CYP Now - Programme prepares the future leaders of children’s services

On average, a third of all councils change their director of children’s services each year. Now, a new training programme aims to help aspiring leaders understand the realities of the role so they are better prepared.

Jo Davidson, director, the Staff College: “We’re helping people to better understand what the reality of being a director is”

In most years, around a third of director of children’s services (DCS) posts will change hands, with the average tenure of a DCS lasting just 30 months, according to data collected by the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS).

However, perhaps due to the upheaval caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the last 12 months saw the lowest recorded turnover of directors of children’s services (DCS) with just 37 of 151 local authorities experiencing a change in leadership of their children’s services departments compared with 57 changes the previous year (see graphics).

In a bid to combat challenges around recruitment and retention of DCSs, including issues around lack of diversity, the Department for Education ploughed £3m into the Staff College’s Upon programme for aspiring DCSs.

Register Now to Continue Reading

Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's Included