Regional working enables local authorities to achieve critical mass, to be more efficient and address challenges such as fluctuations in placement demand and gaps in service provision. By pooling resources and expertise, authorities can improve demand forecasting, create more strategic market position statements and provide the certainty providers need to invest in services in areas where they are most needed.
Regional working offers significant opportunities to strengthen children's social care by enabling local authorities to pool expertise, funding and services. This approach can help address gaps in provision, reduce inefficiencies and create more consistent and equitable care for children and families regardless of where they live.
This is not without its challenges. Leaders must navigate the complexities of leading and co-ordinating across different systems, cultures and priorities, all while managing inevitable costs. Fear of the unknown can create resistance, requiring courage, determination, and optimism to forge ahead. Learning from the early regional care co-operative pathfinders, regionalisation of adoption and the establishment of fostering recruitment hubs provides valuable insights.
1. Leverage scale
Regional working enables local authorities to achieve critical mass, to be more efficient and address challenges such as fluctuations in placement demand and gaps in service provision. By pooling resources and expertise, authorities can improve demand forecasting, create more strategic market position statements and provide the certainty providers need to invest in services in areas where they are most needed.
Establishing a shared vision is essential, as is robust governance. Local authorities must define roles, responsibilities and expectations from the outset to enable collaboration and reduce conflict. Formal agreements provide a framework for ensuring alignment and shared commitments. A central governance body, with representatives from each local authority, can streamline decision-making, provide oversight, and maintain accountability for shared responsibilities, especially in critical areas like safeguarding.
Having a senior leader who believes in and champions regional working is crucial. They play a key role in realising the vision, securing buy-in from partners and ensuring the regional model aligns with local and national priorities.
2. Lead without authority
Leading regional working is about leading without formal power or hierarchical control. It is about influencing and inspiring people through expertise, relationships and shared goals. Leaders must develop trust through their actions, knowledge, and integrity and rely on collaboration, creating shared goals and working together to solve problems. They must also demonstrate the behaviours and values they wish to see in others.
Successful regional working involves balancing the specific needs and challenges faced by each local authority with a strategic view that spans multiple authorities. Local autonomy must be respected and decision-making should remain flexible enough to respond to immediate needs. At the same time, leaders must ensure the efforts of individual authorities are aligned to regional objectives, such as improving placement sufficiency and addressing gaps in service provision. A key aspect is co-ordinating resources, pooling expertise and sharing data. Leaders also need to keep an eye on national policy and initiatives.
3. Develop advanced commissioning capabilities
Leaders need to strengthen their teams' skills in demand forecasting, data analysis and commercial negotiations to navigate the complexities of a supply-led market. A key first step is to introduce systems that capture data on the changing needs of children and families, enabling commissioners to identify trends and anticipate future demands.
Tools like BERRI (Behaviour, Emotional wellbeing, Risk to self and others, Relationships, and Indicators of psychiatric or neurodevelopmental conditions), CANS (Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths), and Impower's Valuing Care framework provide critical insights into the specific needs of children in care, helping leaders track fluctuations in need over time. Leaders must use these tools to assess the effectiveness and costs of various interventions.
4. Prioritise funding and resource equity
Financial disparities between local authorities can be a major barrier to successful regional collaboration. Wealthier areas may be reluctant to share resources while authorities with fewer resources may struggle to contribute their share. To overcome this, leaders should establish a funding model that ensures equity across the region. This could involve: weighted contributions based on specific criteria such as population, size, assessed need, or local budgets; pooled funding managed regionally; needs-based allocation where funding is distributed regionally based on a detailed assessment of local needs; matching local authority contributions with additional funds from government grants or external resources; funding tied to specific outcomes; time-limited redistribution with the aim of levelling the playing field; and specific regional initiatives, such as fostering recruitment.
5. Foster a collaborative culture
Building a collaborative culture is crucial for overcoming resistance to regional working. Leaders should invest in team-building activities, joint training, and cross-authority mentorship programmes to foster trust and shared purpose. Regular meetings and open communication between staff from different authorities will break down silos. Addressing workforce shortages, professional development gaps and prioritising staff wellbeing will help maintain morale and improve retention across the region.
