Kath O’Dwyer, who has been at Ofsted since May 2014, is leaving the organisation to become director of children's services (DCS) and deputy chief executive at Cheshire East Council.
News that O'Dwyer will leave the organisation comes two months after it emerged that Ofsted's director of social care, Debbie Jones, was leaving the inspectorate.
In addition to being interim national director of social care at the inspectorate, O'Dwyer is also director of social care improvement.
She is set to remain in post until September.
O’Dwyer, who had previously been director of children's services at Warrington Council, said the opportunity to work closer to home and get back to the front line was “ultimately too good to pass up”.
“The past 14 months have been incredibly rewarding and I believe the social care team has achieved a great deal during that time,” she said.
“It has been particularly pleasing to see more local authority children’s services performing well and attaining good judgements in recent inspections.”
O'Dwyer will replace former Cheshire East DCS Tony Crane who retired earlier this month.
The position is currently being filled on an interim basis by Nigel Moorhouse.
Sir Michael Wilshaw, chief inspector at Ofsted, said: “Kath has been instrumental in overseeing the implementation of Ofsted’s improvement offer to local authorities, which I know has been well-received by those areas that have taken part.
Ofsted’s chief operating officer Matthew Coffey said that in her remaining three months at the organisation O'Dwyer will guide the development of the new multi-agency inspections and ensure changes in the single inspection framework are successfully implemented.
“We will shortly be commencing a national recruitment process for a permanent director of social care who can build upon the significant progress that has already been made,” he said.
