All of the Lights

All of the Lights

It's late on a Saturday night and in downtown Sacramento, from my flat (or condo) as i should now call it, i can see the beautiful, historic State Capitol Building lit up, its St Paul-esque dome shining brightly as a backdrop to the city.

The dominance of the Capitol building over the Sac skyline, is an allegory for a seat of Government that is far more dominant,and enabling in nature than I had expected. As the fifth largest economy in the world, California, is vast. It's population demography split harshly between the Silicon Valley and Hollywood billionaires, and the prevailing underclass where poverty is rife, and homelessness a far too prominent problem.

Last year I was awarded an international fellowship, by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, to identify best practice in the public care system, with a particular focus on children. As a Director of a large children's charity, and a background in improvement and policy making in this area, I was delighted to have been selected as one of only six Welsh recipients of the fellowship. It provided a platform for me to use to advance my academic and professional knowledge, and to make a specific contribution to informing future work in Wales.

Following meetings in Australia with their Institute of family studies, and the American clearing house for evidence based practice, I was advised that California, would be a suitable place, due to their similar political demography, and current focus on reforming their child welfare policy and legislation. There is some critical reforms underway here, which are a real shining light in terms of policy and legislative opportunities, which may be of relevance to Wales. In January, I was offered the opportunity to work with Director Will Lightbourne and his team in a shadowing role, to experience the aspiration behind the changes, the process by which policy and legislation is developed, and the implementation frameworks which underpin the change.

It has been an incredibly busy time, as I have sought to slowly get to grips with a very different agenda, and processes and people I don't yet know. The kindness of the senior team in DSS has been extraordinary, and I have enjoyed privileged access, through recognition of my role. I have attended senate pre hearings, am working with Bureau Chiefs charged with delivering the agenda, will be working with the legislation team, who are currently analysing at least 36 proposed new pieces of legislation in child welfare, and have also met with academics from UC Berkeley, alongside county directors and lobbyists.

There are some clear parallels, between California in Wales. Not in size, certainly but in ambition, and a shared desire to provide collaborative leadership to drive forward change. Whilst I am learning inordinate amounts about the Californian approach, which will be of tangible benefit back home in terms of policy learning, I am also incredibly proud to be from Wales, to be able to demonstrate what in fifteen years has already been achieved. From this Fellowship and from my subsequent research, I hope to make a valuable contribution in driving forward continued improvements for looked after children for at least the next fifteen.