Skip to content
New independent safeguarding chair for children and adults appointed

Press release -

New independent safeguarding chair for children and adults appointed

Kathy Batt has been appointed the new independent joint chair of Bury Local Safeguarding Children’s Board and Bury Adult Safeguarding Board.

She has taken over from Sharon Beattie who has left after two years in the post.

Kathy qualified as a social worker in 1982 and worked in a local authority with children and adults, covering every type of case from child protection through to adult mental health, becoming an Approved Social Worker under the Mental Health Act. She then worked at Manchester Royal Infirmary as a hospital social worker before returning to field work and specialising in child care, particularly child protection. She became a senior manager working in safeguarding and overseeing quality assurance in both Safeguarding and the Looked After Children system.

In 2001 Kathy moved to the voluntary sector and worked in the executive teams of three charities delivering a range of services including adoption, fostering, residential care for adults and children, residential schools, secure accommodation for young people, community services, youth work, homeless services and support services for adults with learning disabilities. In March 2016 she left full-time work to concentrate on consultancy work.

“Although a Londoner I have lived in Greater Manchester since 1977 and have always worked in the region, apart from a few brief months in Bromley when I made the grave mistake of thinking that a move south would be a good idea!” she said.

“I am very excited to have been appointed as the independent chair for Bury’s adult and children’s safeguarding boards. As usual there is great change afoot, especially for the children’s board with the expected implementation of the Children and Social Care Act 2017 and the establishment of the new safeguarding partnerships.

“The great task and privilege of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults has not been made any easier with the financial restrictions faced by all the agencies involved and by the constant need to respond to rising demand and change. However, I look forward to contributing to and working with representatives from all the agencies and also with the children, families and adult services users in Bury to ensure that the processes and practice in Bury are as good as they can be and are resilient enough to face all the challenges which the future may bring.”

Kathy was appointed by the council’s interim chief executive Pat Jones-Greenhalgh following a national advert and an interview with a multi-agency group from the Safeguarding Board which included Greater Manchester Police and the NHS.

Pat said: “We are delighted to have appointed someone with Kathy’s extensive experience of safeguarding, and I am absolutely sure she will provide excellent leadership in helping to keep our vulnerable children and adults from harm.”

ENDS

Press release issued: 25 January 2018.

Picture: Kathy Batt.

Related links

Topics

Categories

Regions


Contacts

Peter Doherty

Peter Doherty

Press contact Press Officer Press Office

Committed to providing good quality services to our residents

Bury Council consists of six towns, Bury, Ramsbottom, Tottington, Radcliffe, Whitefield and Prestwich. Formed in April 1974 as a result of Local Government re-organisation it was one of the ten original districts that formed the County of Greater Manchester. The Borough has an area of 9,919 hectares (24,511 acres) and serves a population of 187,500.

Bury Council
Knowsley Street
BL9 OSW Bury, Lancashire