Keep it local

Andrew Webb, director of children’s services at Stockport Council, has a social care background but is also a qualified teacher.

He has four assistant directors who have the task of ensuring the department delivers improved Every Child Matters outcomes.

With a budget of £175m, including schools, Webb is about to roll out a programme to bring together all services around clusters of secondary schools and their feeder schools.

He says: “This will improve communication, develop local care pathways and better tailor services to needs, eventually leading to localised micro-commissioning.”

Webb is confident his department is engaging well with schools. “Many elements of our directorate have long-standing relationships with individual schools and are used to agreeing priorities,” he says.

He is also establishing a Health Act partnership for disabled children and their families which will bring together staff from health, education and social care.