Future Leadership Programme

1. Future Leadership Programme Understanding the Context

2. Public service – past, present and future 2019 2010 1979 • Looking back over your time in public service what developments have had most impact on you, your service, organisation or community? • What are you particularly aware of at present and what sense do you make of the current context for your leadership? • What is your ‘take’ on the next few years?

3. What do you experience? • High volume of advice, guidance, change? • Conditions, fewer targets, new inspection regimes? • Tighter fiscal constraints - Having to do more with less? • Public services need to ‘join up - complex partnerships? • Service user demands increasing? • Single status, workforce skills gaps • Drive for civic renewal and stronger engagement with local people – ‘double devolution’ – political uncertainties • Recognition of local distinctiveness; critical ‘place-making’ role for local government, new shared posts; unitaries & boundary commission changes

4. External drivers • More elderly and disabled but demanding independence • Greater differences between and within areas – more diverse communities • Inequalities gap • Rising expectations of quality of life • Low level of public trust in public services, politicians and democratic process • High profile cases – Baby P • Environmental pressures • “Glocalisation” • Fast changing demography – migration • Recession

5. The current political consensus • the way we live and work is evolving at a rate faster than at any time in recent history. For all areas of public service delivery, there are existing pressures for change driven by demands of service users, partners, and citizens - whose satisfaction with local services has not mirrored the improvement in performance. As the budget made clear, efficiency is the watchword for public servants everywhere for years to come (Hazel Blears May 2009) • …….. depends on the efforts of people in communities the length and breadth of Britain - charities and voluntary organisations, councils, businesses, unions, faith groups and social enterprises all working together with government to help people through these times of challenge and change.(Gordon Brown June 2009) • ‘Our aim is to empower and embolden people to take action themselves, whether as individuals or as members of independent organisations, voluntary groups and social enterprises.’ (Tory Party Manifesto, June 2009) • ‘We’ll make it possible for local people to work together to run local services, fight crime, and take charge of the future of their neighbourhood. (Lib Dem Party Manifesto July 2008)

6. Context - how Government sees it … Centralisation has brought benefits – it’s seen as “getting a grip”! But, • value for money has remained the same • Satisfaction with local services remains low • Local democracy is weak and participation in local services is low So, need to work together to find ways of improving outcomes and engaging people in their local services

7. Government’s view Cabinet Office, 2006

8. Seismic shifts? - 2009 to 2012 • Impact of recession on service demands & income 14%+ savings over 2 years • The costs of recession • public spending now but clawed back from 2011 • Investment in capital but reduced income streams? • Contract in / contract out? • What does local government have to do c/w what it can afford to do? Westminster, Barnet, Essex? • Total place – local efficiency or bean counting? • Melt down in children’s and social services? • Duty to assess and promote economic development • Community Empowerment Housing & Economic Regeneration Bill 2008/9

9. Responsiveness & choice Community call for action Neighbourhood charters Quality parish councils Demonstrable community participation Community cohesion Local forums – youth and community engagement Preventing extremism Core business – the LAA The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007

10. Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 Meeting increased public expectations • Delivering modern and responsive health and social care • Increasing access to decent and affordable homes • Building strong and cohesive communities • Building safe and secure neighbourhoods Next stage of reform - increased efficiencies • Performance management framework top 30 PSAs • Value for money - 3% pa savings by 2010-2011 • Focus on procurement • Shared services / e-government Local Authority Business Growth Incentives

11. Six areas for improvement • The central/local performance management framework • Better economic growth for cities • Improved local leadership • Local government as a convenor of public services • Community/neighbourhood empowerment • Local government structures

12. Local Challenges and Ambitions Sustainable Community Strategy New LAAs Local consultation through the LSP with Partners and Stakeholders CSR07 national priority outcomes & 200 national indicators LSP view of local priorities Cross –Govt view through GOs on local priorities Negotiation and agreement ‘Non-designated’ targets monitored only by LSP Local priorities and targets Local accountability to citizens ‘Designated’ targets monitored by LSP and GO 18 statutory DfES targets ~35 targets LAA Better outcomes for citizens

13. The new performance driver: Comprehensive Area Assessment Improved: places, VFM & outcomes for customers Neighbourhood arrangements &parishes Reports from inspectorates Neighbourhood charter Neighbourhood targets Improvement notices / intervention Directive action / referral to secretary of state Government office support Risk-based inspection & assessment Peer challenge / Peer review Sector self support Local improvement activity Ri sk Assessmen t Local scrutiny & other evidence Housing partnership delivery arrangements National & local targets / information Other partnerships Housing & regeneration Audit / UoR LAA Resident & customer intelligence Sustainable community strategy / local development framework LSP / council National outcomes Local outcomes Performance information DoT Central government / Government office National outcome requirements LSP evaluation of local area Improvement support options Structures & governance Outcomes delivery framework Risk-based assurance

14. It’s about leadership, not just leaders Leadership is of the place, not just the organisation Respect difference Leading means telling a story Leading requires “reading” Members and officers travel together Politics matter People learn more from experience that from being told Living Leadership, Leadership Centre for Local Government Leadership in local government

15. 10 Principles of places (Leadership Centre for Local Government)

16. Place-making is about leadership No single model • Can vary in style – ‘disciplined pluralism’ • Outlast an individual It is a political task • Having a vision for the future • Building coalitions and consensus with other agencies • Effective public and community engagement to inform it • Effective use of powers to deliver the vision Influencing well-being as it is affected by place • Economic, social, environmental aspects • About a ‘place’ in its richest sense • A community which has a sense of its past and its future • More prosperous communities: ‘growing the cake’

17. Implications and issues • Encouraging and facilitating action by others • Capacity building – VCS & individuals • Negotiation and contracting re. what is done where and by whom e.g. LAA • Dealing with disagreement • Balancing different views • Conflicts e.g. pressure to deliver efficient and more personalised services • Outcomes can only be achieved in partnership with other providers and users/citizens – co-production • Emphasis on outcome goals requires significant change – means taking risks and innovating • Democratic renewal requires a better understanding of reasons for non participation • Demands that local politicians can grasp these issues, build a widely shared vision and a strategy for achieving it. • Low involvement and confused accountability highlights importance of building legitimacy to act

18. What kind of leadership do we need? • Organisational/managerial leadership • Political leadership • Partnership leadership • Community leadership

19. 1. Organisational / managerial leadership All senior managers need to: • Deliver the political vision and hold the values • Maintain effective relationships with politicians • Work on implementation and performance management • Design “fit for purpose” structures • Invest in effective engagement and communicate information effectively • Deploy resources & build capacity • Create frameworks for change • Demonstrate a proper reticence!

20. 2. Political leadership • Give more attention and resource to developing political leaders • Ability to take on a bigger role and be held accountable locally • Support democratic legitimacy • Read trends and direction at different levels • Understand power conflicts and dynamics • Build alliances • (Whose job is this?)

21. 3. Partnership leadership • Negotiating the “rules of engagement” for all the players • Creating the capacity to relate well • Encouraging learning and space for creativity • Brokering relationships between different belief systems • Using creative tension – drawing strength from difference • Creating trust • Developing mutuality

22. 4. Community leadership • Moving from leadership in an organisation to leadership in a locality • Championing an area and developing coherent sustainable strategies • Listening • Building alliances and cohesion • Crafting local solutions • Building different leadership approaches • Brokering and advocating

23. Task Taking all this into account, what are the characteristics and needs of place and what is now needed in local services leadership to make it work? Set out a person spec for a future leader with the required: • knowledge • skills • aptitudes