A WOMAN appointed to one of the top social services roles in the region faced an unusual panel during her interview process for the job.

Debbie Jones, Durham County Council's new head of children and family services, had to give a presentation to a panel comprising not only of senior social services staff, but also young people in the authority's care.

The move was the council's latest initiative to give young people in the county more of a say in appointing the people who will be responsible for their welfare.

Ms Jones was one of five shortlisted candidates to give the presentation entitled What Makes a Good Social Worker.

The young people played a key role right through the recruitment process. This involved drawing up the original advert, job description and personal specification, through to picking the shortlist and eventually the final choice of candidate.

Peter Kemp, the county council's director of social services, said: "This is the most senior post in which we have involved young people through the interviewing process and is the latest part of the council's drive to include youngsters in recruiting staff who will be heavily involved with them."

All of the youngsters were given training before they took part in the process.

Mr Kemp added: "We are very pleased with the way the initiative is working out.

"It gives staff a better insight into what young people are seeking from the people in charge of their welfare. It enables young people to have a real say in the type of care they receive, and the type of people who deliver it."

Ms Jones, who took up her post last month, said: "I found it challenging for all the right reasons, because it forced you not to speak in jargon and to make it very clear about what you want for the service.

"It wasn't tokenistic. The young people had obviously been very well prepared."

Ms Jones was head of children's services in Slough for three years. A married mother-of-two, Ms Jones spent several years working in Oxfordshire after qualifying as a social worker, during which time her sons were born. She juggled time between work and family before moving to Warwickshire in the 1980s.

Before going to Slough, she lectured in further education, spent three years with the Department of Health and two as a service manager for disabled children.

She spent much time with her predecessor, Ken Black, who stepped down to spend more time with his family after his post as manager of the Aycliffe Young People's Centre was merged with the position of head of children and family services.