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Leadership: Working with elected members

Forging good relationships with local politicians can be challenging for children's services leaders, but if managed well, they can be mutually beneficial and help local authorities be more successful.

A good professional relationship between councillors and senior officers is key to a council's success. The high-profile nature of children's services and our inspection-heavy world means the relationship between a director of children's services (DCS) and lead member is scrutinised and tested more than most. With a public spotlight on schools and the performance of children's social care, there are plenty of opportunities for politicians across party lines to take sides and make political capital on an issue. Unless you work in a perpetual one-party state, the relationship between officers and portfolio-holders from all parties is therefore equally important and also needs to be nurtured.

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