Tony Clifford
Professional qualifications
BA PGCE NPQH PQSI
Anewarc 2017 to present:
Consultancy working to support attachment and trauma informed practice with four LAs, three FE colleges and two national charities.
Tony has 40 years of experience of working with young people in education:
- Head of the Virtual School for Children in Care and Care Leavers in Stoke-on-Trent 2009-2017, with responsibility for the education, training and employment pathways for 930 children in care and care leavers aged 0-25
- Strategic lead for ‘Learning Pathways’ in Stoke-on-Trent – commissioning and setting up the operational hub framework for all alternative provision in the city.
- 20 years of senior leadership experience in schools: head teacher, associate head and deputy head in mainstream 11-18 and in special education for children with social, emotional and mental health needs.
Ofsted inspector.
Vice chair of NAVSH [the National Association of Virtual School Heads] 2015-17
Chair of West Midlands Virtual Heads
Developed West Midlands Post 16 Learner Support Agreement – in Stoke this led to a 15% improvement in ETE and better cross border protocols for the support of young people placed out of city.
Member of Buttle Trust Quality Mark steering group for children in care and care leaver support in HE and FE – all FEs and HEIs in Stoke achieved this Quality Mark and we doubled numbers in HEI
Tony has contributed to national policy and practice for young people in care and Care Leavers:
Housing and Leaving Care
In 2012 working with young people in care in Stoke-on-Trent and social care – he developed the idea of the ‘House Project’ – www.thehouseproject.org – a new way of providing a home and holistic support for Care Leavers.
In 2014 he was successful in gaining £600k funding from the DfE Innovation Programme to set up the House Project and in 2016 he gained a further £3.7m from the DfE Innovation Programme to extend the project to 5 more Local Authorities.
After leaving Stoke in 2017, he was a consultant till 2021 for the National House Project which become a charity in 2018.
As of now – there are 22 House Projects nationally, working with 450 young people, with zero tenancy breakdowns and 100% of young people in education, training, or employment.
Tony has contributed to national policy and practice for mental health, with a particular focus on attachment and trauma in education
University of Oxford Rees Centre and Alex Timpson Trust Attachment and Trauma Awareness Programme in schools – steering group member.
Member of expert group that developed DfE guidance on ‘Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools’ – 2018
Founder and trustee of ‘the Attachment Research Community’ 2017 – 2021 – www.the-arc.org.uk – patron Sir John Timpson. ARC’s mission is ‘All schools attachment and trauma aware by 2025’.
Education representative on Social Care Institute for Excellence Expert Group on the mental health of children in care 2016
Education representative on NICE Guideline on Attachment 2015
Education representative on NICE Quality Standard for Attachment 2016
Expert witness Parliamentary sub-committee on the mental health of children in care 2015
Member of Minister of State for Vulnerable Children and Families – Edward Timpson – 2014 expert group on the education of Looked After Children.