Hilda Gaddum - Children and Family Services Portfolio Holder

Councillor Gaddum became a Cabinet member for Cheshire East Council in May 2010 and has had responsibility for the children and families portfolio since then. She currently represents the ward of Sutton, where she lives.

Hilda Gaddum has lived in the Macclesfield area for more than 40 years. She first entered local politics in 1999 when she was elected to Macclesfield Borough Council. Councillor Gaddum chaired the Planning Committee at the former authority and has chaired the Strategic Planning Board with Cheshire East.

Throughout her time with Macclesfield Borough Council, and Cheshire East, Hilda held the Council’s only seat on the Peak District National Park Authority. She held the seat for 12 years, including the role Deputy Chair of the Authority for three years, before stepping down in May 2011 to focus on her Cabinet responsibilities.

Councillor Gaddum is a member of the Women’s Institute and enjoys music, particularly opera.

Portfolio - Children and Family Services Portfolio Holder

This incorporates: education, welfare of children and families and fostering and adoption services.

What are your aims for your portfolio?

An overarching aim is simply to make sure that every child in Cheshire East is safe, with that in mind I am encouraged by the recent inspection of the authority’s safeguarding procedures by Ofsted.

Education is also fundamentally important. I believe that every child has the right to receive the best education possible and schools can always be improved further. I would like to see the brightest children given every opportunity to achieve their potential.

Also, as  nearly a third of our high schools have now become Academies, I am keen to maintain links and contact with them.

What ongoing challenges are there within your portfolio?

Fostering and adoption is a key area where we need to continue our good work. We have held several events to help attract more parents and carers but demand far outweighs the supply of families able to help. We have just produced a powerful short film designed to attract new people to fostering and adoption. It consists of first-hand accounts from parents and carers in Cheshire East.

With high rates of unemployment among young people we also have a duty to make sure that many young people as possible are either employed, or involved in further education or training.

I am also conscious that we need to focus our efforts on our special needs provision and improving the short-break respite care we offer. This is an area where work has already begun and I am optimistic about future outcomes.

Finally, we are facing the same financial pressures as every other local authority in the country. Our aim will be to deliver as much as we can to the young people and families who need it most, with the resources available to us.

How can people contact you?

By writing to the Cheshire East Council headquarters at Westfields, Middlewich Road, Sandbach. Cheshire CW11 1HZ or by e-mail