Director to leave troubled Northamptonshire children's services

Cathi Hadley is set to leave her role as director of children's services for West and North Northamptonshire councils in February

The head of a troubled children's services department leaving her job "poses a real threat to progress", according to opposition councillors.

Cathi Hadley originally took over as director of children's services at Northamptonshire County Council in September 2019, shortly after the service had been rated inadequate.

She took on the role at West and North Northamptonshire councils in April.

The two authorities said Ms Hadley had turned the service around.

Children's services in Northamptonshire have a troubled recent history, including having a government commissioner appointed to oversee it in 2018.

Children's services at Northamptonshire County Council were rated inadequate in July 2019, but Ofsted said they improved following Ms Hadley's appointment

In July 2019, the service was rated "inadequate" by Ofsted inspectors before an independent trust took control of it in November 2020.

The failings came after the government announced financially troubled Northamptonshire County Council was to be scrapped.

In April 2021, it Conservative-run authority was replaced by two new unitary councils, North Northamptonshire Council and West Northamptonshire Council, which became Conservative controlled after their first elections in May.

Ms Hadley took control of children's services at both of these authorities.

She had already overseen improvement in Northamptonshire, with an Ofsted inspection in December 2020 saying the service had started "to improve, albeit from a very low base".

It has now been revealed she will leave her post in February to take up a role closer to her home as director of children's services at Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council in Dorset.

A timeline of two turbulent years

Evelyn-Rose Muggleton and Dylan Tiffin-Brown were victims of separate murders while being monitored by Northamptonshire children's services

• Government commissioner Malcolm Newsam is appointed to oversee the "overwhelmed" service in 2018

• Two serious case reviews found the council had failed to protect murdered children Dylan Tiffin-Brown and Evelyn-Rose Muggleton

• The service was rated inadequate in July 2019, with inspectors saying the authority was "failing to keep children safe"

• Commissioner Mr Newsam resigned in September 2019 to be replaced by Andrew Christie

• In January 2020, a government report condemned the department as one of the worst in the country, despite being the most expensive

• An independent trust took control in November 2020

The opposition Labour group on West Northamptonshire Council said it was "disappointed" to learn of the news.

It said Ms Hadley had "brought huge benefits to our service" but had not been in place long enough "to turn failure into success".

The group's deputy leader Emma Roberts said: "The loss of consistency at director level poses a real threat to the progress that has been made."

West Northamptonshire Council's Conservative cabinet member for children, Fiona Baker, said: "We would like to thank Cathi for the fantastic work she's done over the last two years to turn our children's services around."

Executive member for children on North Northamptonshire Council, Scott Edwards, said discussions would now take place regarding a replacement and any interim arrangements.