Sunderland City Council: Strategic Communications during Ofsted inspection

At the heart of this ambition is Together for Children (TfC), the organisation delivering children’s services on behalf of Sunderland City Council.

Established in 2017 following an inadequate Ofsted rating, TfC has since become a success story, becoming the first children’s services provider in the country to move from an Inadequate to an Outstanding Ofsted rating in one cycle. TfC was designed to bring a fresh approach, focused on improvement, innovation, and excellence in service delivery.

In early 2025, under new Chief Executive Simon Marshall, TfC once again faced a full Ofsted inspection. Here we outline how a calm, confident, and well-planned communications approach supported the organisation through the inspection process by ensuring staff felt informed, valued, and celebrated every step of the way.

TfC approached the 2025 Ofsted inspection with calm confidence, underpinned by a culture of continuous readiness. The timing of the inspection aligned well with internal preparations, allowing the organisation to respond with assurance and clarity.

The initial step was to inform the Senior Management Team, ensuring leadership alignment and strategic oversight. This was followed by a carefully crafted team-wide communication to all staff, acknowledging the upcoming visit, expressing appreciation for their ongoing efforts, and offering reassurance. The message reinforced trust in staff expertise and their ability to showcase their work effectively. The Senior Leadership Team in Sunderland City Council were also informed and external partners were also informed to maintain transparency and engagement.

Individual teams took responsibility for compiling the necessary data, which was centralised through the Systems Development, Business & Insights team. This team played a critical role in maintaining oversight, coordinating logistics, and keeping senior leaders informed throughout the inspection period.

A comprehensive schedule was developed to coordinate meetings between staff, partners, families, young people and inspectors, ensuring clarity and preparedness across the organisation.

Alongside this, a clear narrative and set of key messages were shared with colleagues, explaining the inspection process, what to expect, and where to find further information.

Staff were supported to feel confident in speaking openly and honestly with inspectors, with an emphasis on sharing success stories and examples of good practice, rather than being coached.

TfC also agreed on a structured approach to updating relevant colleagues throughout the inspection and managing relationships with external stakeholders. Practical arrangements were carefully planned and communicated across the organisation to ensure meetings were booked, diaries aligned, and inspectors were welcomed into a well-prepared and comfortable working environment.

Once the inspection started Ofsted provided daily feedback to the senior leadership team, fostering a collaborative and transparent dialogue. These sessions enabled constructive questioning and mutual understanding. Senior leaders then cascaded insights to relevant teams in person, maintaining momentum and morale throughout the inspection.

Ahead of the official announcement, TfC embraced Ofsted’s updated guidance, which allowed for greater transparency with staff regarding the inspection findings. Two in-person sessions were held across two sites, with exceptionally strong attendance from all areas of the organisation. This high turnout was supported by calendar invites, regular email reminders, and active encouragement from managers to attend.

During the sessions, the inspection results were revealed through a presentation that began with a video unveiling the “Outstanding” outcome. This was followed by a breakdown of key quotes from the report, organised by service area. Senior Leaders from each area spoke about the findings, ensuring every team felt seen, valued, and celebrated. Although the report did not name individuals, those who had spoken directly with inspectors were acknowledged by name during the sessions, adding a personal and meaningful touch.

As an organisation rooted in listening to children and young people, supporting families, and always putting the child first, TfC was proud to highlight Ofsted’s recognition of this commitment. The presentation included the key quotes on the inspection’s findings regarding TfC’s unwavering dedication to amplifying the voices of young children and ensuring they feel supported, cared for, and valued.

Importantly, the team also addressed the report’s constructive feedback directly by acknowledging areas for improvement and clearly outlining the actions already underway to address them.

The sessions concluded with informal opportunities to connect, including photography and cake, marking the moment with a sense of shared accomplishment. To ensure inclusivity, a personal email from the Chief Executive was sent to all staff on the same day. It summarised the findings, expressed heartfelt thanks for everyone’s support during the inspection, and congratulated the team on their collective achievement—ensuring no one missed out on the moment, even if they couldn’t attend in person.

Once the report was published, TfC issued a press release, informed partners and councillors as well as the wider Sunderland City Council staff and promoted the results across social media. Internally, the official article was shared and celebratory videos featuring staff reflections were produced.

Following the announcement, the senior leadership team ensured that all relevant teams saw and discussed the feedback specific to their work, creating space for reflection, recognition, and learning. This helped reinforce the connection between individual contributions and the overall success of the organisation.

Looking ahead, TfC plans to amplify the results through a refresh of its website, email footers, posters, and marketing materials; further embedding the success into the organisation’s identity and continuing to build momentum around the achievements. These efforts will also support recruitment, strengthen stakeholder confidence, and serve as a reminder of what can be achieved through collaboration, commitment, and a shared focus on putting children first.