Trafford council is advertising for a new director of children's services to 'drive reform' after inspectors found children were being left in 'potentially unsafe situations'.
A job advertisement for the role, which was held by Jill McGregor since January 2020, went live on Thursday, October 1. It makes direct reference to the authority's recent Ofsted inspection, which saw the service rated 'inadequate', the lowest possible rating.
Ofsted findings
The education watchdog found children were being left in 'potentially unsafe situations for too long' because of delays in initial responses. Some of the problems identified by inspectors were branded 'serious and significant', and in some cases 'unrealistic expectations' were being placed on children 'to keep themselves safe'.
Town hall bosses did not 'fully' grasp the extent of the issues until they were pointed out to them, the damning report concluded. Trafford council's leadership has repeatedly apologised for the failings found by Ofsted, saying work to improve the services is under way and thanking staff for their professionalism and commitment.
Leadership transition
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands that elected members received an email alerting them to Ms McGregor's departure just days after the report was published. Ms McGregor's LinkedIn profile says she is 'retired'. The LDRS has been unable to contact her for a comment.
Trafford council confirmed that Dr Risthardh Hare has been selected as the interim director while recruitment is carried out. Dr Hare has a history of working with failing council services, previously taking Sefton council's children's services from inadequate to good.
Job advertisement
The job description on the council's website says the role 'will be challenging' and 'demanding', but 'will also be one of the most rewarding leadership opportunities in local government'.
It states: "Are you ready to lead improvement, drive reform and make a lasting difference? As Trafford's next director of children's services, you will have the opportunity to shape the future of services for children, young people and families across our borough and leave a lasting legacy.
"We are seeking an exceptional leader with the vision, determination and credibility to lead children's services through the next phase of our improvement journey. Following our recent Ofsted inspection, we have been clear about the challenges we face and equally clear about our commitment to addressing them.
"Improvement activity is already underway, and we are determined to deliver the high-quality services that Trafford's children, young people and families deserve. This role offers a rare opportunity to lead meaningful and lasting change."
Council response
A spokesman for Trafford council said: "Jill has been a valued member of Trafford's corporate leadership team for over six years, serving as corporate director of children's services and leading a broad range of responsibilities across education services and children's social care, including the council's statutory duties for children's services.
"Dr Risthardh Hare will join the authority as interim corporate director of children's services, with effect from 12 October 2026. Dr Hare is a qualified social worker and brings more than 20 years' leadership experience across children's social care, education, early help and SEND.
"He will support the council in the ongoing development of an improvement plan to address concerns raised by Ofsted following their recent inspection of children's services. The recruitment process to appoint a permanent corporate director of children's services is underway."
Trafford council refused to answer questions regarding why the decision for a change in service leadership was made, by whom or whether it was connected to the inadequate rating. The authority also would not say if any other senior leadership changes were expected in the department.
