TASP's Inuagural AGM

16th September 2021

We held our first AGM on 16th September. The agenda, our annual report and our accounts, and the biographies of those who stood for election as trustees are published below.

You can find the full details of how and why we conduct annual general meetings in our consitution, under About Us.

We are delighted that our trustee Nazir Afzal (recently a desert island discs castaway) delivered our keynote speech for us. You can see this on our News page and it is also published on Youtube.

A link to the full recording of the AGM can be viewed at the bottom of this page. Below this piece, is the Keynote from our Trustee, Nazir Afzal. It was a passionate presentation and definitely worth a watch!

At the AGM:

• Members received the Trustees' first annual report (can be downloaded below)
• Members were presented with the accounts
• Four Trustees were elected as Member Trustees, two who had been our initial start up Trustees and two new Member Trustees. For further information on all our Trustees please see under About Us/Trustees
• Colleagues worked in small groups to help bring some shape to TASP Priorities

TASP Charity Accounts 2021

Report and Financial Statements for the period ended 31 March 2021

Trustee Nominees

Trustee Nomination

Richard Burrows

I was a founder director of AILC and subsequently Vice Chair and then Chair. Since the establishment of TASP I have served as a trustee and chair of trustees.

I have worked independently for 13 years and have held the role of LSCB chair(s) and now am an Independent Scrutineer for 2 partnerships. I have also worked extensively across the social care and safeguarding sectors including health and the voluntary sector. I also undertake independent investigations and reviews across a HR and safeguarding continuum.

I have a strong commitment to the importance of partnerships and partnership working as being an essential part of safeguarding outcomes, and believe that it is important that the public can have confidence in and understand the importance of safeguarding in all its forms and contexts.

TASP has achieved considerable impact in a short period at a difficult time. The appointment of new Trustees represents a significant opportunity for TASP to reach out across sectors and further consolidate a community of learning, focused on what works and the different roles people play.

Trustee Nomination

Chris Miller

I was until 2011 a police officer. As an Assistant Chief Constable in Hertfordshire. I was a member of Herts  LSCB for four years. While in post helped develop a joint child protection team comprised of police-officers social-workers and health staff. I have spent the following years seeking to improve the way that organisations work together to a common end.

After the Police I  worked for two years for a domestic violence charity , helping to develop a programme that enables parents who are in domestically abusive relationships to become effective and safe parents to their infant children.

I currently act as chair of and independent scrutineer to the Harrow Safeguarding Children Partnership. I also chair the London regional group of independent chairs and scrutineers.

I was a director of our predecessor organisation (AILC) and was one of the first two trustees of TASP. I authored TASP’s constitution in conjunction with the Charity Commission . I am also ( or have been until this election) the Treasurer of TASP.

I am part of a steering group that has developed the TASP webinar programme, which has done much to provide direction and purpose to TASP. This programme has assisted to increase our membership. Now more than 50% of statutory partnerships are members.

 I am the Chair of the North West London Child Death Overview Panel. In that role I have helped at a London level develop our service and procedures as we have slimmed down from 29 to 5 CDOPs.

Trustee Nomination

Alison Cutler

I am genuinely passionate about partnership working and safeguarding children, having worked in management roles in three different Safeguarding Boards since 2010 of which 9 of those years I have spent as a Business Manager. I have a Master’s degree in multi-agency practice focussing on learning and development and the impact on safeguarding. I am also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

As probably one of the longest serving Business Managers in the country, I have supported various Boards on their improvement journeys to achieve outstanding results. I chair the Eastern Region Business Managers Group and am also a member of the TASP Advisory Group helping them to lead and develop the TASP Business Manager network.   

I have been involved in TASP since its inception and was an advocate for Business Managers under the previous Association, facilitating various workshops at their national conferences. Currently TASP do not have a Business Manager as a Trustee and I believe that my extensive experience, insight into partnership working and networks gained over my years as a Business Manager would assist TASP in developing valuable resources to further support LSCPs as well as strengthen the voice of TASP at a national level. I also believe that having the voice of a Business Manager on the Board of Trustees would help to ensure that TASP has strong linkages to its Business Manager community across the country – this is in my view essential given the critical role Business Managers play in LSCPs.

Trustee Nomination

Amy Weir

Amy has more than 40 years’ experience of working in safeguarding within a variety of different agencies including Local Authorities, the NHS and the voluntary sector in various roles. She is a Registered Social Worker. She has been involved in the development of multi-agency strategic and operational practice both within central government but also at a local and regional level as an advisor but also as an inspector. Amy has completed many safeguarding reviews and been responsible for commissioning reviews.  She has chaired several LSCBs and more recently been an independent advisor to a Local Safeguarding Partnership in the north-west. 

Amy has been appointed to serve as a Reviewer by the National Safeguarding Practice Review Panel. She is seeking to undertake project work related to the National Panel’s work programme. In addition, Amy is working in a variety of others safeguarding roles including work with one of the largest independent fostering agencies in the UK as an advisor and independent reviewer.

Amy is keen to be involved in TASP’s work given its important role in promoting work national across the LSPs and in arranging workshops and webinars on relevant issues which I have thoroughly enjoyed.

Recording of AGM

Thank you to all who attended our AGM. We are aware that our members have busy schedules and may not have been able to attend the session. We recorded the session and MEMBERS can watch this on a Private Members page here.