The Inquiry is led by a Chair and two Panellists, supported by a legal team and a Secretariat. Together, they bring expertise in children’s advocacy, policing, and local government leadership.
Chair, Baroness Anne Longfield CBE
Chair
Baroness Longfield’s commitment to leading this Inquiry stems from her longstanding determination to protect the most vulnerable children and to hold services to account when they fail.
She has spent her career challenging the systems that overlook at-risk young people, and she brings a clear resolve to uncover what went wrong, amplify victims’ voices, and push for real change so that exploitation is prevented – not repeated.
Baroness Longfield has been a strong, independent advocate and policy expert for children for more than four decades. She was appointed as a life peer in December 2024 and introduced to the House of Lords in February 2025.
In 2015, she was appointed as the independent Children’s Commissioner for England. During her six-year term, she campaigned for children on a range of issues, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and improving support for the most vulnerable children and young people.
In 2021, she established and chaired the Commission on Young Lives, an independent inquiry developing proposals to protect vulnerable teenagers from harm and exploitation.
In 2023, she founded the Centre for Young Lives, an independent think tank focused on improving outcomes for children, young people, and families.
Earlier in her career, she led a national children’s charity delivering children’s centres across the country and worked with the government on the development of the Sure Start programme.
She has spent her career challenging the systems that overlook at-risk young people, and she brings a clear resolve to uncover what went wrong, amplify victims’ voices, and push for real change so that exploitation is prevented – not repeated.
Baroness Longfield has been a strong, independent advocate and policy expert for children for more than four decades. She was appointed as a life peer in December 2024 and introduced to the House of Lords in February 2025.
In 2015, she was appointed as the independent Children’s Commissioner for England. During her six-year term, she campaigned for children on a range of issues, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and improving support for the most vulnerable children and young people.
In 2021, she established and chaired the Commission on Young Lives, an independent inquiry developing proposals to protect vulnerable teenagers from harm and exploitation.
In 2023, she founded the Centre for Young Lives, an independent think tank focused on improving outcomes for children, young people, and families.
Earlier in her career, she led a national children’s charity delivering children’s centres across the country and worked with the government on the development of the Sure Start programme.
Panellist, Zoë Billingham CBE
Panellist
Zoë Billingham brings a strong commitment to exposing systemic failures and improving protection for victims, shaped by years spent challenging policing to better safeguard women and girls.
Known for her independence and survivor-centred approach, she has a track record of leading difficult national inspections that force accountability and drive reform.
Her role in the Inquiry reflects that same determination to uncover the truth, listen to victims, and ensure institutions learn from past mistakes so exploitation cannot be allowed to persist.
Zoë is a former Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, where she led nationally on violence against women and girls. Her landmark inspections resulted in violence against women and girls being recognised as a strategic policing requirement for the first time.
She is currently Chair of Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, a trustee of SafeLives, and Chair of the Police Remuneration Review Body. She was awarded a CBE for public service in 2022.
The Hon Zoë Billingham CBE
Known for her independence and survivor-centred approach, she has a track record of leading difficult national inspections that force accountability and drive reform.
Her role in the Inquiry reflects that same determination to uncover the truth, listen to victims, and ensure institutions learn from past mistakes so exploitation cannot be allowed to persist.
Zoë is a former Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, where she led nationally on violence against women and girls. Her landmark inspections resulted in violence against women and girls being recognised as a strategic policing requirement for the first time.
She is currently Chair of Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, a trustee of SafeLives, and Chair of the Police Remuneration Review Body. She was awarded a CBE for public service in 2022.
The Hon Zoë Billingham CBE
Panellist, Eleanor Kelly CBE
Panellist
Eleanor Kelly brings decades of experience tackling some of the country’s most complex public sector challenges. Her work has been defined by a calm, principled focus on accountability and public protection.
She has repeatedly been called on to lead major responses during moments of national crisis, ensuring that systems learn from failure and that communities are not let down again.
Her role in the Inquiry reflects that same commitment to uncovering the truth, strengthening public institutions, and ensuring vulnerable people receive the protection they deserve.
Eleanor has almost five decades of experience in local government and finance, including a period at KPMG.
She served as Chief Executive of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets from 1999 to 2002, before becoming Chief Executive of Southwark Council, a role she held for over a decade until 2022.
During her career she has led major national responses, including as joint lead on the Grenfell Tower taskforce and as local authority adviser on the COVID-19 National Vaccination Programme.
She was awarded an honorary fellowship of King’s College London in 2022 for services to society.
She has repeatedly been called on to lead major responses during moments of national crisis, ensuring that systems learn from failure and that communities are not let down again.
Her role in the Inquiry reflects that same commitment to uncovering the truth, strengthening public institutions, and ensuring vulnerable people receive the protection they deserve.
Eleanor has almost five decades of experience in local government and finance, including a period at KPMG.
She served as Chief Executive of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets from 1999 to 2002, before becoming Chief Executive of Southwark Council, a role she held for over a decade until 2022.
During her career she has led major national responses, including as joint lead on the Grenfell Tower taskforce and as local authority adviser on the COVID-19 National Vaccination Programme.
She was awarded an honorary fellowship of King’s College London in 2022 for services to society.
LEGAL TEAM
The legal team supports the Chair in conducting the Inquiry’s proceedings, gathering evidence, and ensuring the process is fair and thorough.
Counsel to the Inquiry (not yet appointed)
Solicitor to the Inquiry (not yet appointed)
SECRETARIAT
The Secretariat is responsible for the administration of the Inquiry. This involves supporting the Chair and Panel, who make the key decisions. The Secretariat acts as the main point of contact between the Inquiry and the Home Office, and works to ensure the Chair, Panel, and the Inquiry’s work remains independent from Government.
Sally Frazer and Alice Bradley
Joint Chief Executives and Secretaries
As Joint Chief Executives and Secretaries to the Inquiry, Alice and Sally are responsible for the day-to-day running of the Inquiry, including leading the Inquiry team. They report to the Chair and Panel and work to support them in whatever way is needed to complete the Inquiry’s work.
Alice and Sally are senior civil servants who have worked together in a job-share across a range of senior leadership roles over the past seven years. Most recently, they served as joint Chief Executive of the Leasehold Advisory Service.
They have led teams on a number of significant areas of government work, including local government Brexit preparedness, the local government COVID-19 response, and housing delivery roles at both the Greater London Authority and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
They also led the well-received Homes England Public Bodies Review in 2023.
Between them, Alice and Sally have over 20 years of civil service experience each, spanning local government, homelessness, and social housing, as well as working directly in Ministerial teams in the Cabinet Office and MHCLG.
Alice and Sally are senior civil servants who have worked together in a job-share across a range of senior leadership roles over the past seven years. Most recently, they served as joint Chief Executive of the Leasehold Advisory Service.
They have led teams on a number of significant areas of government work, including local government Brexit preparedness, the local government COVID-19 response, and housing delivery roles at both the Greater London Authority and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
They also led the well-received Homes England Public Bodies Review in 2023.
Between them, Alice and Sally have over 20 years of civil service experience each, spanning local government, homelessness, and social housing, as well as working directly in Ministerial teams in the Cabinet Office and MHCLG.
Rob Leach
Deputy Secretary
Rob Leach brings over 20 years’ experience at the heart of government, leading complex cross-Whitehall policy and programmes.
Before joining the Inquiry, he served as Deputy Director for Local Government Engagement at MHCLG, resetting central–local relationships, leading engagement with councils during the COVID-19 response, coordinating aspects of the Homes for Ukraine scheme, and helping councils prepare for Brexit.
Earlier in his career, Rob chaired senior industry advisory forums following the Grenfell tragedy to help unlock building safety remediation, worked extensively on resilience and local government reform, and helped establish the Young Advisors charity, which works to ensure young people can better engage with community life and improve local decision-making and services.