William Utting

Between 1956 and 1968, Utting worked within the probation services of County Durham and Norfolk and was later appointed as the Chief Officer of the Probation and After-Care Service for Newcastle upon Tyne.^[1]

In 1968, Utting spent two years as a Lecturer in Social Studies at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. He returned to local government in 1970, serving as the Director of Social Services for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea until 1976.^[1]

Utting transitioned to national policy in 1976, joining the Department of Health and Social Security (which later became the Department of Health).^[1] Between 1976 and 1985 Utting worked as the Chief Social Work Officer. In 1985 he became the inaugural Chief Inspector of the Social Services Inspectorate for England, a position he held until his retirement in July 1991.^[3][4]

In 1991, Utting was knighted for his services to social services.^[5]

Following his retirement, Utting chaired several organizations, including:

• The National Institute for Social Work
• The Council of Goldsmiths (University of London)
• The Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Housing Trust^[1]

In May 1991, the Secretary of State for Health, William Waldegrave, appointed Utting to chair a public inquiry into Britain's children's homes. The inquiry followed allegations of children being placed in solitary confinement, as a punishment, leading to suicide attempts.^[6] The report (Children in the Public Care: A Review of Residential Childcare) was published later the same year.^[7]

In June 1996 the Prime Minister, John Major, appointed Utting to chair a public inquiry into abuse in Britain's children's homes.^[8] The inquiry was ordered following reports of abuse in children's homes in North Wales and London.^[9] The report (People Like Us: Review of the Safeguards for Children Living Away from Home) was published in November 1997.^[9] The Secretary of State for Health, Frank Dobson MP, described the report as presenting "a woeful tale of failure at all levels to provide a secure and decent childhood for some of the most vulnerable children".^[10]

Between 1994 and 2002 Utting served as a member of the Committee on Standards in Public Life (the Nolan/Neill Committee), where he contributed to the oversight of ethical standards in British public office.^[1]

In January 2026, Utting become the first patron of the Social Work History Network. This position was conferred ‘in appreciation of his distinguished lifetime leadership of social work and commitment to the values of public service’.^[3]

A collection of Utting’s professional records is held at the Modern Records Centre at the University of Warwick.^[11]

In 2006, Utting was interviewed as part of the British Library's 'National life stories: pioneers in charity and social welfare' collection.^[12]