In this podcast we talk about striking the balance between “Regulation to protect; regulation to improve” and explore the ways that effective regulation can work to not only improve the world around us but also to protect the public from harm and ensure that the services we rely on are actually up to scratch. 

To guide us through this complex subject, my guest today is Dame Glenys Stacey, Chair, the Office for Environmental Protection. In her career Dame Glenys has held a number of CEO and regulatory positions and led many public-sector organisations.  She has been responsible for high profile legal or regulatory services that have worked both to protect the public and improve services – most recently with leading regulation roles in Education and the Probation Service.

Dame Glenys' career has included many high profile roles in regulation such as Chief Regulator at Ofqual from 2012 to 2016 then again briefly in 2020 during the pandemic exams crisis, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Probation for England and Wales from 2016 to 2019, Chief Executive at Animal Health, chair of the Professional Standards Authority and of course she now lead the Office for Environmental Protection. 

Clearly given the recent discussion surrounding the role of Ofsted in schools following the tragic suicide of a headteacher, Dame Glenys’ view on the way regulation and inspection should work to protect and improve public services is of great interest.