Paul Ennals

Who is Paul Ennals?

The Honourable Sir Paul Martin Ennals, CBE is chief executive of the United Kingdom's National Children's Bureau, a post he took up in 1998, having previously been director of education and employment for the RNIB. He was vice-chairman of the government's National Advisory Group on Special Educational Needs from 1997 to 2001, chairman of the Council for Disabled Children from 1993–1998, and founder chairman of the Special Educational Consortium.

In 2000 he chaired an independent review of pre-schools and playgroups funded by the Department for Education and Skills. He chaired the DfES/Department of Health working group which produced the guidance on disabled children aged birth to three years Together from the Start in 2002 – the precursor to the Early Support Programme. He served on the Department of Health Strategy Group for the Children's National Service Framework, and chaired the group which produced the core standards. In 2003 he chaired the Task Group making recommendations on children and young people for the Public Health White Paper.

He was shadow chairman of the Children's Workforce Development Council, which went live in April 2005 and represents the interests of employers and employees working with children in early years, social care, and related settings. He currently chairs the Children's Workforce Network, which brings together all the major agencies concerned with the children's workforce. He is a member of the DFES Stakeholder’s Board.