Consortium wins £3m tender to run government DCS programme
Fiona Simpson
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
A consortium of children’s social care and professional development organisations has been awarded a three-year government grant to train the next generation of directors of children’s services and support newly appointed leaders.
The Staff College submitted a successful bid to the Department for Education’s Future Leaders Programme for Directors of Children’s Services as part of the The Children’s Services Leadership Consortium with other key groups including the Institute for Public Care, Gatenby Sanderson and Skills for Care.
The consortium won a £3m contract over three years, with the first year guaranteed and an option for a further two.
The grant comes after the DfE invited suppliers to design, develop and deliver a national leadership programme, attracting a diverse range of participants with strong potential to progress to DCS roles while equipping them with the core behaviours, skills and capacities necessary to do so.
The tender process began in late 2019, inviting single contractors and groups to bid for the project, planned to begin in 2020.
The consortium’s model focuses strongly on the impact that leadership has on high-quality children’s services, as well as a strong emphasis on learning and collaboration to ensure the practical realities of the director of children’s services role are always at the forefront of any proposed activity, The Staff College said.
“We’re delighted to have won this contract with our dedicated consortium,” added Jo Davidson, principal of The Staff College.
“The team can’t wait to get started on the detailed design, welcoming new talent and meeting the leaders of tomorrow.”
