Latest news with #LeanneFeeley
BBC News
05-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Tameside: 'Widespread' failings in council's SEND provision
"Widespread" and "systematic" failings have been found by inspectors looking at a council's care for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said they had significant concerns about Tameside Council's SEND provision which needed to be addressed authority's wider children's services department was found to have "serious failures" and placed in special measures 18 months authority's executive member for lifelong learning and culture, Leanne Feeley said she fully accepted the findings and was "determined to deliver the changes our children, young people and families need and deserve". 'Culture of distrust' The report said: "Too many children and young people with SEND, and their families, do not receive the support that they need to thrive."It said a fundamental barrier that remained was "an overwhelming culture of distrust and frustration from stakeholders in Tameside", adding that although some inroads had been made in winning hearts and minds, there was much more still to who carried out the inspection in May found children were waiting too long for education, health and care (EHC) plans, the Local Democracy Reporting Service improvements were seen in more recent support plans, the quality of older plans was found by the watchdog to be generally report, published on Thursday, criticised a lack of understanding of child exploitation risks and detailed how children felt they did not have enough say in their support also found older SEND children to be more at risk of exclusion from school and detailed how many families struggle with accessing mental health services. 'Long road ahead' Leanne Feeley said: "While we are encouraged by the recognition of recent progress and the confidence shown in our new leadership, we know there is a long road ahead."She said the council was committed to working openly "to rebuild trust and deliver lasting improvements".The report comes after the authority was given a SEND improvement notice by the government, which found an "endemic weakness" in children's support similar issues were found in this latest SEND inspection, but a "renewed determination to improve the lives of children and young people with SEND" was welcomed a significant cash investment into the service, along with the appointment of new director of children's services, Jill also praised the authority's effective help for children with speech and language needs and SEND support in the early years. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
07-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Stalybridge Civic Hall restoration completed
The regeneration of a town's "beautiful" civic hall has been Civic Hall, which was built in 1868, was once home to the town's indoor market but is set to reopen as a centre for festivals and theatre leaking roof has been repaired and its historic Victorian features Leanne Feeley, the executive member for lifelong learning and culture at Tameside Council, said it was the "centrepiece" of the town of the first events will be put on by Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre, and will include circus skills and dance. Feeley said the civic hall can now move forward as a "versatile space".She added: "We want to make this an exciting building for people to use and be part of."The building will host the Royal Exchange Den Festival throughout May, with workshops, shows, comedy and music, within a tent inside the cultural events in the town include the Tameside Beer Festival and the regular Street Fest in Armentieres Square, which will include food and live music. Work has also been completed on a Historic England Heritage Action Zone in Stalybridge, which has helped to restore the shopfronts on Market included making the road one-way to create room for raised flower beds, and space for tables and chairs on the pavement Brown, the general manager of Ols Bier and More on Market Street, said the pavement licences had made a "big difference"."Last summer, people wanted areas outside to sit and we've found our customer base is a lot more young professionals who've moved into the area." Katie Harrison, who runs Giuseppe's Sicilian Bistro on Market Street, said: "We've been open for just over two years now and its going really well"."Businesses are opening and people are putting more money into the area." The town is also benefitting from £20m of Levelling Up cash, which it is hoped will encourage private sector investment and help build around 500 new will be spent on a new footbridge across the River Tame, landscaping next to the Ashton Canal, and a multi-storey car park close to the railway is also expected to start this year on improved disabled access to the Astley-Cheetham Library and Art Gallery next to the Civic has also taken place on landscaping around the portico of the former Stalybridge Town Hall, which was destroyed by a fire in 1989. The conservation area in the town centre has been on the English Heritage at-risk register since is hoped the restoration programmes will lead to it being removed from the list.
