Recent Comments
Peter kudelka on The state of politics is a tra… Priya Patel on Mayor hopeful’s £40,000… Sally on Council’s £68m write-off… T. Rams on Uniformed guards are making ou… jim on Mayor hopeful’s £40,000… Chris Cooke. on #DigitalDebate: Inside story f…
Tag Archives: Children’s Services
Negrini reshuffles executive pack to cope with Henderson exit
Town Hall reporter KEN LEE on the latest changes in the executive suites at Fisher’s Folly The council could be looking to shave £150,000 or more per year from its on-going costs by not replacing Robert Henderson as the exec … Continue reading
‘Strong and stable’? Henderson is third to leave department
It was 2.43pm when the publish button was pressed yesterday at Inside Croydon Towers for our exclusive report of the imminent departure from the council of Rob Henderson, executive director of children, families and education. Two hours later, the council … Continue reading
Croydon in crisis: Children’s services chief opts to leave
EXCLUSIVE: Our Town Hall reporter, KEN LEE, on the shock decision of one of the more respected executives at Fisher’s Folly to quit his council job Robert Henderson, Croydon’s executive director for children, families and education, is to leave the … Continue reading
Croydon in crisis: Council staff in frontline posts lose their jobs
The council’s hard-pressed children’s services department is among the first to lay-off staff, despite assurances from the council leader, while exec directors, on six-figure salaries, have escaped redundancy. STEVEN DOWNES reports Council staff, some of whom have been given notice … Continue reading
Ofsted inspection rates Croydon children’s services ‘Good’
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
Ofsted finds ‘sustained progress’ in children’s services
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
Council’s sorry performance after Ombudsman’s dozen rulings
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
Council tries to ‘hoodwink’ families to opt out of SEND services
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 Children's Services, Croydon Council, EHCP, SEND
1 Comment
Protesters SEND message: it’s not just money that matters
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 #SENDNATIONALCRISIS, Children's Services, Croydon Council, London, SEND
1 Comment
Council couldn’t care less: Ombudsman upholds 7 complaints
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
Henderson’s ‘leaving present’: Kingston’s Ofsted failure
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
Inside Croydon editor nominated for charity’s prestigious award
Steven Downes, the editor of Inside Croydon, has been nominated for a prestigious award for this website’s campaigning journalism over the provision, or lack of it, for young Croydon residents with autism and special educational needs. Anna Kennedy Online, the … Continue reading
Ofsted finds Croydon children in ‘neglectful circumstances’
Another day, another damning critique from a government agency of Croydon Council’s inability to manage the services it is supposed to provide. And yet again, no apology for the failures, nor acceptance of responsibility, from the council’s political leadership or … Continue reading
Controversial chair of planning Scott gets promoted to cabinet
WALTER CRONXITE reports on the latest egregious example of Town Hall patronage, and all done at your expense – including one of ‘Tony’s Cronies’ getting £6,000 per committee meeting Despite managing to bring together 17 residents’ groups in opposition to … Continue reading
Posted in Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Housing, Jane Avis, Louisa Woodley, Manju Shahul Hameed, Mark Watson, Oliver Lewis, Paul Scott, Planning, Simon Hall, Stuart Collins, Stuart King, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Alissa Flemming, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Jane Avis, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Louisa Woodley, Paul Scott, South Norwood, STUART KING, Tony Newman, Woodside
8 Comments
Senior councillor calls for abolition of council CEO role
The position of the council chief executive and two other executive directors should be axed, to make Croydon Council more accountable to councillors and residents. That’s the view of one of the borough’s longest-standing councillors, in reaction to the news … Continue reading
