Marion gets ‘great’ honour for career of helping vulnerable children

And now her hard work has been recognised, as the recently retired director at Warwickshire County Council has been made Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2012 New Year’s Honours.

The 56-year-old, who began her career in social services at the age of 18, spent six years at the helm of the council’s Children, Young People and Familes services directorate and was in 2010 president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services.

Having taken an early retirement in October last year, Ms Davis could not have asked for a better start to her retired life.

She said: “It was a great way to start the new year. It’s a very great honour.”

Ms Davis has no children of her own but she has dedicated much of her life to ensuring the most vulnerable ones are given the best opportunities.

In her most recent role, she was responsible for everything in the county that has to do with children, including schools, early years services, children in social care, child protection, adoption, fostering and youth offending.

She said: “It was a pretty big job. But I worked with some really talented people in the council and had some excellent colleagues in partner agencies.

“With this job and others, I have always believed in doing it to the utmost, but with a job like this, if you are not at least 100 per cent committed, you won’t produce the sort of outcomes that children need. There are a lot of very vulnerable children who deserve the very best.

“It has been a privilege to be able to lead one’s colleagues, both locally and nationally. I honestly think that my job was the best in local government, if not wider than that.”

Ms Davis was not told who nominated her and she does not yet know when she will be summoned to St James’ Palace in London for this year’s investiture ceremony.

But she said: “I know it will be something I will always remember. I am thinking about my outfit already!”