Type=image;ImageID=13561;ImageClass=left;ImageTitle=Linda Sanders;TitleClass=strong;
Linda Sanders, who is stepping down as Strategic Director People at the City of Wolverhampton Council on 31 August, is an experienced director of both Adults and Children's Services with a proven track record of delivering improved services and outcomes.
As independent chair of both the Safeguarding Children's and Safeguarding Adults boards, she will ensure the two boards and partner agencies across the City work closely together on safeguarding issues that affect children and adults, and that lessons from good practice and Serious Case Reviews are both shared and learned.
Managing Director of the City of Wolverhampton Council Keith Ireland said: "Linda Sanders has a highly respected national profile and is a leading light in her field, and we are delighted to be able to retain her extensive skills and experience in the City.
"She has made a significant contribution to raising standards of support for vulnerable children, young people and adults and was instrumental in helping to secure the recent Good Ofsted rating for Children's Services in the City of Wolverhampton, making it one of the highest performing services in the country.
"Most importantly, Linda brought a significant degree of scrutiny to her role at the City of Wolverhampton Council, driving through improvements and challenging performance as and when required.
"Linda is also a champion of partnership working and helped to establish the first combined children's and adults Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) in the West Midlands, which has brought together safeguarding professionals from a wide range of partners. She has also served as Chair of the Safer Wolverhampton Partnership for the last two and a half years.
"She will bring all of these skills and more to her new role and help ensure the protection that agencies are able to give to some of the most vulnerable people in our City is as high as it possibly can be."
Linda said: "I am delighted to be taking on this hugely important role. Throughout my 40 year career I have remained passionate about improving outcomes for vulnerable people and have developed an in-depth understanding of services for adults, children and young people which will undoubtedly help me to work across the system in this important role.
"I am looking forward to continuing to work closely with partners from across the City of Wolverhampton to ensure that best practice is followed at all times, that recommendations from serious case reviews are implemented in a timely fashion, and to continue to challenge performance and hold agencies to account wherever and whenever necessary so that we continue to work in the best interests of vulnerable residents."
Linda succeeds Alan Coe, who is retiring from the role after 6 years. Alan was appointed independent chair of the Safeguarding Adults Board in 2011 and independent chair of the Safeguarding Children's Board in 2013.
Keith said: "I would like to pay tribute to Alan for his excellent work as chair of both Safeguarding Boards, during which time a number of improvements have been made to the way agencies work together to safeguard vulnerable people. I wish him well in his retirement."
For more information about the work of the City of Wolverhampton's Safeguarding Boards, please visit Type=links;Linkid=7041;Title=Wolverhampton Safeguarding;Target=_blank;.
Anyone who has safeguarding concerns about a child or young person should call 01902 555392 during office hours or 01902 552999 out of hours. Anyone with concerns about an adult should call 01902 551199 during office hours or 01902 552999 out of hours. In an emergency, always dial 999.
- released: Friday 25 August, 2017