Tony Hunter to become new chair of Slough Children First

Slough Children First and Slough Borough Council are delighted to announce the appointment of Tony Hunter, OBE as the new chair of Slough Children First.

Tony takes over from Robert Tapsfield who stepped down last month when Slough Children First became a company wholly-owned by the local authority with the sole purpose of providing children’s social care across the borough.

A qualified social worker, Tony is a nationally respected expert across health, social care and wider local government, with 40 years’ experience that spans a full range of roles across public, private and charity sectors.

Tony has been a local authority chief executive as well as a director in two authorities covering both children’s and adult services. He is a past president of the Association of Directors of Social Services (ADSS) and was incoming president of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (Solace) before becoming chief executive of the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), a leading DHSC supported social business which he led for six years before stepping down in April 2020.

In the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2010, Tony was awarded the OBE for services to social care.

He currently chairs two organisations, Doncaster Children’s Services Trust and Bury Council’s arms length social care delivery organisation, Persona. He is also engaged in a range of consultancy projects, charity NED roles and mentoring support.

Tony said: “I am delighted to have this opportunity to build on the achievements of the Children’s Trust along with the council and other partners in recent years. Children’s success, health and happiness is at the heart of the council’s vision for 2020-25, and, supported by Department for Education colleagues, everyone at Slough Children First is determined to be at the forefront of delivering these ambitions for every child in the borough.

“Our workforce remains our strongest asset, and I am really impressed by their persistent energy and commitment in what Covid has made a particularly challenging fifteen months. There is now so much to build on in the years to come.”

Josie Wragg, chief executive of Slough Borough Council, said: “Tony is an excellent appointment; his experience, knowledge, personality will be a great addition to the team and will bring new ideas, direction and commitment to our children’s services company.

“We look forward to working with him, as chair of the board, and taking Slough Children First from strength to strength.”

Tony will take up this appointment on 31 May 2021.