by Stuart Easingwood, Director of Children's Service, South Tyneside Council. When the stakes are highest, true change begins with listening. In South Tyneside Children’s Services, we have embraced change in our journey to improve outcomes for children, young people and families. Following Ofsted’s judgement of ‘Inadequate’ in May 2023, we’ve faced tough questions and even tougher …
Working together to build an inclusive education system
by Tony Murphy, Assistant Director Education and Inclusion, Darlington Borough Council In Darlington our SEND strategy was extensively co-produced with families and young people. Some of the key messages from families were the importance of feeling included, respected, valued and safe at school and a sense of belonging and involvement in the town they live in. Through the implementation of …
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‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate only love can do that.’
- Dr Martin Luther King. Simon Marshall, Chief Executive of Together for Children and Director of Children’s Services at Sunderland City Council, writes... It is 68 years since Dr Martin Luther King first spoke those words and I don’t believe it has ever meant more to the communities we serve, the staff we lead and the profession we have chosen. So, in Black History Month I want to pay tribute …
A Fortnight to Remember: Celebrating our Children’s Home Workforce Across the North East
Cath McEvoy-Carr, Director for Children, Education and Skills at Newcastle City Council, writes... Although two months have passed since the North East Children’s Homes fortnight, it is still a topic of conversation across many of our homes in the region. As you may be aware, the idea for this campaign came from Ellie, a care experienced young person in our region who wanted to celebrate the …
Be the kind of parent you would want for your own child
This month we’ve handed over our blog to our Regional Children in Care Council, a group of care experienced young people who want to make their voices heard so they can make a difference for all children and young people in care across our region. Here, they reflect on their recent conference and remind us what it means to be a corporate parent. At the end of July, we held our sixth annual …
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Passing the Baton: Caring for Our Greatest Asset in Children’s Services
Hartlepool Borough Council's departing executive director of children's and joint commissioning services, Sally Robinson, kindly agreed to write a final blog post before moving on to her new role. Sally has been a valued and influential member of our North East ADCS network over the years and was recently awarded a CBE in the King's Birthday Honours. June 2025 As I move on from the DCS …
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