Charity leader joins Government taskforce

A CHARITY boss from Royston has been appointed to a Government taskforce. Neil Wragg, chief executive of Youth at Risk, which is based in Abbots Yard, Royston, will sit on the Social Work Taskforce, which has been set up to conduct a comprehensive review

A CHARITY boss from Royston has been appointed to a Government taskforce.

Neil Wragg, chief executive of Youth at Risk, which is based in Abbots Yard, Royston, will sit on the Social Work Taskforce, which has been set up to conduct a comprehensive review of front line social work practice.

Ed Balls, the Government's Children's Secretary, said of the task forces launch: "Social workers do a really difficult job, often in extremely challenging circumstances.

"They have a vital role in protecting children and young people from harm.

"The role of the Taskforce will be to support and develop their work, training, recruitment and day-to-day practice, so that social work is, and is seen to be, a high quality and self-confident profession, with the confidence and esteem of the public."

Mr Wragg, of Harwoods Lane, has been chief executive at Youth at Risk, a charity that helps young people in difficult situations in this country and abroad, since 1994.

In that time he has seen the organisation flourish, and now supports 7,000 young people.

He is also a member of the Government's crime reduction panel, and was made an MBE in the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours list.