Children’s Services in Tameside

The latest Ofsted visit in May 2019 followed an inspection in 2016 when services for children in Tameside were judged to be inadequate. Inspectors graded the services as ‘requires improvement to be good’ - which acknowledges the significant improvement work which has taken place while also highlighting areas for further focus.

In the report, inspectors noted a “much strengthened whole council commitment to improving the quality and impact of children’s services” in the borough. They added this has not only been the case within the children’s services department but also more widely within the local multi-agency safeguarding arrangements and political leadership.

They also said “there has been a notable increase in the pace and effectiveness of service development” and that leaders “have an improved understanding of how well services are working for children”.

You can view all Ofsted reports for Tameside Children’s Services including focussed visits here: Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council - Open - Find an Inspection Report - Ofsted

Improvement Planning

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Meet the Improvement Board

Name	Ali Stathers-Tracey
Job Title	Director of Children’s Services
Organisation	Tameside MBC
Role on Improvement Board	My role is the Statutory Director of Childrens Services for Tameside Council. My responsibilities are to set the strategic Direction for services that are both delivered through the Assistant Directors of Childrens Social Care, Early Help and Education but also for commissioned services from our local delivery partners in neighbourhoods.

Name	Dawn Goodyear
Job Title	Operations Director of Neighbourhoods
Organisation	Jigsaw Homes
Role on Improvement Board	To help ensure that communication and processes are in place to help the local authority discharge its duty of housing. To be the eyes and ears on the ground in the borough neighbourhoods to highlight concerns regarding the welfare and safeguarding of children within Jigsaw Homes.

Name	Debbie Duddridge
Job Title	Head of Service Safeguarding and Quality Assurance
Organisation	Children’s Social Care
Role on Improvement Board	My role on the board is to provide strategic information about the Quality Assurance frameworks in place and the impact they make across our services. This also includes the support and development provided to the whole system, in promoting the very best safeguarding practice for children across all services.

Name	Helen Wilson
Job Title	Headteacher
Organisation	Samuel Laycock School
Role on Improvement Board	Headteacher representing Tameside Special Schools. Working collaboratively with other organisations to understand the challenges, strengths and areas for improvement across children’s services. Disseminate relevant information to special school colleagues.

Name	Jane Sowerby
Job Title	Assistant Director of Education
Organisation	TMBC, Children’s Services
Role on Improvement Board	My role is to provide an education overview and perspective and support improved working together across Children’s Services and its education partners. It is also to ensure that key messages are disseminated across the school sector and to facilitate opportunities for strategic dialogue with schools.

Name	Louise Rule
Job Title	Head of starting Well
Organisation	Greater Manchester NHs Integrated Care
Role on Improvement Board	I am the Tameside locality representative for Greater Manchester NHS Integrated Care System. Operating at a neighbourhood, locality and Greater Manchester level I work with colleagues from our hospitals, GPs, community services and the voluntary sector to ensure that NHS services are in place to effect the Improvement Plan actions.

Name	Paula Sumner
Job Title	Assistant Director, Early Help & Partnership
Organisation	TMBC
Role on Improvement Board	My role on the board is to provide data and reports to the Board particularly in relation to the partnership’s approach to prevention, and how we work collaboratively to ensure referrals that come through to the front door are assessed robustly and in a timely manner ensuring families receive the right support at the right time. I am also responsible for ensuring that our response to complex safeguarding is well understood and is shared with members of the Board.

Name	Phil Davies
Job Title	Chief Superintendent
Organisation	Greater Manchester Police
Role on Improvement Board	As the District Commander for Tameside Police, represents the police contribution to improving the safeguarding of children within and visiting Tameside.

Name	Philip Wilson
Job Title	Headteacher
Organisation	Droylsden Academy
Role on Improvement Board	Secondary education representative. Sharing updates, discussions and actions from the Improvement Board with TASH (Tameside Association of Secondary Headteachers).

Name	Anton McGrath
Job Title	CEO
Organisation	Stamford Park Trust
Role on Improvement Board	Representing secondary and 16-18 education providers in Tameside.

Name	Rebecca Taylor-Williams
Job Title	Children’s Interventions Senior Case Lead
Organisation	Department For Education
Role on Improvement Board	I am there as DfE intervention lead to work with the LA and Adviser to support Tameside’s Improvement Journey, gaining assurances through a broader perspective from partners at the improvement board to triangulate evidence.

Name	Tracy Brennand
Job Title	Assistant Director (People & Workforce Development)
Organisation	Tameside MBC
Role on Improvement Board	I am the workforce lead for the Council and responsible in support and collaboration of the service for the development and delivery of our workforce strategy, recruitment and retention plan and associated aspects relating to our workforce

Name	Tony Decrop
Job Title	Assistant Director – Children’s Social Care
Organisation	Tameside Children’s Services
Role on Improvement Board	My role on the board is to provide a strategic overview of the operational delivery of statutory children’s social care services across Tameside. I also provide updates against progress on the Improvement Plan and support the Chair in undertaking specific areas of focus and scrutiny into frontline services.

Name	Bill Fairfoull
Job Title	Deputy Executive Leader (Children & Families)
Organisation	TMBC
Role on Improvement Board	I am the lead elected member for Children’s Services at TMBC. I have the responsibility the welfare for all Children and Care Leavers where the council act as Corporate Parents. I need to ensure that all TMBC partners work together to achieve this. Finally I want to the voice of our Children in the Council chamber and beyond