Ofsted recognises progress in Tameside Children’s Services

OFSTED has reported Tameside Council Children’s Services are in an “improved position” following a recent monitoring visit.

The council accepts the full findings of inspectors, who as well as highlighting progress have also identified ongoing areas for improvement.

The visit took place in December 2025 and the findings have been published today (27 January 2026).

The council has now successfully recruited to all senior leadership positions within Children’s Services, including the appointment of a permanent Assistant Director of Education and Inclusion. This marks a significant milestone in the improvement journey, with Ofsted noting that these appointments have created “stability and permanence at a senior level” and recognising that “leaders continue to prioritise recruiting a permanent workforce.”

While these leadership roles have only recently been filled, the council is clear that further improvements are required — and now has the senior capacity in place to drive that progress forward.

Tameside Council continue to work with their strategic improvement partner, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to progress the ongoing work to improve children’s services. Both are united in their efforts to deliver real progress for children, young people and families in the borough.

Director of Children’s Services, Jill Colbert OBE, has now been in post for one year. Her vision to create services that support children and families, as well as staff is evident in the improvement plan, which is reflected in the report, stating that “a refreshed and appropriately targeted improvement plan is providing a more methodical and systematic approach to improvement.”

Ofsted’s letter identifies clear signs of a developing culture shift within Children’s Services. Inspectors found that “social workers reflected on how the increased stability in management was making them feel safer, less anxious and more settled.”

They also highlighted that “the approach of senior leaders is more collaborative and engaging. Leaders are more visible and readily accessible to support more consistent decision-making, and as a result morale is much improved.”

A reduction in agency social workers has contributed further to this growing stability and long‑term workforce resilience.

The letter recognises important developments in social work practice. Ofsted found that the Director of Children’s Services “has an intricate understanding of frontline practice” and has established “a secure platform to engage with frontline staff.” This approach has helped shape improvements to the wider service and ensure social work practice is becoming more child‑centred.

Supporting children to achieve permanence remains a core priority for the council. Ofsted noted this as “a clear priority” and highlighted the impact of a newly established permanence tracker and weekly senior oversight panels. These improvements give leaders better visibility of plans for children and create opportunities for social workers to explore the best long‑term options for each child. Inspectors acknowledged this represents progress since their previous visit, while the council recognises that more work is needed to ensure consistent impact for children and families.

The monitoring letter highlights additional areas of progress, including an expanded commissioning team to support placement options, established practice standards, regular permanence meetings, improved monitoring of children, increased consideration of kinship arrangements, clearer focus on permanence plans, and an emphasis on mental health and emotional needs.

Inspectors also commended improvements in social worker supervision, noting that it is “now taking place more regularly” and includes better reflection on children’s views, wishes and feelings. The council will continue to build on this through enhanced supervision training planned for January 2026.

However, Ofsted did identify ongoing issues, stating that “there are inconsistencies in the quality and impact of social work practice, including the quality of assessments, plans, and planning,” and raised concerns around sufficiency challenges, where some children’s needs are not yet fully met by available placements. The council remains focused on addressing these areas.

Tameside Council’s Executive Member for Children and Families, Cllr Teresa Smith said: “I’m pleased the inspectors have recognised we’re making progress and getting better at supporting children and families, but we know we still have a lot more work to do.

“Our families are important to us and we’re working hard to improve their experience and our services. We have a strong foothold now, and I want to reassure everyone that delivering meaningful and lasting improvement is our absolute priority. We are committed to building a service that families can rely on and one that our workforce can be proud to be a part of.

“Since our last Ofsted monitoring visit, we have worked hard to recruit permanent senior leaders and social workers. We have now successfully filled all senior posts, and we have reduced our reliance on agency staff. This stability will strengthen our service and ensure consistent support as we continue on our improvement journey.

“I’m encouraged that the monitoring letter recognises improved morale across our workforce and highlights that Jill and other leaders are increasingly visible and engaged. It acknowledges that this leadership presence has helped staff feel less anxious and more settled in their roles.

“In Tameside, we are united in our commitment to achieving the very best for our children and families, and we will continue to put them at the heart of everything we do.”

Tameside Council’s Director of Children’s Services, Jill Colbert OBE said: “I welcome the findings in the letter, as they affirm our understanding of the changes needed and confirm that our improvement plan is heading in the right direction.

“It is positive to see the letter recognise the progress made, particularly in how our social work practice is becoming more child‑centred. We know there is still much to do, and we remain fully committed to making those improvements.

“While it will take time for the positive impact of our changes to be fully evidenced for our children and families, we remain firmly focused on trying to be better for our families every day and I’m enormously grateful for the loyalty and commitment of our staff who show up every day to do that .”