We recognise the most important influence in a child’s life is family. Children who grow up with safe, stable and nurturing relationships form stronger friendships, develop greater resilience, achieve more in school and are more likely to build positive relationships throughout their lives.
We are child focussed in our intent but recognise that the most effective way to help and protect children is to work alongside the whole family. Therefore strengthening families is central to our aims as we know that families have greater capacity for change when we work with them as partners. This is part of an evidence based approach known as Restorative Practice.
We aim to embed a culture across our workforce where dignity and respect is the basis for our interventions. Every member of staff will understand the principles of Restorative Practice and its ethos will underpin all of our work and align to the borough vision of ‘Forging a Future for all’.


Ask Children's Services
Use this facility to ask senior management* a question about anything to do with Children's Services. It can be questions about policies, procedure, returning to work, home working, office facilities etc- anything! We will do our best to get you a reply within a week and we will post your question and our answer on this page.
Queries raised and answered will be posted (anonymously to this site).
Senior Leadership Team (SLT)*
-
Catherine Driscoll, Director of Children's Services)
-
Helen Ellis (Service Director Early Help, Schools and SEND)
-
Andrea Stone (Service Director of Children's Social Care)
-
Scott Jones (Head of Family Solutions)
-
Karen Graham (Interim Head of Service - Children & Families)
-
Heidi Henderson (Acting Head of Service - Children in Care and Resources)
-
Nicola Hale (Head of Service - Safeguarding, Practice & Quality Assurance)
-
Jeremy Keeble (Interim Head of Education Outcomes)
-
Toni Dawodu (Head of SEND)
-
Matthew Smith (Head of Business Support)
-
Indejit Lahel (Head of Integrated Commissioning Performance & Partnerships)
-
Laura Jones-Moore (Senior Principal Accountant)
-
Jane Donaldson (Senior Principal Accountant)