Quietly adding value

In 2011 when we launched the ADCS Associates Network - the assumption, at least on my part - was that it would provide a mechanism for retired and semi-retired members of the Association to continue to be involved in a fairly low-key way. Needless to say, it hasn’t worked out like that. Today we have 129 Associate members, in a wide range of roles – everything from long-term interim appointments with local authorities to casual consultancy work and a few people who are genuinely semi-retired. We have interim directors and assistant directors, chairs of LSCBs and Serious Case Reviews, school adjudicators, office-holders in related organisations, charity chief executives and senior officers, and an adviser to the Education Select Committee. Some colleagues have full-time roles, while others have a portfolio of activity.

The work of Associates in support of children’s services has perhaps not received the air-time and recognition that it might because much of this work is confidential and can’t be discussed or written about in public, and that includes both statutory work and consultancy support for local authorities. However, I’m really pleased to report that we regularly have associates at the Resources & Sustainability, Educational Achievement and Standards,Performance & Inspection Policy Committees, and they take an active part both at and between meetings. For example, over the summer several associates were able to put together a response to a rapid call by the DfE for evidence on school admissions with a view to informing the next iteration of the school admissions code. And at the last meeting of the Resources and Sustainability Policy Committee, which discussed school funding, a number of associates attended and contributed, some of whom have (without casting ageist aspersions) experience of school funding dating back to the start of Local Management of Schools (LMS) back in the late 1980s. The debate demonstrated that there is nothing new under the sun, and that the issues being raised by the DfE (‘What do we mean by ‘fair’ funding?’) have been the subject of debate over many years. Similarly several associates who chair LSCBs have helped inform the ADCS policy discussions about LSCBs. In all this, particularly where associates are linked to other organisations, there is a risk of conflict of interest, and we are all keenly aware of that possibility, but I’m not aware of any particular problems that have arisen – colleagues seem well able to maintain divisions between various activities.

The disparate and diverse nature of the Associates Network – different work patterns, different interests, different locations – has caused us to think about how we can best work as a network. Any topic we choose for a meeting has the risk of not being interesting to any but a small group. So our meetings tend to be small and topics of discussion general – everything from big-picture politics to the Goddard Review, at our most recent meeting. We are looking forward to some general discussion with ADCS President, Alison O’Sullivan at our next meeting on Thursday 10 December 2015 following the Resources and Sustainability Policy Committee meeting at the Laycock Centre, followed by an informal supper.

We also have a planned joint meeting with ADASS Associates Network on safeguarding for the New Year.

Beyond meetings, we are in the process of publishing some ‘think pieces’ on matters of general interest, and will have the first of those on the brilliant new ADCS website by the end of the year – which reminds me that the Associates Network is superbly supported by Gary Dumbarton, the ADCS IT officer, who coordinates all our meetings and bulletins!

So, how can the ADCS Associates Network continue to support members of ADCS and the Association as a whole? Those of us who regularly support policy committees are already well-engaged, but if there are specific issues that policy committees or individual members want considered, we can act as a brokerage to put people in touch – which might be pro bono or involve paid consultancy – that would need be negotiated with the individual associate. Recently we have been trying (but so far failing, I’m afraid ) to locate someone willing to act as an expert witness on residential care for a local authority – so if that sounds interesting as a piece of work, let me know and I’ll pass on the details. In general, send any requests to me or Gary and we’ll pass them on to associates. After all, we are all associates because we want to continue to make a difference!

John Freeman is chair of the ADCS Associates Network. This blog first appeared on the ADCS website