A leading UK child protection expert has been awarded an honorary degree by Strathclyde University.
Alexis Jay OBE, independent chair of the Strathclyde-based Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland (CELCIS), received the degree of Doctor of the University at a ceremony in the Barony Hall.
Ms Jay, previously Chief Social Work Adviser to the Scottish Government, has more than 30 years’ experience of working in local government with, and on behalf of, disadvantaged people and their communities. She led the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham, authoring the resulting report published in August 2014.
Ms Jay, already a Visiting Professor at Strathclyde, said: “I am delighted to receive this recognition from the University, and look forward to continuing to champion a challenging agenda to improve the lives of looked-after children.”
CELCIS Director Jennifer Davidson said: “Alexis demonstrated immense courage and humanity in the way she conducted and reported on the traumatic and brutal experiences of young people in Rotherham who experienced child sexual exploitation.
“She is an influential and respected expert in the field of social work and social policy throughout Scotland, the UK and Europe. Alexis is passionately commitment to improving services for vulnerable people, ensuring she is both ideally-placed to play a leading role with CELCIS and a fitting recipient of her honorary degree.”
In 2005, Ms Jay was invited by the then Scottish Executive to lead the Social Work Inspection Agency (SWIA), a government organisation scrutinising all aspects of social services provided by local authorities.
She served as Chief Executive and Chief Social Work Inspector until the functions of SWIA and the Care Commission were taken over by the Care Inspectorate in 2011. She then remained as Chief Social Work Adviser until early 2013.
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