Isabelle Trowler CBE Chief Social Worker for Children and Families took up the post in September 2013. She is well known for co-designing a practice framework for delivering child and family social work, which has influenced the children’s social care practice system across England.

We talk across the range of issues confronting social workers home and abroad with reflections spanning the eleven years she has been in her position. She is the first person in her post and discusses the challemges and the successes.

Isabelle is currently a member of:

• 
  
• the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel
  
• the Attendance Action Alliance
  
• the Family Justice Board
  
• the Relationships, sex and health education review panel
  

She also chairs the National Practice Group with oversight of the development of:

• 
  
• the children’s social care national framework
  
• the early career framework for social workers
  
• the revision of ‘Working together to safeguard children’
  

Isabelle was a founder member of the What Work’s Centre for Children’s Social Care, which is now known as Foundations. She has over 30 years’ experience in the children’s sector, and has previously been involved in:

• 
  
• the Independent Review of Child Protection (2011) led by Professor Eileen Munro
  
• the design group for the Independent review of children’s social care, 2022
  

Isabelle was awarded a CBE in the New Years Honours 2024, for services to children’s social care.

• 
  
• Children’s social care: national framework – GOV.UK
  
• Working together to safeguard children – GOV.UK
  
• : Keeping children safe, helping families thrive – GOV.UK
  
• Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel: annual report 2023 to 2024 – GOV.UK
  
• National review into child sexual abuse within the family environment – GOV.UK
  
• Local government finance policy statement 2025 to 2026 – GOV.UK  
  

David is a member of the International Advisory Board of the GISW.