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James Houghton
Practice Development Consultant @Hertfordshire County Council
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WORK HISTORY
Practice Development Consultant @Hertfordshire County Council
Stevenage, GB
Commissioned to strengthen the identification and assessment of children vulnerable to extra-familial risks and harms, providing strategic practice development and system alignment support.The work: • Leading a diagnostic review of existing assessment processes and generic risk tools to evaluate how extra-familial risks are identified, analysed and recorded. • Identifying strengths, gaps and development priorities to improve clarity, consistency and professional confidence in contextual safeguarding practice. • Designing and co-producing a dedicated Extra-Familial Risks and Harms Assessment Tool to support stronger contextual analysis and decision-making. • Ensuring strategic alignment with the Family Safeguarding adolescent workbook while maintaining a distinct and purposeful assessment framework. • Engaging senior leaders, managers and practitioners to test proposals, build ownership and support sustainable implementation.Intended Impact: • Strengthening clarity in the identification and analysis of extra-familial harm. • Establishing a more robust, assessment approach aligned to complex safeguarding principles. • Improving coherence across safeguarding frameworks and practice tools.
EDUCATION
Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust
Systemic Leadership and Management in the Public and Voluntary Sectors
University of Sussex
Risk & Decision Making CPD, Risk & Decision Making CPD
Nottingham Trent University
Communications Psychology, Linguistics, Sociology, Media
Bournemouth University
Consolidation Module PQ1, Consolidation Module PQ1
University of Hertfordshire
Master of Social Work (MSW), Social Work
Systems Centred Training
Systems Centred Training
ABOUT JAMES HOUGHTON
As a social worker, operational and strategic leader, and founder of Future Voices, I bring over 20 years of experience leading collaborative responses to risk, harm, and safeguarding—particularly where children and young people are vulnerable to extra-familial abuse and exploitation.Currently serving as the National Operational Safeguarding Lead for British Transport Police, I lead the development of collaborative safeguarding approaches across the UK, supporting both operational delivery and strategic direction across the rail network. In parallel, I work as a principal consultant, partnering with local authorities—including Surrey, Gloucestershire, Newham, and Portsmouth—to strengthen multi-agency responses to extra-familial harm and build systems that deliver contextual understanding, community engagement, and professional confidence.Through my platform, Future Voices, I have developed and expanded a dynamic training and development offer—doubling its reach year on year. Our work focuses on equipping professionals with the skills, tools, and critical insight to respond meaningfully to complex safeguarding contexts, integrating lived experience into delivery.Alongside practice, I contribute to national learning through publications in Community Care, Professional Social Work, and wider research and policy initiatives.At the core of my work is a commitment to creative, resourceful, and systemic practice—anchored in relationships, driven by values, and focused on deliverable outcomes for children and families.Key strengths and areas of expertise include:• Leading and facilitating multi-agency collaboration, expanding partnerships to include community, business and non-traditional safeguarding partners• Designing bespoke training for professionals across social care, education, health, policing, and the voluntary sector• Authoring strategy, policy, and learning frameworks grounded in legislation, research, and operational realities• Coaching and guiding staff teams to unify service ethos and practice with measurable impact on outcomes• Using data insightfully to evaluate performance, drive improvement, and design responsive, dynamic systems• Ensuring meaningful engagement of children, young people, and families in shaping services• Managing multidisciplinary teams, budgets, and resources, including oversight of complex casework and HR processes• Providing reflective, robust supervision that fosters critical thinking, planning, and evidence-based intervention
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