The administration-designed Harrow Council slogan, “putting residents first,” sits increasingly uneasily alongside the persistent problems in its children’s services. The departure of yet another Director of Children’s Services – requiring the Managing Director to assume the statutory role on an interim basis – underscores ongoing instability at a time when the service remains under a government improvement notice.
This disruption follows Ofsted’s “inadequate” judgement, which highlighted widespread delays, inconsistent oversight, and structural failings long raised by families. Despite previous redesign efforts, Harrow continues to experience lengthy waits for Education, Health and Care Plans, communication challenges, and gaps in early-help provision that leave services reactive rather than preventative. High caseloads and reliance on agency staff further strain frontline capacity.
These operational weaknesses have sharpened political scrutiny. Critics question whether the Cabinet has exercised sufficiently robust oversight throughout years of underperformance, arguing that continual turnover in senior leadership has overshadowed the need for consistent political direction and a genuinely child-centred strategy.
More broadly, some residents fear the administration’s vote-chasing priorities have diverted attention and resources away from children’s social care, SEND support and early help. They also point to what they see as deflections from how thinly vulnerability is cared for, noting that symbolic or nationalistic gestures – as well as repeated political attacks on London Mayor Sadiq Khan – are often foregrounded while core safeguarding duties remain under pressure. This, they argue, only sharpens the dissonance between the council’s slogan and Harrow’s historic motto, Salus populi suprema lex – “the well-being of the people is the highest law.”
Concerns about systemic shortcomings have been reinforced both by findings from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and by recent monitoring from His Majesty’s Inspectors, whose cautiously optimistic assessments suggest that progress is emerging rather than embedded, with stability still heavily reliant on new staff and evolving systems.
Structural pressures also continue to affect the Independent Reviewing Officer function, where placement shortages, commissioning constraints and high caseloads can slow responses and result in disruptive moves for children.
Taken together, these issues point to deep-rooted structural and cultural challenges that require stable leadership, sustained investment in early help, stronger accountability and a more compassionate ethos. Until such changes take hold, many will continue to question whether Harrow is truly “putting residents first” – or leaving its most vulnerable children behind.
This disruption follows Ofsted’s “inadequate” judgement, which highlighted widespread delays, inconsistent oversight, and structural failings long raised by families. Despite previous redesign efforts, Harrow continues to experience lengthy waits for Education, Health and Care Plans, communication challenges, and gaps in early-help provision that leave services reactive rather than preventative. High caseloads and reliance on agency staff further strain frontline capacity.
These operational weaknesses have sharpened political scrutiny. Critics question whether the Cabinet has exercised sufficiently robust oversight throughout years of underperformance, arguing that continual turnover in senior leadership has overshadowed the need for consistent political direction and a genuinely child-centred strategy.
More broadly, some residents fear the administration’s vote-chasing priorities have diverted attention and resources away from children’s social care, SEND support and early help. They also point to what they see as deflections from how thinly vulnerability is cared for, noting that symbolic or nationalistic gestures – as well as repeated political attacks on London Mayor Sadiq Khan – are often foregrounded while core safeguarding duties remain under pressure. This, they argue, only sharpens the dissonance between the council’s slogan and Harrow’s historic motto, Salus populi suprema lex – “the well-being of the people is the highest law.”
Concerns about systemic shortcomings have been reinforced both by findings from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and by recent monitoring from His Majesty’s Inspectors, whose cautiously optimistic assessments suggest that progress is emerging rather than embedded, with stability still heavily reliant on new staff and evolving systems.
Structural pressures also continue to affect the Independent Reviewing Officer function, where placement shortages, commissioning constraints and high caseloads can slow responses and result in disruptive moves for children.
Taken together, these issues point to deep-rooted structural and cultural challenges that require stable leadership, sustained investment in early help, stronger accountability and a more compassionate ethos. Until such changes take hold, many will continue to question whether Harrow is truly “putting residents first” – or leaving its most vulnerable children behind.
Harrow Monitoring Group 