by Alison Sutherland, Executive Director of Children's Services, Hartlepool Borough Council Across Hartlepool, we have been working together to create a culture where inclusion is not seen as the responsibility of a single service, school or professional, but a shared commitment across the entire children's system. This collective approach is delivering tangible results, most notably a …
Families First Partnership: Reflecting on Progress, Purpose and the Power of Change in Northumberland County Council
by Vicky McLeod, Director for Children, Young People and Families, Northumberland County Council As leaders in children's services, we are often reminded that meaningful change is rarely a single event, it is a journey. It can take courage to challenge long-established ways of working, commitment to maintain momentum when things are not going smoothly, and a collective belief that things can be …
Relationships First: How Our Family Help Point Is Transforming Support for Children and Families
Majella McCarthy, Director of Children's Services, Stockton on Tees Borough Council As I reflect on the first three months following the launch of our Integrated Front Door- Family Help Point, I feel an overwhelming sense of pride in what has been achieved through collective effort, shared ambition and a genuine commitment to working differently for children and families. For many of us …
The Power of Partnerships
By Helen Fergusson, Strategic Director of Children's Social Care and Lifelong Learning at Gateshead Council There is nothing like a Joint Targeted Area Inspection to bring the importance of the relationships we have as partners within our local areas into very sharp focus! My reflections following the recent inspection in Gateshead, focused on Child Sexual Abuse in the Family Environment …
The Special Power of Kinship
by Rachel Farnham, Corporate Director of Children and Young People’s Services, Durham County Council This month we have all celebrated Foster Care Fortnight with lots of celebrations across County Durham, the North East and the UK, but as I was scrolling through social media last bank holiday weekend, I came across the BBC’s Caring Matters week (23 to 30 May 2026) – a week of special programmes …
Six months in: keeping children at the centre
By Annabel Bates, Corporate Director of Children's Services Middlesbrough Council The 13 April marked my six-month anniversary as a DCS, as a member of the Middlesbrough team and as a new arrival in the North East. The past six months have been a whirlwind of everything I was expecting, a fair few surprises and a lot of learning. There is much for us to do in Middlesbrough, as there is …
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