Lord Laming, Chairman of the Inquiry

Herbert Laming, who was born in Newcastle, qualified as a probation officer and a psychiatric social worker, and began his career in social work in 1961.

After working in a variety of settings, he worked as the assistant Chief Probation Officer in Nottingham City and County from 1968-71.

In 1971, he was appointed Deputy Director of Social Services in Hertfordshire, which, at the time, had a population of about one million, to set up the newly formed Social Services Department.

From 1975 to 1991, he was the Director of Social Services in the county.

He is a past President of the Association of Directors of Social Services. And was, for many years, an advisor to the Local Government Association.

From 1991 to 1998 he was the Chief Inspector of the Social Services Inspectorate. And, in addition to being responsible for the National Programme of Inspection, he was advisor to the Government on social care policy and practice.

In 1985, he was made a CBE and in 1996, he was awarded a knighthood. Two years later he was made a Life Peer and sits in the House of Lords as a crossbencher.

Since leaving the Social Services Inspectorate, Lord Laming has chaired an independent inquiry in Somerset and a review of the management of the Prison Service.

He is currently a non-executive director of the Home Office Strategy Board for the Correctional Services. And is closely associated, either as a patron or president, of several voluntary organisations in the social care field including the Who Cares Trust, National Foster Care Association, National Homecare Association, Care for Children and the Coram Family, the UK's oldest children's charity.

Lord Laming has also advised on social care policy and practice in many countries.