Our Patron
Hilton Dawson
Hilton Dawson took up post as Chief Executive of Shaftesbury Homes and Arethusa in August 2005. He qualified as a social worker in 1982 and is registered with the General Social Care Council.
Hilton has 15 years experience of local authority work as a children and family social worker, youth justice manager and manager of residential care, fostering, adoption, learning disability services and family centres. He has pioneered work providing alternatives to custody for young people and improving the participation of young people in decisions which affect their lives.
Hilton was elected to Lancaster City Council in 1987 and was Deputy Leader from 1991- 1995. He stood down in 1997 when he was elected to Parliament as the M.P for Lancaster & Wyre.
During 8 years in Parliament Hilton formed the All Party Group for Children in Care and took an influential part in the progress of what became the Children (Leaving Care) Act, the Adoption and Children Act, and the Children Act 2004 among others. He moved a Private Members Bill for a Children’s Commissioner for England on three occasions and was voted as Parliamentary ‘Children’s Champion’ in 2004.
Hilton left Parliament in May 2005 because he wanted to be more involved in implementing change and transforming outcomes for looked after children. He is delighted to be at Shaftesbury because it has a solid base of good practice, a sound reputation and enormous potential to reach the very high standards of practice and influence the positive development required by 'Care Matters.'
