For the Children and Childhood Network Annual Lecture 2015, keynote speaker Professor Ray Jones discusses ‘The politics of child protection’. Reception to follow.

RSVP before Monday 18 May. For more information and to book, visit nott.ac.uk/ccnlecture2015

About the speaker

Ray Jones is Professor of Social Work at Kingston University and St George’s University of London. He is the author of six books and over 100 published papers, is a frequent media columnist and commentator, and has undertaken research on adolescents and social work, neighbourhood work, child protection decision-making, direct payments for disabled people, ‘troubled families’, health and social care teams, and serious case reviews. His most recent book is The Story of Baby P: Setting the Record Straight (Policy Press, 2014), which draws out the powerful professional, political, social and media interests and dynamics that lay at the heart of the tragedy of Peter Connolly’s death and how it was constructed in a manner where social work was held to blame while other professions were not.

Professor Jones has been an advisor to numerous government policy and research committees. From 2009-2013 he was the independent chair of Bristol’s Safeguarding Children’s Board, from 2010-2012 the chair of Salford’s Safeguarding Children Improvement Board and from 2011-2013 chair of Torbay’s children’s improvement board. He currently oversees child protection improvement for the Isle of Wight, Sandwell and Devon, reporting to the minister of state.