Ofsted social care director Schooling extends stay

Schooling, who took up the position on an interim basis in September, had been due to remain in post until Christmas prior to retiring.

Ofsted has now said she will remain in place until December 2016 in order to "oversee a crucial period of change and development within Ofsted’s social care remit".
 
"This decision will ensure continuity of leadership in the coming months as the inspectorate consults on arrangements to follow the single inspection framework, fully embeds social care within Ofsted’s regional structure, and help prepare for a permanent appointment into the national director role from 2017," a statement published by the inspectorate said.

The statement added that a decision has been made to put a recruitment campaign for the role on hold. However it said that Ofsted will continue to talk to interested candidates "with a view to making an appointment on a longer timescale".

Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw has previously told the education select committee that the organisation has struggled to recruit to senior positions.

In April CYP Now revealed that Ofsted’s director of social care Debbie Jones had resigned her post little more than 18 months after joining Ofsted in September 2013.

Then last month it was announced that Jones's replacement, Kath O'Dwyer, who had been filling the position on an interim basis, was leaving the organisation to become director of children's services and deputy chief executive at Cheshire East Council.
 
Schooling said she is looking forward to overseeing the introduction of joint inspections and beginning consultation on a replacement for the single inspection programme once the current cycle ends.
 
“Since joining in September I have been very impressed with the professionalism, commitment and quality of the staff at Ofsted and this has helped make my decision to stay for a longer period an easy one,” she said.
 
Wilshaw said: "Eleanor has made a valuable contribution to Ofsted since joining in September and is the right person to oversee the important changes we are making to inspection over the coming months.”

Last week CYP Now revealed that Ofsted's plans to launch new joint inspections of health, social care and criminal justice services for children and young people have been delayed amid councils declining approaches to take part in trials.

The inspectorate is also struggling to complete its current three-year programme of inspections of children’s services departments on time due to funding problems.