Salford City Council has announced the appointment of Becky Bibby as the new interim Executive Director for Children's Services.
This appointment follows a meticulous internal recruitment process, filling the position vacated by Melissa Caslake, who has now stepped into the role of Interim Chief Executive after Tom Stannard's departure. These pivotal statutory roles ensure that the council continues to meet its legal obligations while maintaining organizational stability.
Becky Bibby has been a dedicated member of Salford City Council since 2009, beginning her journey as the Education and Childcare Strategy Manager for Children’s Services Early Years. Over the years, she has held various key positions, including Head of Service for Starting Life Well and Helping Families, and most recently, Director for Early Help and School Readiness. Before her tenure at Salford, Becky honed her skills as a Nursery Nurse and then moved on to Children’s Services at Tameside Council.
Commenting on her new position, Bibby said:
“This is a huge honour to be taking up this position and working to support and champion the needs of Salford’s children and young people. I am committed to building on the great work we have already developed across the service, and I look forward to working alongside Melissa Caslake, elected members and with colleagues to ensure we support our city’s youngest and most vulnerable residents.”
In her new role, Becky aims to steer Salford towards achieving UNICEF's accredited Child Friendly City status. Her priorities include preparing for upcoming inspections and advocating for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) educational provision in the city.
Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett also spoke about the appointment, saying:
“I’m delighted to welcome Becky into this role. Since joining Salford City Council, she has worked tirelessly to champion the needs of children and young people, with a focus on support for early intervention and prevention for children, young people, and families. She has successfully led integrated locality-based children, young people and families’ resources and functions that deliver effective early help and early years services across the city.”
Salford City Council remains committed to its vision of creating a fairer, greener, healthier, and more inclusive city, as outlined in the corporate plan, This is our Salford. A significant aspect of this vision is prioritizing support for children and young people, focusing on educational improvement and their overall development. Recent initiatives to support this include the establishment of a Literacy Hub, the introduction of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Little Hulton, and the soon-to-be-completed Youth Zone.
Moreover, the council continues to operate and enhance services such as the Youth Service provision and the five Salford Family Nurseries. They are also reviewing the Local Cultural Education Partnerships (LCEP) and developing a new sports and leisure strategy for the city, with a strong emphasis on the youth.
Under Becky’s leadership, Salford Families Nurseries have seen significant improvements, and she has played a vital role in the council’s ambition to become a UNICEF accredited Child Friendly City. Additionally, Becky was a part of the management team that secured a successful OFSTED inspection, where the service was rated ‘good’ with ‘outstanding’ leadership and care leaver support.
Image credit: iStock and Salford City Council
