ABOUT US
WEST MIDLANDS ADCS NETWORK
MEET OUR CHAIR
The West Midlands ADCS Network brings together Directors of Children’s Services and their senior leadership teams from across the region. We champion collaboration, innovation, and improvement in children’s services through strong regional partnerships.
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We also work closely with our counterparts in the eight other English regions and maintain active links with the national office of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, ensuring our work is aligned with national priorities and best practice.
Our members are senior leaders in children’s services across the West Midlands, representing all 14 local authorities and two children’s trusts in the region. Together, they drive improvement, share best practice, and shape the future of services for children and families.
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Birmingham Children's Trust
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Birmingham City Council
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Coventry City Council
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Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
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Herefordshire Council
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Sandwell Children's Trust
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Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
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Shropshire Council
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Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
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Staffordshire County Council
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Stoke-on-Trent City Council
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Telford & Wrekin Council
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Walsall Council
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Warwickshire County Council
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City of Wolverhampton Council
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Worcestershire County Council
The current Chair of the West Midlands ADCS Network is Nigel Minns, Executive Director for Children and Young People at Warwickshire County Council. Nigel leads the Network in its mission to strengthen collaboration, champion best practice, and improve outcomes for children, young people, and families across the region.
Our members are experts in shaping and delivering services that support children, young people, and their families. Their work spans education, health, youth services, early years, and social care. By working in close partnership with other agencies, they ensure services are joined-up, responsive, and tailored to meet the unique needs of every child.
The West Midlands ADCS Network is proudly charting its own course to become the leading region for children’s services in England.
We’re committed to making the West Midlands the best place in the country for children’s services.
We’ll achieve this through deep collaboration, continuous self-improvement, and a strong culture of learning—building on our annual self-evaluation, peer review, and the promotion of best practice across the region.
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Our vision is clear: a West Midlands where children and young people thrive, families feel supported, and a dedicated workforce keeps children safe. We aim to consistently deliver good—and increasingly outstanding—outcomes in education, health, and wellbeing for every young citizen in our region.
WHAT WE DO
West Midlands ADCS Network members are committed to driving continuous improvement across all areas of children’s services policy and practice.
Through the active contributions of our members, we provide a strong, collective voice for senior leaders in children’s services—shaping policy, influencing practice, and advocating for the resources needed to deliver high-quality support to children, young people, and families across the region.
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We work in close partnership with local and national politicians, government departments, public sector bodies, voluntary and community organisations, and professional networks. Together, we co-design and deliver integrated services that respond to the diverse needs of our communities.
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Our work is rooted in the statutory responsibilities of Directors of Children’s Services and strengthened by a collaborative regional approach across the 14 local authority areas. We aim to provide invaluable support and advice to colleagues, always with the shared goal of making a positive and lasting difference to the lives of children, young people, and families in the West Midlands.
WORKING NATIONALLY
Through our strong association with ADCS nationally, the West Midlands ADCS Network taps into a powerful community of expert leaders.
This connection enables us to identify and share best practice, learn from peers across the country, and apply that learning to improve outcomes for children, young people, and families in the West Midlands.
NETWORK HUB
Using a region-wide network structure built around key cross-cutting themes in children’s services, the West Midlands ADCS Network identifies, develops, and shares best practice.
This collaborative approach enables us to harness collective expertise, drive innovation, and deliver meaningful improvements to the lives of children, young people, and families across the West Midlands.
