A new senior officer has outlined their commitment to delivering Dudley Council’s social care ambitions for children and young people when they take up their new post.

The council has appointed Karen Graham as its new director of children’s social care. Karen has been with the council as interim director of children’s social care for the last seven months.

In her new permanent role, Karen will lead the children’s social care team on a journey of improvement, implementing a new service model and developing conditions that allow best practice to flourish. Councillor Ruth Buttery, cabinet member for children and young people, said:

"It’s with great pleasure that we welcome Karen into her new permanent position with the council. Karen has demonstrated her calm, professional ability to drive innovation within social care, as we work to deliver the very best for children and young people.

"We had a strong list of candidates for this position, but Karen stood out as the best person to drive forward our improvement plan.

"As a child-friendly council, we strive to put children and young people at the heart of all we do, and I look forward to working alongside Karen to fulfil our ambitions."

Karen Graham, director of children’s social care, added: "I’ve worked within the children’s social care profession for more than 30 years.

"As Dudley’s new director of children’s social care, I am committed to driving forward the ambitions of the council, supporting our workforce and continuing a journey of improvement, which will deliver the best outcomes for children and young people."