Mr Anthony Akaraonye
Membership details: Independent Member
Member of:
Board of Governors
Employment Committee
Term of office:
28/04/2020 – 27/04/2023 (second term)
Anthony has over 35 years combined experience of working with Local Government and communities within Liverpool, including extensive experience of working with children and family services. In the early years of his career he was employed as Project Manager of the Charles Wooton Adult Education Centre before going on to join Liverpool Social Services Directorate. He attended Oxford Polytechnic (Oxford Brooks University) where he studied for his professional qualifications, CQSW and Diploma in Social Work Studies.
In 1993 Anthony became the Social Services Directorate’s Race Equality Officer. He went on to become Senior Manager of the Directorate’s Service Review Unit. The Service Review Unit played a key role in the review and performance management of the Directorate’s overall budget and performance outcomes.
In 1996 Anthony was successfully appointed to the post of Social Services Assistant Director, Head of Children Services. Responsibilities included the strategic development of: Family Placement; Residential Child Care Services; Child Protection; Early Years Services (which included all local authority day nursery provision, both provided and purchased); Family Support Services; Youth Justice Services (now part of YOT services); Field Social Work Services; Respite Services for disabled children; and Adoption Services, with responsibility for a budget in excess of £100m.
In addition to his core duties Anthony has also held responsibility for chairing and contributing to key strategic joint agency forums responsible for delivering central and local government objectives. Joint agency forums included the Merseyside Police, Health, Education and Health Authority Primary Care Groups. He has also given support to both the ADSS (Association of Directors of Social Services) and SSI (Social Services Inspectorate).
In 2001, Anthony left Social Services and together with his wife co-founded Auckland College Independent School. The aim has been to introduce a new level of choice to parents wishing to have their children taught in a nurturing and supportive, safe, structured and friendly environment. The aim has been to meet the individual needs of all its pupils and encourage high standards in education. To date over five hundred children have successfully graduated from Auckland College to further education opportunities and employment.
In 2011 Anthony founded Pepperberry Day Nursery School in Wilmslow, South Manchester. The service is thriving and has supported hundreds of children and parents in the area. The Nursery has twice received an ‘outstanding’ grading from Ofsted inspectors.