Ofsted announces new social care director

The inspectorate has announced that Yvette Stanley, who has been director of children's services in Merton since January 2009, will take up her new Ofsted role on 1 April 2018 when current postholder Eleanor Schooling steps down.

An Ofsted inspection of children's services at Merton earlier this year rated provision as "good" overall, noting that leaders and managers are "highly visible and show care and concern for children and staff".

Inspectors added that there was a "strong culture of learning" and "a determination to improve further on outcomes that are already good".

Ofsted's chief inspector, Amanda Spielman said: "I look forward to welcoming Yvette to Ofsted as national director for social care.

"She brings a wealth of experience from a distinguished career in children's services, which will be of huge benefit to Ofsted and the social care services we inspect."

Yvette Stanley said: "Having spent 30 years working to improve outcomes for children and young people, I'm looking forward to building on this work with Amanda Spielman and all at Ofsted. As national director I will continue to be a passionate advocate for children, helping to make them safer, and changing their lives for the better."

Schooling, who was previously director of children's services at Islington Council, was originally appointed as director of social care at Ofsted on an interim basis in July 2015.

The inspectorate is currently preparing to introduce a new lighter-touch inspection system for children's services, to replace the single inspection framework, which is set to start in early 2018.