Professor Ray Jones

Faculty of Health, Science, Social Care and Education
Department of Social Work and Social Care
School of Education, Midwifery and Social Work
Kingston Hill

Emeritus Professor of Social Work

[email protected]

About

Dr Ray Jones is an Emeritus Professor of Social Work at Kingston University and St. George's, University of London, and a registered social worker.

From 1992 to 2006, he was director of social services in Wiltshire. He was the first chief executive of the Social Care Institute for Excellence and has been deputy chair and chair of the British Association of Social Workers. From 2008 to 2016, he was a professor of social work at Kingston University and St George's University of London.

He has been a visiting professor at the University of Exeter and the University of Bath and is an honorary fellow of the University of Gloucestershire. He has led inquiries following the deaths of children and adults, was chair of Bristol's Safeguarding Children Board from 2009 to 2013, and, from 2010 until 2016, oversaw child protection improvement in Salford, Torbay, the Isle of Wight, Sandwell, and Devon.

He is the author of eight books, including The Story of Baby P: Setting the Record Straight, which was published in July 2014. It informed a BBC Television documentary. A second updated and expanded edition was published in February 2017. Other books include In Whose Interest? The Privatisation of Child Protection and Social Work published in 2019 by Policy Press; and A History of the Personal Social Services in England (published in 2020 by Palgrave Macmillan). The latter recognised and celebrated the 50th anniversary of the creation of a unified profession of social work across the United Kingdom and the formation of integrated personal social services.

Ray is a regular press columnist and media commentator. He has frequently given evidence to Parliamentary Select Committees, and in 2017, he received the Social Worker of the Year Award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Social Work'. In 2021, he received an honorary doctorate in civil law from the University of East Anglia, and in 2022, he was appointed to undertake the independent review of children's social care in Northern Ireland.

Qualifications

1972: CSQW, BSc (First Class Hons) Sociology and Social Work
1981: MSc Awarded for Published Research Studies in Social Work
1983: PhD A Study of Adolescents' Perceptions Social Workers
1984: FCMI
1992: FRSA
2002: AcSS
2002: RegSW
2022: Lead of Northern Ireland's independent review into children's social care

Domains

Media highlights

Ray is an accomplished media commentator and has been interviewed extensively by the national press, both print and broadcast. He is also frequently asked to provide background briefings for journalists, including within international media. Coverage highlights include numerous appearances on Sky News, BBC News, ITN and Channel 4 News, as well as national and regional radio discussing significant child protection issues, including the tragic case of Baby P, the assaults by two brothers in Edlington, the sexual abuse of girls in Rochdale and elsewhere and the Saville disclosures.

He has also been interviewed extensively about the abuse of disabled adults at Winterbourne View and the impact of cuts on vulnerable children and families, disabled adults and older people. Ray is regularly invited to write for a range of specialist publications and frequently contributes to the Guardian newspaper's Society section.

Qualifications and Professional expertise

Member of Leonard Cheshire's National Operations Committee (2006- 2010).
Leading an inquiry following the killing of a man with a learning disability (2006).
Serving as an expert witness and advisor to the police investigating an unlawful killing of a man with severe and multiple impairments (2008).
Working with the Russian-European Trust for Welfare Reform with senior policy makers and social services directors across Russia on developing services for older people in rural areas (2006-continuing).
Independent chair of Bristol's Safeguarding Children Board (2009 - 2013).
Overseeing child protection improvement for Salford, Torbay, the Isle of Wight, Sandwell and Devon (2011-2016).
Chair of Social Worker of the Year Awards Ltd (2014-continuing)
Registered social worker, Health and Care Professions Council.
Member, British Association of Social Workers
Fellow, Chartered Institute of Management, Fellow, Academy of Social Sciences.

Publications

Social work in the 2010s: surviving a decade of austerity

Jones, Ray, 2024, Community Care, Published

Professor Ray Jones

About

Qualifications

Domains

Research

Business, knowledge transfer and international

Professional practice, knowledge exchange and impact

Publications

Articles

Books