Guest Speaker: Steve Crocker

Child Welfare a Priority - Guest Speaker (2020-05-25 22:45:13)

Our Guest Speaker on Monday 18th May was Steve Crocker, Director of Children's Services for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. He is responsible for all aspects of child welfare including young asylum seekers smuggled into the UK.

Steve gave a fascinating, frank, sometimes harrowing, sometimes uplifting insight into his role and child welfare overall. An eloquent speaker who kept us all engaged for well over an hour, explaining the work of his department, some of the legal complications that arise and how the work of his team has an overwhelmingly positive outcomes for the children involved, not a message that the media like to highlight.

Being a coastal county with major ports nearby, there are often calls for child welfare support for Illegal immigrants and sometimes young people who are victims of trafficking gangs. These cases obviously bring with them harrowing experiences but also uplifting stories of young people, often fleeing from wars in their own countries, who are willing to face many dangers and make huge personal sacrifices for the opportunities our society can offer.

Amongst the professional stories, Steve also told a personal story from his youth concerning his father who was an ex-military policeman. With his wife, Mr Crocker senior would offer sanctuary to local women who were victims of domestic violence. Steve rounded off his talk by offering the thought that domestic abuse was by no means a new phenomenon, and solving it could well be the next challenge for society.

Slough Writers is grateful to Dave Smith who introduced Steve to the group. Chair Terry Adlam thanked Steve for his fascinating talk.

Slough Writers are always pleased to meet people with experiences outside writing and publishing. All these interactions serve to broaden our experience and inspire us to write in new areas.