Sarah Jones

I am an experienced Independent Social Work Consultant with over thirty years experience working with children and families. Following qualification in 1971, I worked as a mental welfare officer, then as a child care officer and following The Seebohm Report, a generic social worker and Out of Hours Emergency Duty Team member. I undertook a wide range of duties in child care and mental health. I moved to LB Hackney first as a team manager, and then Principle Officer responsible for the management and development of family placement resources in the borough, and the development and chairing of fostering and adoption panels.

I was employed by The Bridge Consultancy for the first time in 1985 as a Consultant acting as part of the team for Part 8 case reviews, and provided case and staff development consultancy to local authorities. I worked as an Associate for the Bridge from 1991-1995. During this period of self employment I was a Guardian and Litem on the Inner London Panel, an Adviser for the Overseas Adoption Help Line and Chair of Foster Care Panels for two private fostering agencies. Whilst working with and for The Bridge, I was involved in many of the major multi-agency inquiries into deaths of children from child abuse completed by The Bridge, including ‘Sukina’ (report published 1991) and ‘Paul: Death through Neglect’ (report published 1995). I was author of ‘Jason’ (report published 2000 – see below). I have undertaken audits and reviews of children and family services and resources, primarily child protection / safeguarding, for Local Authorities, Health Authorities and Boards, Trusts and Voluntary Organisations and I managed The Bridge Children and Family Therapy and Consultation Service in West Wales for looked after children from 1999 to August 2006. I also managed The Bridge Multi Professional Forensic Assessment and Consultation Service in its development stages from 2001 to 2005. I have undertaken a number of forensic assessments as part of The Bridge team of expert witnesses within care proceedings. Since leaving The Bridge in September 2006, I have continued to act as a social work consultant and expert witness in care proceedings and provide consultation to professionals working with complex child care and child protection cases. I remain an Associate of NCH – The Bridge and hold a current Honorary Social Work Practitioner Attachment contract with the Monroe Bridge Family Assessment Service, Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.