My friend Jim Richards, who has died aged 72, was a quietly influential figure in children's services who achieved a great deal as a probation officer and social worker in the public sector and, latterly, as chief executive of the Catholic Children's Society in Westminster.
In the statutory sector, his most notable contribution was to develop the idea of guardians ad litem, who represent children in civil proceedings. In the 1970s and 80s he worked with Tony Hazell to train more than 500 such staff nationwide, ensuring a better service for children within the legal system.