Rob Smith

Biographical Information
"Rob worked in the civil service from 1974 to 2005. For much of this time he worked in the Department for Education where he gained direct experience of developing policies for children with special needs, for extended schools, and school-business links. He also played a leading role in the establishment of the multi-agency Sure Start and Connexions programmes. In July 2000, Rob became Director General for Regional Co-ordination, working at Board level in the Department of Education and Training, the Cabinet Office and latterly the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, where his responsibilities included regional economic development, regional governance, and 'civil resilience'. Rob has worked closely with the voluntary sector, and been active in advisory groups with The Prince's Trust, Business in the Community, and The Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Rob is a Trustee of the National Literacy Trust and joined The Place2Be as a Trustee in March 2006."