Cheshire East's head of 'inadequate' children's services quits

Deborah Woodcock has been executive director of children’s services for two and a half years.

The service was judged to be ‘inadequate’ overall earlier this year after inspectors found the experiences and progress of care leavers to be inadequate.

Deborah Woodcock (Image: Cheshire East Council)

Last week the council approved a £2m improvement plan to bring it back up to standard, but the Conservatives believe it could cost up to £15m.

Children’s services is also £80m overspent on its special needs budget – although many councils across the country are facing huge debts in this particular area.

Cheshire East Council has not yet issued any statement about Ms Woodcock’s resignation, but Conservative group leader Janet Clowes told the Local Democracy Reporting Service, it had not come as a shock.

Cllr Janet Clowes (Image: Cheshire East Council)

Cllr Clowes said: “Ms Woodcock’s resignation, in the light of the difficulties that the council are  facing, is perhaps not as big a surprise as it might otherwise be and it is to be hoped that her replacement will be able to steer our children’s services into sustainable, high quality services for the future.”

She added: “Clearly, children’s services are in a very difficult position at the moment, and it is to be hoped alternative arrangements can be set in place as soon as possible to ensure continuity of management as well as services, as the council works its way through the issues that are affecting this directorate."

Ms Woodcock’s resignation comes just a week after council leader Sam Corcoran (Lab) stepped down.

He resigned shortly after the publication of a damning peer review report on the council from the Local Government Association, which warned Cheshire East is at risk of effective bankruptcy if it doesn’t take quick action.

Cllr Jos Saunders (Image: Cheshire East Council)

Cllr Jos Saunders, Conservative opposition spokesperson on children and families, said much of the cash-strapped council’s financial problems can be laid at the door of children’s services.

She also questioned whether children and families chair, Cllr Carol Bulman, should remain in post.

Cllr Saunders said: “Cllr Sam Corcoran stated that he had to take responsibility after a report highlighted bankruptcy fears.

“Much of this step towards bankruptcy is due to the historic overspending on the children’s special needs budget and (DSG) where Cheshire East now has a debt of £80m as opposed to the surplus of £1.6m that they inherited from the Conservatives in 2019.”

Cllr Saunders said Cheshire East is a national outlier in this and spent 12 times as much as Cheshire West & Chester ‘and have not followed a policy of inclusion, which means that our children are not attending schools in their own communities’.

She continued: “We have now had an inadequate rating from Ofsted for our children’s services. This again will cost money.

“Other local authorities estimate it costs between £5m to £15m to make the improvements rightly demanded by an inadequate inspection. This again edges us towards bankruptcy.

“What we need now in children’s services is stability and good leadership.

“However, following on the heels of the leader’s resignation, we now have the resignation of the executive director of children’s services.

“It is up to the new leader, Cllr Nick Mannion, to steady the ship but will he continue his support for the current chair of the children and families committee or decide to have a reshuffle?

“Either way, he needs to get a grip on this service and drive the improvements that are desperately needed.”

Cheshire East Council has been approached for a statement.