Tameside Council has been forced to apologise to residents after being criticised over the safety and care of children in the borough
The letter to the council from OFSTED says:
“there is insufficient pace and prioritisation in improving the quality of social work for children in need, and those subject to a child protection plan. Weaknesses identified at the last inspection continue to be present in current practice…as a result some children experience drift and delay in having their needs understood and met” and subsequently leaving them in situations of ongoing harm.
Ofsted’s visit took place in February 2025 and the letter was published today
The last report from the Children’s Inspectorate ended with Chief Executive Sandra Stewart and Council leader Ged Cooney resigning
The council successfully appointed a permanent Director of Children’s Services (DCS), Jill Colbert OBE, who began in her role in January 2025.
In the letter Ofsted recognised this permanent appointment has provided a clear direction and “a better understanding of the service’s strengths and weaknesses”, as she works on a service restructure to align with the improvements needed.
Inspectors reflected that the “new DCS has started to get a grip of improvement activity and is engaging well with the local authority’s improvement partner.”
Tameside Council’s Executive Member for Children and Families, Cllr Teresa Smith said:
“I’d firstly like to apologise that not all of our children and young people are receiving the quality and timely support they need and deserve. I’d like to reassure families in Tameside that our improvement plan is our utmost priority, where all of these findings have been addressed.
“I am working closely with our permanent Director of Children’s services and our strategic improvement partner, Stockport Council to achieve the necessary improvements that ensure our children are safe, loved and thriving through consistent good practice.
“We are working hard to recruit permanent social care staff, whilst converting agency workers. We are keen to develop and grow our newly qualified social workers through our Social Work Academy, which will create the stability we need and robust training for the workforce.
“We are dedicated to nurturing a secure and thriving future for our children and families as we continue to put them at the heart of everything we do.”
