Leadership: Change management

Culture eats strategy for breakfast. This phrase was coined by leadership and management guru Peter Drucker and made famous by Mark Fields, president of international car giant Ford. It is a quote that resonates, as essentially the ability to achieve a seismic shift in organisational culture is integral to the success of any change programme. As leaders in children's services, having the skills, behaviours and understanding of theoretical concepts are prerequisites when it comes to managing change well.

There is no doubt managing change is a key part of our role. Reflecting on the plethora of legislative and policy changes since the Children Act 1989, it is clear why change is the only constant in the VUCA - volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous - environment within which we all operate.

1. Confront the problem. In Rotherham, the challenges of delivering high-quality children's services, juxtaposed to a rise in demand for specialist service provision and a dramatic reduction in available funding, have been augmented by the publication in August 2014 of Professor Alexis Jay's inquiry into child sexual exploitation in the town.

It resulted in Ofsted inspectors finding "widespread systemic failures" in social care, and shortly after Louise Casey reporting that the whole council was not fit for purpose. Managing change on the prodigious scale required was never going to be easy. Failure could result in harm to many other young lives and enduring damage to a whole community.

2. Identify and celebrate your strengths. Rotherham is a community proud of its heritage, where people are friendly, generous and altruistic - as demonstrated by the 49,000volunteering roles currently active in the town. It is also a place where staff come to work every day to do a good job for the families they support.

In Rotherham's case, the strength of children's services is grounded in our staff who are the most resilient I have ever seen. It was important during those very dark days early on to celebrate key strengths such as good education results.

Co-produce wherever possible. While you may need to address "critical issues" in a more directive-led way, use a restorative approach whenever you can, so that you do things "with and not to" people.

3. Ask for help and look after yourself. Steered by a team of experienced government-appointed commissioners and a newly constituted cabinet of advisory elected members, we were able to produce a comprehensive improvement plan, which was ratified by a new Children's Improvement Board chaired by commissioner for social care, Malcolm Newsam. In Malcolm I believe we struck lucky, as he has extensive experience of "turnaround" work up and down the country.

Being resilient is a key factor given the scale of some change agendas. In my first director of children's services role in Derbyshire, I recall suffering from hot flushes, sickness and stomach pains. I consulted my doctor who advised I was suffering from stress. Starting the new role coincided with a reduction in my fitness regime, which together with the demands of the job manifested itself through symptoms of stress. Managing this through keeping fit and maintaining a healthy diet did it for me. Whatever you do, finding ways of relaxing and preserving the time to switch off is essential.

4. Use an evidence-based model. We used theoretical change concepts to ensure challenges were identified as early as possible and addressed. Two approaches were selected based on previous successful execution - John Kotter's "eight step change model" and David Cooperrider's "appreciative inquiry" model. I believe Cooperrider's approach, which was developed in 1987, is effective because it focuses on organisational strengths.

In terms of leadership, our efforts draw on a number of theories including Professor Keith Grint's work on "tame", "critical" and "wicked" issues, and John Whitmore's "Grow" coaching methodology. This has been enhanced by a successful peer support model, following the Department for Education's appointment of practice partners Lincolnshire County Council, from whom we have learned a great deal.

5. Change what you do, then change the narrative. Identify quick wins and execute them. As progress is made in social care, this should be trumpeted - at team and individual levels. This can be done in a number of ways, including service development days and by using social media, which in Rotherham is proving incredibly effective. Promoting a culture of learning and not blame will help create an environment for continuous improvement.

Today, Ofsted reports "a positive organisational culture" in Rotherham where "staff are highly committed and motivated". Just over two years into our five-year transformation programme, this is pleasing to see and the inspectors' findings say more about our staff than anything else. There is no room for complacency in children's services and there is more to do to embed good practice quality. However, through commitment to effective change management, I believe we will continue our journey to excellence.

Ian Thomas is strategic director, children and young people, Rotherham Borough Council