Tag Archives: Children’s Services

Ofsted inspection rates Croydon children’s services ‘Good’

Posted on March 16, 2020 by

It has taken two and a half years, and an extra £25million spent on recruiting staff and providing new equipment, but Croydon Council’s children’s services department has finally been rated as “Good” by Ofsted following its latest inspection. The borough’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Nick Pendry, Robert Henderson, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ofsted finds ‘sustained progress’ in children’s services

Posted on December 18, 2019 by

After nearly three years in special measures, Ofsted says that Croydon’s children’s services department is showing “sustained progress”, and is beginning to operate in a manner that properly serves the borough’s most vulnerable young people. The department’s social workers are … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Services, Croydon Council, Nick Pendry, Robert Henderson | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Council’s sorry performance after Ombudsman’s dozen rulings

Posted on July 29, 2019 by

One reason that rulings by the Local Government Ombudsman against local authorities, such as Croydon, attract so little attention is that the Ombudsman’s office never insists that the offending councils should publish the findings in full on their own website. … Continue reading →

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Education, Robert Henderson, Schools, SEND | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Council tries to ‘hoodwink’ families to opt out of SEND services

Posted on June 18, 2019 by

Croydon Council is trying to save £100,000 from its SEND budget for every teenager currently receiving help from the local authority, under services which it is supposed to provide by law. Youngsters with SEND – special education needs or disability … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Services, Croydon Council, Education, Schools, SEND | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Protesters SEND message: it’s not just money that matters

Posted on May 31, 2019 by

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Families who have children, teens and young adults with special educational needs and disabilities have become increasingly frustrated with the lack of care and attention provided by their councils. Yesterday, they staged a march on Westminster. SARAH BOWELL … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Services, Croydon Council, Education, Schools, SEND | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Council couldn’t care less: Ombudsman upholds 7 complaints

Posted on April 22, 2019 by

Croydon Council had seven public complaints upheld against it by the Local Government Ombudsman in the first three months of 2019, research conducted for Inside Croydon can reveal. The rulings resulted in several apologies from the council, and hundreds of … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Education, SEND | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Council could seek more time to fix problem children’s services

Posted on March 16, 2019 by

Town Hall reporter KEN LEE on the latest, critical Ofsted report on the council children’s services department, which has 78% vacancy rate among  some of its social work teams Croydon Council could be forced to seek an extension to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Barbara Peacock, Bromley Council, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Nick Pendry, Robert Henderson, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Henderson’s ‘leaving present’: Kingston’s Ofsted failure

Posted on November 6, 2018 by

Another local authority has failed a visit by Ofsted inspectors, this time nearby Kingston for its poor delivery of services for children and young adults with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, or SEND. For parents and carers in Kingston, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Services, Croydon Council, Education, Jo Negrini, Kingston, Outside Croydon, Robert Henderson | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pendry named by Town Hall as new children’s social care chief

Posted on November 1, 2018 by

Nick Pendry has been named as the council’s new director for early help and children’s social care, due to take up his post in the troubled children’s services department in January. Pendry will report to Robert Henderson, who last month … Continue reading →

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Barbara Peacock, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Eleni Ioannides, Nick Pendry, Robert Henderson | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Council names Henderson as new exec for children’s services

Posted on September 24, 2018 by

Town Hall reporter KEN LEE on how the replacement executive director for the council’s failing children’s services department arrives after having a role in the closure of a charity in another south London borough Almost six months after Barbara Peacock … Continue reading →

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Barbara Peacock, Charity, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Robert Henderson, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment