 Having been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1999 Birthday Honours, he was created a life peer with the title Baron Patel of Bradford, of Bradford in the County of West Yorkshire on 8 June 2006.On 19 March 2018, Lord Patel of Bradford was appointed by the Secretary of State for Education and the Secretary of State for Health & Social Care as the Chair of Social Work England.Social Work England will be the new regulator for all child, family and adult social workers in England.