Innovators show leadership by sharing what they learn
Derren Hayes
Monday, June 20, 2016
Identifying the tenets of successful leadership in children's services is a challenge because, judging by Ofsted ratings, only a handful of councils are delivering on this crucial area. Yet this is what Ofsted has attempted to do with its recent commentary on children's services leadership.
Drawn from the findings of visits to five organisations delivering "outstanding" practice leadership in children's services, the commentary captures the key attributes that excellent leaders working throughout their organisations possess (see analysis). These are, namely: understanding and recognising good practice; passion to improve outcomes for children and courage to stand up for services; a commitment to developing the workforce; creating a learning culture; and building these elements into the organisation's structure.
Many of these qualities are demonstrated in the eight local authorities delivering the Department for Education's Partners in Practice programme to transform children's social care (see feature).
The authorities have all been rated "good" for children's services overall by Ofsted and are being funded to put into practice innovative ideas to deliver services differently, with the ultimate aim to improve outcomes for children and families.
For example, Cambridgeshire County Council is to develop a new model for working with 16- and 17-year-olds who are having difficulties at home and school, and are engaging in risky or antisocial behaviour. Many of these young people would often be taken into care under a Section 20 order, but the council plans to work with other statutory and voluntary agencies to find alternatives to care. These might include intensive packages of support in the community, staying with extended family and friends or communal living settings. Children in care have helped develop the idea, which if successful could be used to improve support for dozens of young people.
Meanwhile, Lincolnshire County Council, another Partners in Practice pilot area, plans to change the way it assesses families where children are at risk by moving from a deficit model to one that is more strengths-based. It will also give every young person one key worker rather than two, as is the case currently, so care is more co-ordinated and consistent.
Ofsted says good social work should be about having a "relentless focus" on best meeting the needs of children and young people. The current system does not always make it easy to do that, and initiatives like those being developed in Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire demonstrate great innovation and leadership.
Identifying and celebrating excellent practice is important. Ofsted says a desire to help other authorities improve is another hallmark of good practice leadership. The sector has not been great at this, but the advent of regional peer review groups and strong and weak children's services partnering up paves the way for this to change.
However, the risk is that in the drive to recognise and expand outstanding practice, we end up funnelling resources and expert support into those areas already succeeding at the expense of those that are not.
It is crucial that those children's services striving for, but not yet obtaining, good practice standards are given the support they need to get there. Outstanding children's services leaders can play a key role in achieving that.
