care Trust Board and the Professional Executive Committee. In 2003 he was the President of the Association of Directors of Social Services. Between 1989 and 1996 David was Director of Social Services with Cleveland County Council, having been Senior Assistant Director and Deputy Director there. Following Local Government reorganisation he held the position of Director of Social Services for Middlesbrough Council. Between 1984 and 1989 he was employed by Avon County Council in a variety of head office posts and as an area manager in North Bristol. Between 1978 and 1984 David was employed by Wakefield Metropolitan District Council Social Services Department, working initially as a social worker then as a team manager in Children's Services. David was born and brought up in Blackburn in Lancashire and graduated from Bradford University in 1978. He was awarded a CBE in 2003, and in 2004 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Law by Greenwich University. He is married with two sons.
View David's keynote PowerPoint presentation
Polly Neate
Executive Director of Public Affairs and Communications at NCH
Polly Neate is Executive Director of Public Affairs and Communications at NCH, the children's charity, which she joined in November 2005. Her directorate includes public policy, communications, campaigns, marketing and new business. She is part of NCH's Executive Management Team. A journalist by profession, Polly's previous role was as editor of Community Care, the leading weekly social care magazine, where she was responsible for two magazines, several web-based products, and an annual programme of conferences and large-scale events. Polly has spoken widely on social care and social policy for both children and adults, the media, and the relationship between the two, both on conference platforms and in the media. She has also written for other magazines and national newspapers, and has won several awards for writing, campaigning and editing, including the Periodical Publishers Association Business and Professional Magazine of the Year, and Campaign of the Year. She has sat on several stakeholder and working groups for government.
Abstract for keynote session 2 (Thursday 10th July 11:15 in the auditorium)
This presentation outlines three major challenges facing the social work profession and examines what resources social workers can call on in meeting these. It identifies the key role of knowledge - particularly knowledge about need - not only in steering service development, but also in securing the future of the profession itself.