Christine Smith

My social work career has been almost entirely based within services to children and families. As a Social Worker I was responsible for cases involving child protection, court work, adoption and fostering. As a Team Manager of a fieldwork team I was responsible for a team of staff working across the range of services to children and their families, and had specific responsibilities for work with particular voluntary agencies. I also regularly chaired Child Protection Case Conferences and Looked after Children’s Reviews. As a Principal Officer I was responsible for social work fieldwork teams, residential children’s homes, day nurseries, Child and Family Consultation Service, adoption and fostering teams.

Since 1999 I have worked as a Children’s Guardian (self-employed), almost exclusively in public law cases, all originating in the London area. The majority of cases in which I have been appointed have been care proceedings, but I have also been appointed in Secure accommodation Order applications, Adoption and Freeing applications, Discharge of Care Order applications, and more recently Placement Order applications and witnessing parents consent under Section 19 Adoption and Children Act 2002.