Outstanding Achievement Award

Sir Roger Singleton

The winner of the 2007 Outstanding Achievement Award, for an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to excellence in charities over time, is Sir Roger Singleton.

Sir Roger Singleton says he can't point to an altruistic mission to join the voluntary sector. After working in an approved school during a year out, he completed an MA in social administration. Deciding to combine education with social care, he then spent five years rising to deputy head of an approved school before becoming assistant director of social services at Durham County Council.

It was a time of major change in the care and education of deprived and delinquent children. He became involved in how the voluntary sector could contribute, and was appointed deputy director at Barnardo's, staying there until 2006, his last 22 years as chief executive.

Barnardo's was at a crossroads when he joined. 'There was a recognition we had to change radically or put up the shutters,' he says. He takes great pride in helping Barnardo's transform from an organisation that took children away from families to one that supports children within families.

He has contributed much on child and social care issues. He's been treasurer of the National Council of Voluntary Child Care Organisations, is a trustee of the Diana Fund, and is on the board of Capacitybuilders. He was knighted in 2006.

Well known for supporting his peers and encouraging the improvement of management and governance standards in the sector, his advice for aspiring leaders is to employ enterprising people, and have confidence they will find solutions.

He says: 'The voluntary sector must be well managed, and have sound financial, administration and planning systems. But don't expect those processes to necessarily deliver ideas, vision and excitement. You need people who think off the wall. Don't managerialise them out of existence.'

He feels strongly that if the state intervenes in people's lives, there is an onus upon it to do that well. He is therefore excited about his appointment as chair of the new independent safeguarding authority, set up to enhance the protection of vulnerable children and adults. 'It pulls together what I have done over the last 40 years, which has fed a passion to see that public services are not only as good but as safe as they can be.'

And its for so effectively combining this passion and managerial excellence that the 2007 outstanding achievement award goes to Sir Roger Singleton.

• Winners Profile of Sir Roger Singleton