Saying hi to Di: Meet Di Smith (Director of Children's Services)

Brighton and Hove's new Director of Children's Services is Di Smith. Andrew Jeffrey went along to ask her a few questions.

AJ: Where did you work before taking up this post?

Di SmithDS: I worked most recently for the Nottingham City Council as the Director of Children and Families Commissioning; essentially this involved the strategic planning and delivery of all programmes aimed at improving outcomes for young people and their parents and carers. Before that, I worked in education and I had jobs in secondary, Special schools, and was a primary headteacher.

AJ: You clearly bring a breadth of experience, then.
DS: Yes. I was lucky enough to be involved with the development of the Children's Trust arrangements in Nottingham, and was able to work in the front line and behind the scenes on the Government's Every Child Matters agenda.

AJ: Thinking about Brighton and Hove, what do you think are the strengths of provision for families in the City?
DS: I'd have to say our schools, which perform well above the national average. Also, the multi-agency support for children at risk is very effective, as is the hugely successful and popular PPP programme. And the trust itself has been recognised nationally for its work, so while there is still much work to do I think there is a lot to be proud of.

AJ: Is it possible for parents to impact the work of the Trust?
DS: Absolutely! I think the whole CYPT board recognises that the role parents play is hugely important. As you know, parents feature prominently in the Brighton and Hove Children & Young People's Plan, and having two members of the Parents' Forum on the board is a sign of our commitment to families across the city. We are currently looking at the way in which the CYPT and the BHPF interact in order to ensure that there is plenty of time and opportunity for parents and carers to share their views so that we can continue to deliver good and appropriate services.

AJ: The Trust is doing well, what do you believe is the next step?
DS: The Trust is (and must always be) first and foremost about outcomes for children and young people across the city. I think the next step is for us to ensure that all partners (health, education, parents and carers, social services) are working together as well as they possibly can to ensure that those outcomes are as good as possible.

AJ: That sounds like a great vision! Finally, if it's not too personal a question, what have you enjoyed most about moving to Brighton and Hove?
DS: It's such a positive, optimistic place. I do believe that it is a great place for children and young people to grow up, but we can make it better still. I also find it really encouraging that there is such a strong sense of agreement between all parties and providers as to how we should go about that.

AJ: Di, thanks for your time, and good luck in your role on behalf of the Parents of Brighton and Hove!
DS: Thank you.