A Grimsby man who has dedicated the last 35 years of his life to a successful career in children’s services has received a knighthood in the New Years’ Honours List 2025.
Stuart Carlton, who grew up in the area and began his career in 1989 at a children’s home in Nunsthorpe, is set to be knighted at Buckingham Palace for his services to children, young people and families.
He attended Waltham Toll Bar and started working at the children’s home whilst home for the summer from university, before going on to qualify as a social worker for North East Lincolnshire Council. After working in Lincolnshire for a number of years, he made the move to North Yorkshire County Council in 2017 as the Corporate Director of Children and Young People Services.
Speaking to Grimsby Live, Stuart said: “I was utterly shocked when I found out I’d received a knighthood. It was completely unexpected. You receive a letter in the post about six weeks beforehand with ‘On His Majesty’s Service’ on it, and when I opened it, it was utter shock and delight.
“Like all these awards, it’s built on a long career of service and the hard work and dedication of many other people that I have been truly privileged to work alongside. I thank each and every one of them.”
He continued: “I ran a youth group in Grimsby when I was 18 – I was at uni and needed a summer job. My dad said he’d got me a job in a bakery and I thought, ‘I’m not doing that’, so I contacted a children’s home in Nunsthorpe and started working there. That was the start of my career.
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“I just developed this sense of understanding of how disadvantage, for some young people, holds them back massively. It was that sense of wanting to help others achieve and do well, that has driven me my whole career.”
Stuart, whose whole family still live in Grimsby, has helped North Yorkshire Council to secure two consecutive “outstanding in all areas” reports from the inspection of local authority children’s services – the only area in the country to have achieved this.
“In my head I’m still this lad from Grimsby and it’s just not something that happens to people like me. I haven’t even got round to thinking about going to Buckingham Palace to be knighted yet.”