Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria were used to select the Experts by Experience Group for the independent review of children’s social care; who assessed the applications; and who comprised the interview panel for those shortlisted for interview.

Following an open expression of interest process the review has now established an Experts by Experience Board.

The Review received 1,011 applications to join the board, and the panel assessed every application and has appointed a small number of individuals that met the criteria detailed in the Expression of Interest application:

1. Have lived experienced of the children’s social care system, whether current or previous, through:

• interaction with a social worker as a child

• personal experience in care

• the family of a child who has interacted with a social worker

• the family of a child who has been placed in care

2. Are comfortable contributing respectfully alongside people who may have had very

different experiences to their own.

3. Have the ability to communicate views about children’s social care clearly and

concisely, and also the views of others with experience of children’s social care.

The Experts by Experience Board was appointed by Josh MacAlister, chair of the independent review. Josh asked Shazia Hussain (head of the review team) and Jenny Molloy (care leaver and author) to assist him reviewing all applications that were received, and Duncan Dunlop (former CEO of Who Cares? Scotland and independent panel member) also assisted with conducting interviews.

The application criteria and information regarding the assessment process for the Experts by Experience Group is also publicly available on the independent review of children’s social care’s website, located here: https://childrenssocialcare.independent-review.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/EoE-2.pdf.