Three New Heavyweights Join Cafcass Board to Protect Kids’ Welfare
The Secretary of State has named Helen Jones, Eileen Munro and Rohan Sivanandan as the latest members of the Children and Family Court Support Service (Cafcass) Board. Their four-year terms kick off on 1 April 2020 and run through to 31 March 2024.
Helen Jones: Risk Expert and Family Justice Champion
Helen Jones brings a powerhouse mix of public and commercial experience to Cafcass. She has held senior risk roles at the Bank of England, Financial Services Authority, and Lloyds Banking Group. For over two decades, Helen has been involved with YMCA London South West (now St Paul’s Group), including serving as Chair of the board. She also leads the YMCA pension scheme board.
Helen is a magistrate on the Greater London Family Panel and takes charge as Lead Magistrate for the Central Family Court this April. She also sits on the Private Law Working Group set up by the President of the Family Division.
Professor Eileen Munro: The Child Protection Guru
Emeritus Professor of Social Policy at LSE, Eileen Munro is a heavyweight thinker on child protection. She authored the landmark Munro Review of the English Child Protection System in 2011, reshaping how child welfare is approached nationwide.
She’s now working with the Signs of Safety organisation to overhaul child protection systems and is deep into a five-year philosophy project exploring how complex causes challenge traditional evidence-based practice. Eileen’s work blends practical insight with academic rigour to enhance child safety.
Rohan Sivanandan: Educator and Community Leader
Rohan Sivanandan pivots from economist and private sector senior exec to education and community advocate. With a career spanning all education phases, he’s also run his own consultancy focusing on leadership coaching and organisational development.
Rohan has served as a school governor, children’s charity trustee, arts charity trustee, BAME mentor, and sports coach. He’s currently a magistrate in criminal and family courts, chairs panels on the Lord Chancellor’s Magistrates’ Advisory Committee for London, and holds multiple advisory roles.
About Cafcass and These Appointments
Cafcass was set up under the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000. It protects and promotes the welfare of children caught up in family court proceedings across England.
The new board appointments follow the Cabinet Office Governance Code on Public Appointments and come clean with no declared political affiliations from any of the appointees.
