Skills for Care has appointed former Hampshire County Council chief executive John Coughlan as its new chair of trustees.
Coughlan will take over as chair of the workforce development agency for adult social care in England from Dame Moira Gibb who steps down in March next year after seven years in post.
Coughlan is an experienced leader and has led both adult and children’s social care who, as chief executive of Hampshire County Council, offered “high-quality service delivery and financial stability and successfully led the council through the pandemic”, said Skills for Care.
Prior to that, Coughlan was Hampshire’s director of children’s services for a decade taking them from ‘good’ to ‘outstanding’ Ofsted ratings.
He also served as president of the Association of Children’s Services and in 2009 he was awarded a CBE for services to local government.
“I’m delighted to be joining Skills for Care at what is a pivotal period of reform for adult social care. If I have learnt anything as a leader of services, it’s that a highly motivated and skilled workforce will be central to progress,” said Coughlan.
“I am determined that Skills for Care will play a key role in leading the sector through this critical period,” he added.
Dame Moira Gibb added: “We had a number of very strong applications for this role, but John’s mix of significant leadership experience, particularly during the recent pandemic, and clear strategic thinking around workforce issues made him the selection panel’s choice.”
