CSCI Chair and Commissioners re-appointed

18 February 2008

The Chair and five Commissioners of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) have been reappointed to serve a further term, effective until March 31st 2010 or until CSCI is superseded by the Care Quality Commission, if this is sooner.

The Chair and the Commissioners of CSCI, which is the single inspectorate for adult social care in England, were originally appointed on 5th January 2004.

Dame Denise Platt DBE continues to be Chair of the Commission. She has had a lengthy career in both national and local government, the health service and in social care. Currently, she is the Chair of the National AIDS Trust; a Trustee of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC); a member of the National Executive Council of the fpa (Family Planning Association); a Governor of the University of Bedfordshire; and a member of the Independent Review Board of the Cheshire Fire and Rescue Services. In April 2007 she completed a review of the ‘Status of Social Care’ for the Secretary of State for Health. She is also a Commissioner of the Audit Commission.

John Knight is Head of Policy and Campaigns Leonard Cheshire Disability, a national voluntary sector provider of social care services for disabled people. He was a serving non-executive member of Redbridge PCT and has been a JP since 1992. Mr. Knight is an external member of the Office for Disability Issues Board of Management based at the Department for Work & Pensions and is a Trustee of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO).

Jim Mansell is Professor of Learning Disability in the Tizard Centre at the University of Kent. A pioneer of de-institutionalisation and community living, he is a trustee of United Response, a disability and mental health charity, a member of HM Government's Learning Disability Task Force and of the Independent Inquiry into Access to Healthcare for People with Learning Disabilities.

Olu Olasode is a Chartered Accountant and Public Service Productivity Consultant. He has undertaken assignments for the Audit Commission and a variety of public service organisations including the Housing Inspectorate. Until January 2001 Mr. Olasode was an executive director and board member of Mildmay Hospital UK, based in east London. Mildmay is an international charitable organisation and is Europe’s largest specialist HIV/AIDs hospital and palliative care provider. His experience cuts across health, social care, housing, charities and government; including as Chair of SLFHA Housing Association, Chair of General Performance with DCLG’s Beacons Panel, and Trustee of the Community Action Network (CAN). Mr. Olasode is a serving Chair of Audit and non-executive member of Bromley PCT and Managing Partner of TLFirst.

Beryl Seaman CBE is a former Chair of the South Yorkshire Probation Board and the Probation Boards Association. Her background is as a social worker in children's and adults' services, and she has been a magistrate since 1986. She serves as a Commissioner with the Legal Services Commission, is Governor of Sheffield Hallam University and Chair of Voluntary Action Sheffield.

Peter Westland CBE has had a distinguished career in social care services including posts as Director of Social Services for the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and in the Association of Metropolitan Authorities. He is currently a Trustee of the national voluntary organisation Action on Elder Abuse.

CSCI is responsible for regulating and inspecting social care providers - whether in the public or independent sector - and for assessing the performance of local councils in delivering their personal social services functions.

All appointments by the Appointments Commission are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there us a requirement for appointees’ political activity (if any declared) to be made public. No such declarations have been made by any of the reappointed commissioners. The appointments have been made in accordance with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) Code of Practice.

Details of remuneration of the Chair and Commissioners are contained within CSCI’s Annual Report.

All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. The Commissioners hold no political positions and have not declared any political activity.

Ends

Notes to Editors

1. The Commission’s primary aim is to improve social care by putting the needs of people who use care services first.

2. The Commission is chaired by Dame Denise Platt DBE and has five Commissioners. The Chief Inspector is Paul Snell. CSCI staff work across seven regions in England.

3. Social care services for children are regulated and inspected by the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted).

Created: 2/18/2008 Last updated: 2/18/2008