Crisis-hit Tameside council confirms new leader

Tameside council's new leader has been confirmed and promised to improve the borough's children's services as her "top priority."

Eleanor Wills was voted in to take charge of the crisis-hit council during a meeting on October 24, where she also appointed her new cabinet team, which sees Coun Andrew McLaren appointed deputy leader.

Ms Wills said that "change is coming" after a chaotic few weeks which saw the resignation of former leader, Coun Ged Cooney, and ex-chief executive Sandra Stewart, following a scathing report into children’s services, currently rated ‘inadequate' by Ofsted.

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The new leader addressed councillors after her appointment was confirmed, but not before the Labour Party faced scathing criticism in the council chamber from opposition members.

"As I stand before you tonight I want to speak to everybody and make a promise to all of Tameside and say that we hear your frustration, we heard it tonight in the room, and change is coming," Coun Wills said.

She added: "Our first and highest priority is absolutely our children's services. Not for the sake of an Ofsted grade, but for a much more fundamental reason - to ensure that we never again fail those who most need our support.

"The council is currently in the process of recruiting a permanent leadership team for children's services.

"I look forward to working with them and our skills and dedicated social workers to provide the support and resources they need to drive change."

The new council leader said change will not happen "overnight," but vowed to deliver "better outcomes for children, families, and young people" in the borough under her direction.

Tameside Conservatives leader, Coun Doreen Dickinson, wished the new council leader "all the best" in her role, but accused the local Labour Party of behaving like "rats in the sack" after the assessment of the council's children’s services department last month.

Coun Dickinson said there were "resignations coming in fast and furious, no thought then of who is looking after these children, all hoping to save their own skin and political careers within the Labour Party, instead of standing together and working hard to make children's services in Tameside outstanding."

Coun Phil Chadwick twisted the knife: "It's been ten years that you have all known [about the state of children's services], remember the Ofsted pilot of 2014? Most if not all of you will deny it ever took place, but you all knew back then how bad the service was.

"Typical of this Labour controlled council, citing that Ofsted was wrong and Tameside was right, a heads in sand moment perhaps, and that's how it's been ever since."

A government commissioner published a brutal review of Tameside's children’s services department in September.

The council was told repeatedly it was failing those most vulnerable - with social workers overstretched, children living in 'neglect' for too long and some youngsters in care being put in 'unsuitable' accommodation.

The commissioner's report also highlighted a 'toxic culture' pervading through the services.

After the town hall was effectively left without a paid service boss or a political leader, the national Labour Party brought in a 'campaign improvement board' to bring back order to the borough.

That board interviewed potential candidates for the leadership last week, but ultimately decided to give the top job to Coun Eleanor Wills.

When announcing her leadership bid, Coun Wills vowed to press the reset button on the council’s culture - this sentiment was echoed in her speech to her fellow councillors following her official election on October 24.

On Tuesday, another extraordinary meeting will see the councillors of Tameside gather for the third time in a month to see their new interim chief executive officially brought in.

Harry Catherall has been roped in to take temporary charge of town hall business.

Mr Catherall was seen as the right man for the job having overseen the transformation of Oldham’s children’s services, which was rated ‘good’ earlier this year, after being told it ‘required improvement’ in 2019.

The acting chief executive role currently sits with Tameside’s director of resources, Ashley Hughes, who stepped up to replace Ms Stewart whilst the council found a suitable interim.