Advertisement ICNICN Would you like to advertise on ICN? Click to learn more.

Obituary: Deacon Jim Richards MBE


Deacon Jim, Cardinal Cormac

Deacon Jim, Cardinal Cormac

Obituary: Deacon Jim Richards MBE

11 October 1941 – 22 February 2014

Former Chief Executive Officer, Catholic Children’s Society (Westminster)

Rosemary Keenan, CEO Catholic Children’s Society (Westminster) writes: the For those of us who worked with James Manson Richards, known to us as Jim, his most outstanding attributes were his faith and commitment to children and families in need and the love he had for his own family and friends.

Since he qualified as a Probation Officer and Child Care Officer in 1970, Jim Richards was a passionate advocate of children’s rights, concerned to address child poverty and a campaigner for excellence in adoption and children’s care services. He did this through both his unstinting voluntary work and his paid employment.

His significant voluntary work included involvement with the British Association for Adoption and Fostering which spanned 16 years, whilst during the 1990s he was a trustee of both the Children's Legal Centre, an independent national charity concerned with law and policy affecting children and young people, and the Family Rights Group, a national voluntary organisation that advocates for the welfare of children who are in contact with social services from a family-centred perspective.

He was also the Vice-Chairperson of the National Youth Advocacy Service, a national charity providing information, advice, advocacy and legal representation to children and young people through a network of advocates. The ethos of all three organisations reflected Jim’s belief in the principles which underpin the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, particularly that children’s needs are paramount in any decision made about them and that their wishes and feelings should also be taken into account in such decisions.

Jim’s concern that services to children and young people should be of the highest quality found expression through his voluntary contribution as a trustee of the National Council of Voluntary Child Care Organisations, which aimed to ensure the well-being and safeguarding of children by promoting and maximising the voluntary sector’s contribution to the provision of services under the government’s agenda to change and modernise public services.

A concern to address the needs of young homeless people was reflected in Jim’s work as a trustee of the Cardinal Hume Centre, a charity which works with homeless young people, badly housed families and local communities to access accommodation, support, advice, training and education. Jim’s commitment to the development of himself and others, particularly through education and training is just one way in which he showed his commitment to equal opportunities and increasing the impact of individual contributions to the betterment of children and young people. As well as his role at the Cardinal Hume Centre, his encouragement of his colleagues and employees, Jim was also a governor at Cedars Primary School in Hounslow and The Rosary Primary School in Heston.

As Chief Executive Officer of the Catholic Children’s Society (Westminster) between 1990 and 2009, Jim had changed the focus of the organisation from mainly family placement to a range of innovative community services, including work with Irish Travellers; family centre based work with disadvantaged children and families in areas of high poverty; child and adolescent psychotherapy, counselling and play-therapy services delivered in schools and in non-statutory settings.

Jim made a significant contribution to children’s rights through his sustained commitment to the thinking and development of ideas and practice within a number of strategically significant voluntary organisations which advocate and campaign on such issues, developed guidance on the practical implications of children’s rights in specific fields and championed the development of good quality services to children, young people and their families.

Through his contribution to government consultation documents he advised on and sought improvements to policies, practices and procedures around service delivery and the reduction of the causes of child poverty. This was further ratified by his own writings, some of which were produced in partnership with others, for example the publications:
Schedule 2 Reports In Adoption, A Guide for Report Writers and their Supervisors written with Professor Tony Hazell; Surrogacy - A Guide for Guardians Ad Litem in Applications under S.30. of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, 1990.

Jim made an outstanding contribution to the development and role of Guardian ad Litem work and the representation of children within the legal system. Most notably, during the 1970s and 1980s Jim was involved with Tony Hazell (now Professor Hazell) in training the first cohort of Guardians Ad Litem; running training programmes throughout England and Wales, training in excess of 500 such personnel. This gained him the respect and recognition of those involved in this innovatory and long lasting development to ensure children are treated more appropriately and justly within the legal system.

Jim worked in partnership with others in the voluntary sector, both motivating and being motivated by them. His strong leadership provided the necessary guidance to help them influence or further develop or implement social policy, practice and procedures related especially, but not exclusively, to the work of Guardian ad Litems and adoption services. This influence impacted not only upon the professional practice of social workers and those involved in childcare but also upon the lives of disadvantaged and homeless children and young people; adopted children and those involved in the adoption triangle; looked after children; children with special educational needs; children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties and the Irish Traveller community.

Jim brought to the work of the voluntary child care sector, clarity of thought which enhanced its development and performance as a significant contributor to social policy and the delivery of services. This “organisational” Jim has to be juxtaposed against the human person who is widely respected and esteemed by his work colleagues for his compassionate concern for their welfare, calm and even temperament and equitable approach to any situation he was confronted by. He was especially unflustered in times of unexpected change or difficult situations for example those involving child protection related issues.

Jim was responsible for assisting His Eminence Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, with the implementation, in the Westminster Archdiocese, of the recommendations in the Nolan Report, on child protection in the Catholic Church. He line managed and supervised the Diocesan Child Protection Officer and was a member of the Diocesan Child Protection Commission. Through this difficult and challenging work he had been diligent in seeking to ensure that the Catholic Church becomes a model of best practice in the field of safeguarding children.

Jim was in every sense a man who gave tirelessly and generously to others. He gave a significant amount of his time to volunteering. He combined a wealth of knowledge and experience in child care and his professional life with a deep compassion and respect for people whom he met both professionally and in his everyday life. Jim was a man of integrity and justice. He not only talked but he also acted with integrity and justice; both within the public domain and the more private sphere of his family and local community. Married to Diane for over forty years, he was a father of three children and a grandfather of four. Together with Diane he brought experience of married life, with its many joys and difficulties, to the task of preparing and supporting other couples for marriage. Having experienced a tragic personal loss in the family, Jim was very aware of the stresses that can be placed upon relationships and the need to work through and address issues in a marriage; an awareness they shared with others.

Jim balanced and juxtaposed his professional life with his family and local neighbourhood. In the past Jim served as a Labour party local councillor and continued to be engaged with local issues. He even found time to maintain an allotment and keep bees. Jim’s commitment to the local area in which he lived for over thirty years found particular expression through his active involvement in his local community in the parish church of Heston. His Eminence Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, ordained Jim as a deacon in 2006 following a period of formation which he had undertaken. The ministry of deacon enabled Jim to make a unique contribution to the life of his local parish community journeying with those who were in need of support especially at times of crisis or bereavement. His wisdom and sound judgement had led to him being chosen, as Assistant Director of the Permanent Diaconate, to be involved with the selection and support of deacons within the Church.

Jim’s life and outstanding work was recognised in 2010 when he was awarded an MBE For those of us who worked with Jim, it was a privilege. His faith was affirming and underpinned all that he did.

Rosemary Keenan, CEO, Catholic Children’s Society (Westminster)

* Canon Pat Browne said: "When I became Director for Permanent Deacons Jim was one of the first people who presented himself as a possible candidate. He did it humbly and had a true understanding that this was a ministry of service.

"Humility and Service was in his blood. He knew what it was to wash feet. We thank God for an exemplary Servant, in the way he lived and in the way he died. May he rest now from his labours and receive the reward the Lord has prepared for him."


Adverts

SPICMA

We offer publicity space for Catholic groups/organisations. See our advertising page if you would like more information.

We Need Your Support

ICN aims to provide speedy and accurate news coverage of all subjects of interest to Catholics and the wider Christian community. As our audience increases - so do our costs. We need your help to continue this work.

You can support our journalism by advertising with us or donating to ICN.

Mobile Menu Toggle Icon