joining up conference
TRANSCRIPT
Joining up: Address to West Midlands DCS Annual
Conference
Nick Whitfield, Chief Executive, Achieving for Children
Our vision
“We support children to live safe,
happy, healthy and successful lives”
(The secret is we have a single focus)
Our promises
We will:
• put children and young people first
• embrace diversity and champion inclusion
• be resourceful, adaptable and dependable
• nurture strong, responsive and caring relationships
• value and invest in our staff to deliver innovative and quality
services
• work with our customers to deliver the most effective solutions for
them
About us
• A Community Interest Company
• Created and owned by Kingston and Richmond Councils
• Established in 2014 (after 3 years solid effort)
• Largest ‘spin out’ nationally
• Supported by the Cabinet Office Mutuals Programme and DCLG
About us
• Shaped by our geography
and a belief that schools are
the answer and work best in
localities
• £3m savings in year 1 without affecting the front line on a £70m budget
• The renewing of our partnerships including the LSCB
• Continued success of and buy in by our partner schools
• Appointed by the DfE as Intervention Advisers
• Won £1.1m of innovation funding to develop new models of foster care
Some early successes
• Launched a portfolio of traded services to councils and schools,
with all profits reinvested back into services for children, young
people and families
• Improved retention of staff
• Staff satisfaction on the up
• And... the Ofsted result
Some early successes
• Richmond Ofsted inspection in 2012: good
• Kingston Ofsted inspection in 2012: inadequate
• Kingston re-inspected in 2013 showing signs of improvement but still
inadequate – a very odd inspection
• Inspected again in May 2015… GOOD across all inspection categories
“Services to children and their families have been transformed since the last
inspections of children looked after services and safeguarding” - Ofsted
• Now awaiting our Richmond inspection
Our Ofsted journey
Joining up
• Significant savings in management
• Significant savings in buildings
• Joint opportunities for recruitment and retention
• Expertise can be used across two authorities
Joining up and Transforming
Transforming
• The ability, as one employer, to create a single culture
• The opportunity to think differently and more creatively
• Opportunities to work with the private sector (their willingness)
• Current Central Government thinking favouring new forms
• Additionality through freed up forms of governance
Joining up and Transforming
• It takes longer than you imagine
• Relationships and personalities do matter
• Politicians for ill or good will be an issue
• Single focus for children can leave gaps for the council
• Need to push back on unnecessary compliance and bureaucracy
• Moral purpose can take you only so far
• Communication is key
• It is worth it!
Lessons Learned
Doing It DifferentlyOur approach to transforming children’s services
Date: 14 January 2016, 10am to 5pm
Location: Coin Street Conference Centre, South Bank, London
Register online: www.achievingforchildren.org.uk/Doing-It-Differently
Find out more…
Questions?