A number of NCB staff have in-depth experience in improving safeguarding practices and policy.
Dez Holmes
Dez is NCB's designated Safeguarding Lead.
She is Director of Research in Practice and Strategic Director of Practice and Programmes at NCB. Prior to this, Dez was the Programme Manager at C4EO responsible for Capacity Building. She previously worked in local government establishing and managing integrated early intervention services for families and managed multi-agency prevention and early intervention programmes.
Dez’s practice experience is largely in youth offending services and early help. She is interested in adolescence, transitional safeguarding, risk and participatory practice. Dez has led significant programmes of work for Research in Practice, such as the Tackling Child Exploitation Programme, and also chairs the Contextual Safeguarding UK Advisory Group.
Dez chairs the Advisory Group for The Staff College that develops leadership capacity across local authority Children’s Services. She is a member of the NICE Implementation Strategy Group and sits on a number of Association of Directors of Children’s Services policy committees and research advisory boards. She was also previously part of the Evidence Group supporting the Review of Children’s Social Care.
Dez is also a trustee of Family Action, a large charity providing practical, emotional and financial support to families who are experiencing poverty, disadvantage and social isolation.
Alison O’Sullivan
Alison is Chair of NCB following an impressive career improving the lives of children in the UK. After working for many years as a social worker, Alison took on senior local authority roles and in 2015 became President of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services. She has been proactively engaged in national children’s policy and influencing roles for the last 15 years and continues to provide expert advice on children's issues through her extensive network of public and charity sector contacts.
Caroline Coady
As NCB’s Assistant Director for Social Care, Caroline employs her wealth of experience to change and improve outcomes for children and young people. She brings a unique understanding of the challenges families and professionals face within existing support systems. During her time at NCB, Caroline has been integral in ensuring the success of the Council for Disabled Children’s social care training programmes.
Steve Crocker
Steve is a Trustee of NCB with over 30 years’ experience in social work and children’s services, and was the Director of Children’s Services for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight until April 2023.
Most recently he was elected the President of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services and worked with central government on policy reforms and other national initiatives during his term, including responding to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, the Schools White Paper, the SEN Green Paper, and more.
Steve has contributed to a number of other national policy initiatives, including working on adoption reform, youth justice and secure children’s homes among others, chairing the Association of Directors of Children’s Services Standards, Performance and Inspection Committee, taking part in Professor Julian LeGrande’s review of Birmingham City Council’s Children’s Services in 2013 and developing the role of other Local Authorities in peer to peer support.
If you would like to explore how NCB can support you to develop your approach to safeguarding please contact our team [email protected].