‘We cannot go on letting them down’

More senior management changes within Northamptonshire’s children’s services is worrying opposition councillors

By Sarah Ward

The officer tasked with turning around the quality of Northamptonshire’s children’s services is leaving.

After two years as Director of Children’s Services (DCS) for Northamptonshire Cathi Hadley is quitting the authority in order to take up a similar job at the unitary council in Bournemouth.

The Northants role is a particularly unique one as the DCS has to straddle both of the linked unitary councils (effectively working for two council chief executives) as well as work with an independent trust which delivers the day to day social services.

Children’s services have been failing in Northamptonshire for several years and is understaffed, with many permanent posts filled with agency staff due to social workers not wanting to work within the service due to the historic poor reputation of the county council and low pay levels.

The service received national attention in 2018 due to official reports about the unrelated tragic murders of two children Dylan Tiffin-Jones and Evelyn…