ST HELENS Council has appointed a new director of children’s services.

Tracy Stephen will be joining the council in June 2024, replacing the current director Hilary Brooks who will be retiring this summer.

Tracy joins from Moray Health and Social Care Partnership/Moray Council where she is currently chief social work officer and head of social work (justice, children and families social work, social care, child health and adult social work).

Cllr Nova Charlton, cabinet member for children and young people, said: “We are delighted to be welcoming Tracy who brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the role and will be a real benefit to us as we continue on our journey to Outstanding. Tracy will lead the teams in helping us to deliver on our priorities to make sure children and young people have a positive start in life.

“The work that our children’s service do every day transforms the lives of young people across the borough. Hilary, supported by our fantastic workforce, has done a truly fantastic job in transforming our service and has built a brilliant foundation for us to move on from Good to Outstanding.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming Tracy to St Helens borough to help continue our growth in delivering quality services for our families and some of the most vulnerable children.”