About the directorate
The Children's Services directorate has responsibility for early help, prevention, education, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and social care and safeguarding services. The directorate deliver statutory services for children in relation to safeguarding, wellbeing, school sufficiency and SEND services.
Our priorities focus on improving our services and outcomes for the borough's children and young people. We want Dudley to be a wonderful place for children and young people to grow up, where they will be happy, healthy, safe and enjoy a good inclusive education. Children, young people and their families are part of our community and Dudley’s corporate priorities are important for them as they are for all residents.
We work in partnership with health, schools and colleges, businesses, voluntary and community services organisations to ensure that Dudley is a place where children thrive and choose to live and work as they become adults.
There are 76,187 children and young people aged 0-19 years in the borough. There are 109 schools, primary, secondary, special, colleges and alternative provision, a mix of academies and LA maintained. There are 5 family centres in townships providing a base for the early help and prevention service for children and families.
About the director, Catherine Driscoll
Catherine joined Dudley as Director of Children's Services in February 2021 having started her career in the 1980s in Wordsley Hospital.
Catherine has worked in the NHS in both mental health and community settings and in the voluntary and community sector. For the last 25 years she has been employed in local authorities across Social Care, Adult and Community Services and Children's Services. She has a PhD from the School of Public Policy at The University of Birmingham.
