Collection

Improvement notices and directions

Improvement notices and directions about children’s services issued to councils by the Department for Education.

From:
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Department for Education
Published
3 July 2013
Last updated
13 June 2025 — See all updates

These notices and directions are issued to councils due to ‘poor’ or ‘inadequate’ performance.

Open notices

The following notices are currently open.

Closed notices

The following notices have been closed.

Open directions

Closed directions

Updates to this page

Published 3 July 2013
Last updated 13 June 2025 show all updates

  1. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Bracknell Forest Council: June 2025' to the open notices section.

  2. Added ‘Revised direction issued to Devon County Council: June 2025’ to the open directions section. Moved the previous 'Revised direction issued to Devon County Council: October 2022' to the closed directions section.

  3. Added ‘Revised improvement notice issued to Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council: June 2025’ to the open notices section. Moved the previous 'Improvement notice issued to Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council: May 2024' to the closed notices section.

  4. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Lancashire County Council: June 2025' to the open notices section.

  5. Added 'Improvement notice issued to London Borough of Harrow: April 2025' to the open notices section.

  6. Added, 'Improvement notice issued to Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council: March 2025' to the open notices section.

  7. Moved 'Directions issued to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council' to the closed direction section.

  8. Added 'Improvement notice to Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council: January 2025' to the open notices section.

  9. Moved 'Revised direction issued to Stoke-on-Trent City Council' to the closed direction section. This direction was revoked on the 10 February 2025 following a report from the Department for Education Improvement Advisor - it is no longer in force.

  10. Added ‘Revised direction to Herefordshire Council: February 2025’ to the open directions section and moved 'Revised direction issued to Herefordshire Council: March 2023' to the closed directions section.

  11. Added ‘Revised direction to Halton Borough Council: February 2025’ to the open directions section. Moved ‘Direction issued to Halton Borough Council: August 2024’ to the closed directions section.

  12. 'Improvement notice issued to Derbyshire County Council: January 2025' added to 'Open notices'.

  13. 'Direction issued to Blackpool borough council' and 'Revised direction issued to Blackpool council' added to 'Closed directions'.

  14. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Worcestershire County Council: September 2024' to the Open notices section.

  15. Added ‘Revised direction to Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council: September 2024’ to the open directions section. Moved ‘Direction issued to Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council: March 2024’ to the closed directions section.

  16. Added 'Direction issued to Halton Borough Council: August 2024' to open directions and moved 'Improvement notice issued to Halton Borough Council' to closed notices section.

  17. Moved 'Revised direction issued to Middlesbrough Council (3 March 2022)' from 'Open directions' to 'Closed directions'.

  18. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Suffolk County Council: May 2024' to the open notices section.

  19. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Cheshire East Council: July 2024' to the open notices section.

  20. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Bury Council: May 2024' to the open notices section.

  21. Moved 'Improvement notice issued to Kent County Council: March 2023' from 'Open notices' to 'Closed notices'.

  22. Added 'Improvement notice issued to North Northamptonshire Council: April 2024' and 'Improvement notice issued to West Northamptonshire Council: May 2024'.

  23. Added 'Revised direction issued to North East Lincolnshire Council: May 2024' to 'Open directions'. Moved 'Revised direction issued to North East Lincolnshire Council: June 2022' to 'Closed directions'.

  24. Added 'Revised direction issued to Bradford Council: May 2024' to 'Open directions' and moved 'Revised direction issued to Bradford Council: April 2023' to 'Closed directions'.

  25. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council: May 2024'.

  26. Added 'Improvement notice issued to London Borough of Bexley: May 2024'.

  27. Moved 'Improvement notice issued to Plymouth City Council: May 2023' to 'Closed notices'.

  28. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Halton Borough Council: March 2024' to Open Notices section.

  29. ‘Direction issued to Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council: March 2024’ has been added to 'Open directions'. ‘Improvement notice issued to Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council: July 2022’ has been moved from 'Open notices' to 'Closed notices'.

  30. Added 'Improvement notice issued to London Borough of Havering: March 2024' to the open notices section.

  31. Added the SEND services statutory direction to 'Directions issued to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council' in the 'Open directions' section.

  32. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Hertfordshire County Council: January 2024' to the open notices section.

  33. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Swindon Borough Council: November 2023'. Moved 'Improvement notice issued to South Gloucestershire Council: March 2022' to the closed notices section. The notice was lifted on 21 December 2023 following a review of the council's children's services.

  34. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Council of the Isles of Scilly: November 2023' to the open notices section.

  35. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Oxfordshire County Council: November 2023' to the open notices section.

  36. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council: November 2023' to the open notices section.

  37. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Plymouth City Council: November 2023' to the open notices section.

  38. Moved 'Improvement notice issued to St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council' to 'Closed notices'.

  39. Moved 'Revised direction issued to Medway Council' to the closed direction section. This direction has now been revoked following an Ofsted inspection in July 2023, and is no longer in force.

  40. Moved 'Improvement notice issued to North Somerset County Council' to 'Closed notices'.

  41. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Peterborough City Council: August 2023' to the open notices section.

  42. Added ‘Improvement notice issued to South Tyneside Council: July 2023’ to the open notices section.

  43. Added ‘Improvement notice issued to Liverpool City Council: June 2023’ to the open notices section.

  44. Moved 'Revised direction to Birmingham City Council (revoked May 2023)' to 'Closed directions' group.

  45. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Plymouth City Council: May 2023' to the 'Open notices' section.

  46. Moved the revised direction which was issued to West Sussex County Council in March 2022 to the closed directions section.

  47. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Kent County Council: March 2023' to Open Notices section.

  48. Added a revised direction to Bradford Council, issued in April 2023, to ‘open directions’. This replaces a revised direction from February 2022, which we have moved to ‘closed directions’.

  49. 'Improvement notice issued to East Riding of Yorkshire Council' moved to 'Closed'.

  50. A revised direction to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council issued in March 2023 is available in 'Open direction'. It replaces the direction issued in November 2022 which has moved to 'Closed directions'.

  51. The 'Revised direction issued to Herefordshire Council (March 2023)' has been added to the 'Open directions' section.

  52. The ‘Improvement notice issued to Trafford Metropolitan Council’ has been moved from 'Open notices' to 'Closed notices'.

  53. The 'Revised direction issued to Sefton Council (November 2022)' has been added to the 'Open directions' section and the 'Direction issued to Sefton Council (May 2022)' has been moved to the 'Closed directions' section.

  54. The 'Direction issued to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council' has been added to 'Open directions'. The ‘Improvement notice issued to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council’ has been moved from 'Open notices' to 'Closed notices'.

  55. 'Improvement notice issued to Nottingham City Council: October 2022' has been added to the 'Open notices' section.

  56. Moved the ‘Improvement notice issued to Luton Council’ from Open notices to Closed notices following a re-inspection by Ofsted.

  57. The 'Revised direction issued to Devon County Council (October 2022)' has been added to the 'Open directions' section and the 'Revised direction issued to Devon County Council (May 2021)' to the 'Closed directions' section, following the appointment of a Children’s Services Commissioner.

  58. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Devon County Council: September 2022' to the 'Open notices' section.

  59. 'Improvement notice issued to Newham Council' has been removed from the 'Open Notices' list and moved to the 'Closed Notices' list following a re-inspection by Ofsted.

  60. Added 'Direction issued to Herefordshire Council' to the 'Open directions' section.

  61. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Kingston upon Hull City Council' to the 'Open notices' section and the 'Direction issued to Kingston upon Hull City Council' to the 'Closed directions' section.

  62. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council: July 2022' to the 'Open notices' section.

  63. Moved the revised direction for Torbay Council to the 'Closed directions' section.

  64. We have added 'Revised direction issued to North East Lincolnshire Council' to the 'Open directions' section and moved 'Direction issued to North East Lincolnshire Council' to the 'Closed directions' section.

  65. We have added 'Direction issued to Sefton Council' to the 'Open directions' section and moved 'Improvement notice issued to Sefton Council: May 2021 to the 'Closed notices' section.

  66. Added 'Direction issued to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council'.

  67. We have moved the ‘Improvement notice issued to Gloucestershire county council’ from Open notices to Closed notices following a re-inspection by Ofsted.

  68. Added 'Revised direction issued to West Sussex County Council (March 2022)' to 'Open directions' and moved 'Revised direction issued to West Sussex County Council (December 2020)' to 'Closed directions'.

  69. Buckinghamshire County Council direction was revoked on the 11 February 2022 following reinspection by Ofsted and is no longer in force.

  70. Added 'Revised direction issued to Middlesbrough Council (3 March 2022)' to the 'Open directions' section. Moved the previous direction to the 'Closed directions' section.

  71. Added 'Improvement notice issued to South Gloucestershire Council' to the 'Open notices' section.

  72. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council' to the 'Open notices' section.

  73. Added the revised direction issued to Bradford Council.

  74. Added new 'Revised direction issued to North and West Northamptonshire Unitary Authorities (February 2022)' to open directions and closed previous 'Direction issued to North and West Northamptonshire Unitary Authorities (April 2021)'.

  75. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Halton Borough Council' to 'Open notices'.

  76. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Bury Metropolitan Borough Council' to 'Open notices'.

  77. Moved the direction for Wakefield Council to the 'closed directions' section.

  78. Added 'Direction issued to North East Lincolnshire Council' to the open direction list.

  79. Moved the direction for Sunderland City Council to the 'closed directions' section.

  80. Added 'Improvement notice issued to North Somerset County Council'.

  81. Added 'Direction issued to Birmingham City Council (October 2021)' to 'Open directions'.

  82. Added 'Direction issued to Bradford Council' to open directions. Moved 'Improvement notice issued to Bradford council' to closed notices.

  83. Added new 'Revised direction issued to Stoke-on-Trent City Council' to open directions and closed previous 'Revised direction issued to Stoke-on-Trent City Council (March 2020)'.

  84. Moved 'Improvement notice issued to Sefton council' to 'Closed notices'.

  85. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Sefton Council: May 2021' to the 'Open notices' section.

  86. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Herefordshire County Council' to 'Open notices' section.

  87. Added revised directions to Torbay Council and Devon County Council. These replace the previous directions which are now closed.

  88. Added new 'Direction issued to North and West Northamptonshire Unitary Authorities' to open directions and closed previous 'Revised direction issued to Northamptonshire County Council (November 2020)'.

  89. Moved the direction for Reading borough council to the 'closed directions' section.

  90. Moved the direction for Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council to the 'closed directions' section.

  91. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Luton Council' to open notices.

  92. Added new revised direction issued to West Sussex County Council to 'Open directions' and closed previous revised direction.

  93. Added new revised direction issued to Northamptonshire County Council to 'Open directions' and closed previous revised direction.

  94. Moved 'Improvement notice issued to Kirklees Council' to the 'Closed notices' section.

  95. Added 'Improvement notice issued to East Riding of Yorkshire Council' to open notices.

  96. Added revised direction issued to Worcestershire county council on 30 June 2020.

  97. Added 'Revised direction issued to Devon Council' to open directions and moved existing direction to closed directions.

  98. Added 'Revised direction issued to Middlesbrough Council'.

  99. Added new direction to Devon County Council.

  100. Added new direction to Middlesbrough Council and one to Hull City Council. Closed direction issued to Croydon council.

  101. Added the revised direction issued to Stoke-on-Trent City Council on 13 March 2020. It replaces the previous direction issued in October 2019.

  102. Added a revised direction for Surrey County Council to 'open directions' and moved the existing direction to 'closed directions'.

  103. Added 'Improvement notice issued to Kirklees Council' and moved 'Revised direction issued to Kirklees council' to closed direction.

  104. Added revised statutory directions to Medway Council and Torbay Council. These replace previous directions.

  105. Added improvement notice issued to St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council to open notices.

  106. Added Improvement notice issued to North East Lincolnshire Council to open notices.

  107. Added a revised direction for West Sussex County Council to 'open directions' and moved the existing direction to 'closed directions'.

  108. Added the revised direction issued to Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

  109. Added a revised direction for Northamptonshire County Council and moved existing direction to closed.

  110. Added new direction for Worcestershire county council and moved existing direction to closed.

  111. Moved South Gloucestershire improvement notice to closed collection.

  112. Added new direction to Medway council.

  113. Moved Wirral improvement notice to closed.

  114. Added improvement notice issued to Sefton council.

  115. Added a revised direction to Blackpool council. This replaces the earlier direction issued in March 2019.

  116. Added revised direction issued to Sandwell Council.

  117. Moved Barnet borough council revised direction and Tameside borough council improvement notice to closed. Both were lifted on 1 July 2019.

  118. Added new improvement notice issued to Hull city council.

  119. Added a revised direction issued to Northamptonshire county council.

  120. Added new direction to West Sussex county council.

  121. Added new improvement notice issued to Trafford council.

  122. Added new direction to Stoke-on-Trent city council.

  123. Added new improvement notice issued to Newham council.

  124. Added new direction for Sandwell metropolitan borough council and moved existing direction to closed.

  125. Added new direction to Blackpool borough council.

  126. The revised direction issued to Bromley in September 2018 was lifted in January 2019.

  127. Moved 'Direction issued to Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council' to closed.

  128. Added revised direction for Wakefield council, moved previous direction to 'closed directions'.

  129. Added new direction to Bradford council.

  130. Added new direction to Northamptonshire county council.

  131. Added a revised direction for Surrey county council.

  132. Added direction issued to Wakefield council

  133. Moved 'Notice for Lancashire county council' to closed notices.

  134. Added 'Revised direction issued to Worcestershire county council' to open directions.

  135. Improvement notice issued to Wandsworth London borough council changed from open to closed

  136. Added direction to Buckinghamshire country council and closed previous direction.

  137. Added new direction issued to Barnet borough council.

  138. Added a new direction for Surrey county council and moved the Surrey county council improvement notice to closed notices.

  139. Moved 'direction issued to Isle of Wight council' to closed directions.

  140. Added 'Revised direction issued to Worcestershire county council' to 'Open directions'.

  141. Improvement notice issued to Darlington borough council moved from open to closed.

  142. Improvement notice issued to Lambeth London borough council moved from open to closed.

  143. Added a new revised direction for Croydon council, this replaces the direction published on 25 January 2018.

  144. Added Torbay and Sandwell to open directions, moved older Torbay direction from 27 October 2017 to closed directions group.

  145. Added new revised direction to Torbay council, Birmingham city council, and a new direction to Sandwell metropolitan borough council.

  146. Added revised direction issued to Buckinghamshire county council.

  147. Somerset county council's direction has closed. Cumbria county council's directions has closed.

  148. A direction issued to Barnet council on 25 January 2018 replaces the previous one issued in September 2017.

  149. Moved 'direction issued to Norfolk county council' to closed directions.

  150. Moved Northamptonshire county council from open to closed sections as it left intervention in May 2016.

  151. Moved Manchester city council from open section to closed section.

  152. Moved Leicester city council improvement notice to 'closed notices' group.

  153. Added a revised direction for Torbay council, this replaces an earlier direction issued in May 2016.

  154. Added new direction for Slough borough council, moved previous direction to 'closed directions'.

  155. Added revised direction for Worcestershire council and moved the original notice to 'closed directions'.

  156. Added directions issued to Reading, Tower Hamlets, Barnet and Bromley borough councils to 'open directions' and moved old directions issued to Reading and Bromley and borough councils to 'closed directions'.

  157. Added direction notice for Croydon council.

  158. Added improvement notice issued to Gloucestershire county council.

  159. Moved West Berkshire council improvement notice to 'closed notices' group.

  160. Moved Coventry city council and Knowlsey metropolitan borough council improvement notices from open to closed as the improvement notices were closed on 13 June 2017.

  161. Added new direction for Sunderland city council and moved the July 2015 direction to the closed directions list.

  162. Added improvement notice for south Gloucestershire county council to open notices.

  163. Added direction for Worcestershire county councils.

  164. Added new direction for Tameside metropolitan borough council.

  165. Added new direction for Bromley borough council and moved the October 2016 direction to the closed directions list.

  166. Added new directions to Kirklees council and Birmingham city council to 'Open directions'. Moved Birmingham city council direction from December 2015 to 'Closed directions'.

  167. Added new direction for Bromley borough council and moved the June 2016 direction to the closed directions list.

  168. Moved January 2016 direction to Sandwell metropolitan borough council to 'closed directions' and added October 2016 direction to Sandwell to 'open directions'.

  169. Added improvement notice issued to Wirral council.

  170. Added a new direction issued to Slough borough council. Moved September 2015 direction to Slough borough council to 'closed directions'.

  171. Added direction to Reading borough council.

  172. Added an improvement notice issued to Wandsworth London borough council.

  173. Added directions to Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council and Norfolk County Council.

  174. Added a direction issued to Bromley borough council.

  175. Added new open direction to Doncaster metropolitan borough council.

  176. Added an improvement notice issued to Lancashire county council to the open notices section.

  177. Added a direction a direction issued to Torbay council.

  178. Added a direction issued to Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council.

  179. Moved Devon county council from open to closed notices as the notice was lifted on 29 February 2016.

  180. Added improvement notice issued to Surrey county council to open notices group.

  181. Added improvement notice issued to Leicester city council to open notices group.

  182. Moved 'direction issued to Calderdale Council' to closed directions.

  183. Moved 'improvement notice issued to Somerset County Council' from open notices to closed notices.

  184. Added new directions issued to Norfolk county council and Sandwell metropolitan council.

  185. Added the improvement notice issued to Lambeth borough council on 16 December 2015.

  186. Moved Cheshire East council improvement notice from open to closed as the improvement notice was lifted on 16 December.

  187. Added a direction issued to Birmingham county council.

  188. Added improvement notice issued to Darlington Borough Council.

  189. Moved Medway council improvement notice from the open group to the closed group.

  190. Added a direction issued to Cumbria county council on 9 November 2015.

  191. Added 'Direction issued to Somerset county council'.

  192. Moved Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames improvement notice from the open group to the closed group.

  193. Added 'Direction issued to Slough borough council'.

  194. Added improvement notice for West Berkshire council.

  195. Added direction issued to Sunderland city council.

  196. Moved Rochdale Council improvement notice from the open group to the closed group.

  197. Moved Herefordshire council improvement notice from the open group to the closed group.

  198. Moved Bexley council improvement notice from the open group to the closed group.

  199. Added improvement notice for Knowsley Council.

  200. Added new open direction to Birmingham City Council.

  201. Moved Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council from 'open' to 'closed'.

  202. Moved the notice for Cambridgeshire from 'open' to 'closed'.

  203. Updated an improvement notice to Rochdale Council.

  204. Moved Walsall Council notice from 'open' to 'closed'.

  205. Added reissued Bexley Council improvement notice.

  206. Added notice for Coventry County Council.

  207. Added 'Direction issued to Northamptonshire County Council'.

  208. Added a direction issued to Norfolk county council.

  209. First published.

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