Trafford Council faces losing control of children’s services after Ofsted finds ‘inadequate’ conditions

Trafford Council could face losing control of its children’s services after the government appointed an independent adviser following serious Ofsted findings which revealed that some children had been left at risk of harm.

Independent expert Andy Couldrick has been appointed to assess the council’s children’s services and determine what action is needed to deliver sustainable improvements. His recommendations could range from allowing the authority to retain control while implementing its improvement programme to more significant intervention, including alternative arrangements for delivering children’s services.

The government intervention follows an Ofsted inspection which began on 8 June. Inspectors rated both the impact of leaders on social work practice and the experiences of children who need help and protection as inadequate. Services for children in care were judged good, while the experiences and progress of care leavers were rated requires improvement to be good.

Under Ofsted’s current inspection framework, Trafford did not receive a single overall effectiveness judgement. Headline judgements for local authority children’s services were removed from April 2026, meaning authorities are instead graded across individual areas of practice. Where a local authority receives an inadequate judgement for any practice area, Ofsted says it will be subject to monitoring visits followed by a standard inspection.

Among the most serious findings were delays in responding to concerns about children. Inspectors found that contacts were not always prioritised according to risk and that some children experienced lengthy waits before their circumstances were properly considered, leaving their needs and potential risks unknown during that period.

Ofsted also identified delays in strategy discussions when there was reason to suspect a child could be experiencing significant harm. Inspectors warned that this meant some children remained in potentially unsafe circumstances for too long and were exposed to unassessed risk. In some cases, children who needed to enter care did not do so quickly enough and continued to experience neglect, domestic abuse or other harm.

Particular concerns were raised about homeless 16 and 17-year-olds. Although assessments were carried out promptly, inspectors found serious delays in agreeing for some young people to come into care when this was necessary, with some remaining in unsafe circumstances and experiencing significant harm.

The report was also highly critical of leadership and oversight. Inspectors found that senior leaders had not fully understood the extent of weaknesses within key parts of the service before the inspection and that the council’s own assessment of its performance had not been wholly accurate. While leaders had taken some action to address pressures, Ofsted concluded that this had not been sufficiently effective in driving the improvements required.

The findings have triggered significant political pressure within Trafford. Opposition councillors backed a motion of no confidence in council leader Tom Ross at an extraordinary council meeting, although Labour used its majority to pass an amended motion supporting him remaining in the role. Councillors from the Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Green and Reform groups supported calls for Ross to resign.

Trafford Council has apologised to children and families affected by the failings and accepted Ofsted’s findings. Councillor George Devlin, executive member for babies, children and young people, acknowledged that some children had waited too long for support and protection and said the council was determined to address the problems identified by inspectors.

Despite the serious concerns, Ofsted also identified areas of stronger practice. Children in care were found to benefit from stable placements and positive relationships with social workers, while the council’s SHINE service for children at risk of exploitation was praised for its relationship-based work. Inspectors also found improvements within the Emergency Duty Team and in support available to some care-experienced young people.

The focus will now turn to Couldrick’s independent assessment and the recommendations he makes to government. His review will examine the causes of the failings, the council’s capacity to improve and whether its existing arrangements are capable of delivering the sustained change required.

For Trafford, the stakes are significant. The council has previously experienced serious difficulties within children’s services, having been rated inadequate overall under Ofsted’s former inspection system in 2019 before improving at its subsequent inspection. The latest findings, combined with government intervention, mean the authority must now demonstrate not only that it has an improvement plan, but that it has the leadership and capacity to make children safer in practice.

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