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Manchester council has become the first in the region to be rated 'Outstanding' by Ofsted, completing a remarkable turnaround. The local authority's children's services, which was rated 'Inadequate' a decade ago, has now been named among the best in the country.

The verdict, revealed in the latest inspection report out today (November 11), comes 11 years after the town hall was criticised for leaving hundreds of vulnerable children 'potentially at risk' as social workers with high caseloads meant they waited months for help.

The damning Ofsted report in 2014 came as a 'massive shock' to the council - but it also sparked a major transformation of its services.

Despite deep cuts to council budgets at the time, money was put back into children's services and new personnel we

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