Corporate peer challenge: South Kesteven District Council

The past 18 months has seen South Kesteven District Council (SKDC) embark on a wide ranging and impactful organisational change agenda to deliver performance improvement, cultural change, and longer-term organisational stability. There is a strong commitment from the political and officer leadership to improvement, with leadership from Leader and Chief Executive integral to the significant progress made to date. Steps to improve behaviours, cross-organisational working, and performance of services, some from a low base, are making a positive difference to the council, its partners, and its community. These advancements have been achieved against the challenging backdrop of the Covid 19 pandemic. Sustainable improvement will nevertheless take time to embed, and it is important that it is not overly reliant on key individuals. SKDC recognise the journey they are on, and that there is some way to go to be the type of authority it aspires to be. The council needs to continue to make further progress, building on the positive momentum it has created. 

There is much SKDC can nevertheless be proud of and celebrate. Its response to Covid 19 pandemic is well regarded, closer working relationships have been forged with several partners, and the district has enhanced its understanding of place as a consequence. Continuing to deepen and systemise this engagement with communities would further enhance SKDC’s understanding of its citizens and strengthen its role as a place and community leader. 

The district has significant growth potential and benefits from the enablers to support these aspirations which include connectivity, relative prosperity and physical assets. Whilst recognising the challenge of a multi-centred geography, SKDC should consider if the district’s full potential is being realised, in terms of brand and exploiting its assets. Further collaboration with partners on shared priorities - such as local skills and zero carbon – could help unlock this potential. 

Positive steps have been taken in recent months to foster closer relationships between members and officers at a senior level. However, a ‘member managed’, as opposed to ‘member-led officer managed’ approach was described by many. Clarifying the roles and responsibilities of members and officers will be important to rebalance this situation and create a positive environment for collaborative member – officer working. Enhancing opportunities for closer teamwork between members as well as between members and officers will support this. Doing so will help build greater trust, accountability and shared understanding which are vital components in moving the authority forward. 

SKDC’s workforce are a huge asset, being committed to delivering for the authority and driving forward improvement. Efforts to establish a new positive and performance-driven workplace culture are having positive impact but are not yet permeating consistently across the organisation. Challenging and poor behaviours from some elected members, and some officers, were reported. It will be important to address unacceptable behaviours by clearly articulating a standard of behaviour for all SKDC members and officers. Seeking to learn from elsewhere and investing in individuals’ development will also be important in establishing a continuous learning culture to drive forward improvement.

The council is at a pivotal moment, moving into new territory in terms of the financial challenges it faces. SKDC should prepare for the increased rigours of financial management as difficult decisions, prioritisation, and strong financial discipline will be required. Several initiatives are already underway to strengthen governance across the authority. Prioritising these activities, including an external ‘health check’ of company governance structures, will aid this need for rigour by strengthening effective decision-making and risk management. 

SKDC can be proud in recognising – and celebrating – what it has achieved in the past 18 months and looking ahead to achieving its full potential. Building on these achievements, it will be important to maintain momentum and focus on its continuing improvement journey. Developing a strategy and plans for future ways of working will reinforce this direction of travel by supporting long-term, joined-up planning, aligned to SKDC’s future organisational vision.  Looking to the future when sustainable improvement has been achieved, it will also be important for SKDC to transition to a more external facing approach to articulate, and leverage, more clearly its vision and ambitions for place.

PDF of the report on the South Kesteven District Council website.

There are several observations and suggestions within the main section of the report. The following are the peer team’s key recommendations to the council:

2.1. Prepare the organisation for the increased rigours of financial management to address the challenges ahead.

Developing the discipline and mindset required for strong operational financial management will support effective prioritisation, informed decision-making, and setting and delivery of realistic savings targets. 

2.2. Clarify roles and responsibilities of Members and Officers to build trust, respect and rebalance to ‘member-led officer managed’.

Clearly defining the bounds of the strategic decision-making role of elected members, and the operational leadership of officers, will address the current imbalance and support a positive environment for collaborative member – officer working.

2.3. Articulate the standards of behaviour for all #TeamSK (elected members and officers) to promote respect and address poor behaviours.

Setting clear expectations would enable behaviours that fall below that standard to be held to account and help embed a positive team #TeamSK culture. This could be through a form of Respect Pledge or Strategy. 

2.4. Consider how to enhance communication and teamwork between members, and between members and officers in the context of COVID-19.

Investing in relationships will support the development of greater trust, accountability and shared understanding which is something many councils are doing in response to experiences during the pandemic. This will in turn support decision-making, delivery and morale. Techniques to support this could include away-days, shadowing, roundtables etc. 

2.5. Develop a strategy and plans for future ways of working to provide clarity and a sense of purpose.

Bringing together plans around blended working, staff accommodation, asset management and IT investment will support long-term joined-up planning, aligned to SKDC’s future organisational vision. 

2.6. Prioritise plans to strengthen governance to support effective decision-making and mitigate risk.

E.g. external ‘health check’ of company governance structures, implementation of existing governance reviews etc). This will be important to drive performance improvements, provide assurance, and ensure there is transparent, accountable, and robust decision-making.  

2.7. Be prepared to invest in yourselves to engage on a wider footing to learn and make SKDC the best it can be.

nvesting in individual development (both elected member and officer), and seeking to learn from elsewhere, is important to establish a continuous learning culture to drive forward improvement and change. 

2.8. Continue to deepen understanding of and engagement with communities and other partners to strengthen SKDC’s community leadership role.

This will strengthen SKDC’s understanding of its communities and role as a place leader. This could include: continuous dialogue; more active community leadership role for councillors; systematic approach to resident and community engagement; promoting equality, diversity and inclusion; collaborating on shared priorities; and co-design. 

2.9. Recognise and celebrate the significant progress made whilst keeping focus to maintain momentum, looking ahead to achieving SKDC’s full potential.

Building on the achievements already made will help reinforce that direction of travel, support staff morale and mitigate change fatigue through positive reinforcement. 

3.1. The peer team

Peer challenges are delivered by experienced elected member and officer peers. The make-up of the peer team reflected the focus of the peer challenge and peers were selected on the basis of their relevant expertise. The peers were:

• Stephen Baker, Chief Executive, East Suffolk Council
• Cllr Abi Brown, Leader, Stoke-on-Trent City Council
• Kirsten Burnett, Head of Policy and Organisational Development, Hyndburn Borough Council
• Paul Ellis, Director of Services and Deputy Chief Executive, Craven District Council
• Stephen Cooper, Senior Workforce Adviser, LGA
• Frances Marshall, Programme Manager, LGA

3.2. Scope and focus

The peer team considered the following five themes which form the core components of all Corporate Peer Challenges. These areas are critical to councils’ performance and improvement.

1. Local priorities and outcomes - Are the council’s priorities clear and informed by the local context? Is it delivering effectively on its priorities? 
2. Organisational and place leadership - Does the council provide effective local leadership? Are there good relationships with partner organisations and local communities?
3. Governance and culture - Are there clear and robust governance arrangements? Is there a culture of challenge and scrutiny?
4. Financial planning and management - Does the council have a grip on its current financial position? Does the council have a strategy and a plan to address its financial challenges?
5. Capacity for improvement - Is the organisation able to support delivery of local priorities? Does the council have the capacity to improve?

Prior to the Corporate Peer Challenges, some Remote Peer Support (RPS) took place in June 2021 reflecting on SKDC’s ‘people’ focused activity around culture, performance and change. The Corporate Peer Challenge builds on this work.

3.3. The peer challenge process

Peer challenges are improvement focused; it is important to stress that this was not an inspection. The process is not designed to provide an in-depth or technical assessment of plans and proposals. The peer team used their experience and knowledge of local government to reflect on the information presented to them by people they met, things they saw and material that they read. 

The peer team prepared by reviewing a range of documents and information in order to ensure they were familiar with the council and the challenges it is facing. The team then spent three days onsite at South Kesteven DC, during which they:

• Gathered information and views from more than 38 meetings, in addition to further research and reading
• Spoke to more than 113 people including a range of council staff together with members and external stakeholders.

This report provides a summary of the peer team’s findings. In presenting feedback, they have done so as fellow local government officers and members.

4.1. Local priorities and outcomes

The introduction of the Corporate Plan and underpinning performance management approach have created strong foundations for SKDC’s change agenda. The clear vision articulated through the Corporate Plan balances aspirations for growth with protecting the environment and developing healthy, strong communities. However, there could be greater clarity around individual priorities as this was not always clearly understood by partners. Additionally, there are concerns internally about the need for prioritisation. SKDC should now focus on providing clarity and pace to drive forward progress against its key priorities which include health inequalities, climate change and community safety. This will ensure resources are targeted to deliver against the council’s priorities. Appointing Member Champion Roles for certain priorities could galvanise delivery by adding sharper focus and profile.

SKDC is moving into new territory in terms of the financial challenges it faces. With deficits forecast in 2022/23 and 2023/24, the challenges of recovering from Covid 19 whilst also pursuing growth aspirations means difficult decisions will need to be taken. (See Financial Planning and Management paragraph). Effective prioritisation, aligned to requisite resources, will be vitally important to inform these difficult choices and ensure delivery is achievable. The current refresh of the Corporate Plan which is underway provides a great opportunity to achieve this. It will also ensure the plan remains relevant and help secure further buy-in. 

SKDC aspires to be a high performing council with this a clear and measurable objective in its Corporate Plan, however some services are starting from a low base. Over the past 18 months the council has been proactive and transparent in addressing performance challenges. Its self-referral to the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) for failing to meet housing standards demonstrates this, as does the positive impact of SKDC’s subsequent improvement plan which is recognised by the RSH. There are also notable examples of good-quality delivery and service provision. This includes SKDC being in the top quartile of performers in the distribution of COVID-19 business support grants as well as being considered one of the most proactive councils locally in relation to testing and vaccination communications.

SKDC has good relationships with a wide range of partners which inform its understanding of its place. These include Higher Education, Local Enterprise Partnership, businesses, Homes England, voluntary community sector (VCS), Integrated Care System and neighbouring Lincolnshire authorities. Many of these have been strengthened and deepened through the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, there is an enhanced understanding of, and connection to the business community due to support and grants distributed during the pandemic. There is nevertheless scope to do more. Several partners talked about a desire to collaborate further with SKDC to deliver on shared priorities. Local skills and zero carbon were highlighted as areas where SKDC could capitalise on relationships to unlock capacity, create new opportunities, and play a greater place-shaping role across the district.  

SKDC is ambitious for its place. However, it may want to reflect on whether its ambitions are understated, clearly articulated and if its true potential is fully recognised, such as its vision for Grantham and wider locality offer. The district’s potential for growth was described by some as ‘enviable’, with the Southern Growth Area (SGA) a particular asset to be exploited. The district’s location, transport connectivity, physical assets, and success in leveraging in external funding (e.g. Future High Streets Funding, HAZ Funding) provide the platform to translate this potential into outcomes such as protecting and creating jobs, developing high streets and, securing investment. To realise this, SKDC should reinforce and create links across all partners to restate and secure buy-in to its vision for economic growth. A strong borough-wide place-based identity and brand tied into the council’s vision would help SKDC in realising the district’s full potential. Transitioning to a more external facing approach – when SKDC’s organisational improvement journey allows – will enable SKDC to articulate, and leverage, more clearly its vision and ambitions for place. (See Organisational and Place Leadership paragraph).

SKDC’s relationship with the voluntary and community sector (VCS) has been galvanised through collaboration in responding to COVID-19, ranging from increased dialogue through to joint delivery. There is a desire from the VCS for SKDC to go further to deepen partnership working and dialogue. This provides a great opportunity to capitalise on the enhanced community focus achieved through the experience of managing the effects of COVID-19. This could help to enrich SKDC’s understanding of its communities and use this insight to influence decisions and service design. To do so, SKDC should systemise its engagement with citizens and communities and support all elected members to be visible in their community leadership roles. 

SKDC produces an Annual Equality and Diversity Position Statement and seeks to promote equality of opportunity across its functions in line with its public sector equality duty. Further work is required to support officers and members to promote respect, equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) through their roles whilst challenging unacceptable behaviours. Introducing mandatory EDI training will help ensure the principles of EDI are understood by all within the organisation and that all sectors of the population are catered for by enhancing the council’s understanding of its local environment and population. 

4.2. Organisational and place leadership 

SKDC’s organisational leadership has undergone a transformation through a raft of changes introduced over the past 18 months including the appointment of a new Chief Executive, restructures, and service reviews. Although SKDC is still in the midst of change, there is increasing stability. There is a clear vision for improvement underpinned by sound foundations provided by the Corporate Plan, performance management framework and commitment from senior leadership. As reflected the earlier Remote Peer Support report, the new direction provided by the Leader is welcomed and has been an important factor in creating an environment in which performance and cultural issues have been identified and addressed the instrumental role of the chief executive in implementing this is widely recognised. Together, their strong relationship and joined up leadership is reflected in the broad organisational support for their drive for positive change. 

They are supported by a Corporate Management Team (CMT) which is well regarded and working effectively together as a cohesive unit. It is evident that they are increasingly confident, visible across the organisation and ‘sharing the load’ in promoting and remodelling SKDC’s organisational values, behaviours and priorities. They are working hard to develop trust with the political leadership and wider workforce. Investing further in political leadership development would support the Cabinet in forging an approach based on collective endeavour whilst also strengthening cross-organisational working. Similarly, assistance for all elected members to understand their roles has been highlighted as something that would be welcomed. (See Governance and Culture paragraph). 

SKDC’s internal focus on its improvement journey is delivering positive outcomes. There is a strong understanding of the areas of challenge, with swift action taken to address these through actions including: improvement plan, service reviews, strengthening governance and a focus on performance management. Significant energies and resources are inevitably focused internally, reflective of SKDC’s commitment to deliver against its improvement priorities. It will be important to plan ahead so that SKDC has a route map for how – when the time is right - it will transition to a more proactive external-facing approach to leverage its local leadership position more fully. One element of this could be developing a partnership strategy to prepare for the new landscape of devolution and potential local government reorganisation, defining what SKDC would want within these scenarios. (See Local Priorities and Outcomes)

As part of the RPS, the peer team reflected that more consistent and comprehensive communications would be needed to achieve its organisational change agenda. Since then, internal communications appear to be gaining traction and recruitment to new positions has taken place, however there is still scope to do more to continue to strengthen two-way information flows. Similarly, effective external communication of SKDC’s corporate messages will be key to delivery of SKDC’s place leadership aspirations. Consideration could now be given to reinforcing and developing the SKDC ‘brand’ which staff, partner and communities can coalesce around. (See Local Priorities and Outcomes paragraph). 

The council was described as a good advocate and partner for their place, with a willingness to share and collaborate. This is evident through the breadth of good relationships SKDC has forged with stakeholders including the County Council, businesses, health, environmental health, supporting neighbouring councils and VCS. Strong partnership working was particularly evident in SKDC’s response to COVID-19, with examples ranging from the ‘Change 4 Lincs’ joint working with neighbouring authorities to tackle rough sleeping, through to working with the VCS to tackle the impact on mental health as a result of the pandemic. Business engagement - at a grassroots and strategic level is something the council are proud of and has been visibly championed by the Leader (e.g. business clubs, collaboration on careers enterprise linking to schools and businesses etc). Staff turnover and vacancies were however cited by some partners as affecting progress and working relations. Several partners reflected on the opportunities for SKDC to step into a greater leadership role to influence future directions of travel across a range of issues. This is something SKDC can look to capitalise on. (See Local Priorities and Outcomes paragraph). 

4.3. Governance and culture

There is a recognition of the need to strengthen governance across the organisation, from decision-making, through to its arm’s length structures. The multitude of measures taken in recent times to strengthen governance demonstrates SKDC’s commitment to this. These include reviews of Good Governance, constitution, scrutiny, assets, and plans to introduce the new model Code of Conduct. It will be important to recognise the value of listening to external challenge and follow through on these reviews to ensure the intended outcomes are achieved. 

Cross party elected member working groups on issues such as climate change and mental health have been welcomed as examples of positive collaborative working. SKDC’s political decision-making process can, however, be time consuming, with a demanding committee cycle frequency. This can have a broad impact, such as the officer resources required to service these, the diversion of elected members’ capacity from strategic decision-making, and adverse bearing on service delivery. Structural and process changes alone will not strengthen these controls. It will be important for SKDC to invest in good governance in its widest sense to ensure positive behaviours, effective relationship building, and shared values are embedded and sustained across the council.

Positive steps have been taken in recent months to foster closer relationships between members and officers at a senior level, such as through away days and, ‘speed dating’ sessions ahead of Full Council for example. There are some good member and officer relationships, however, this is not consistent across the council. A ‘member-managed’, as opposed to ‘member-led, officer managed’ approach was described at all levels of the organisation with the legacy and cultural memory of organisational churn and leadership styles still affecting how members and officers operate and feel. There is a risk of elected members being left exposed if there is a blurring of member and officer roles if this results in councillors stepping into the operational service delivery space. Additionally, this can have an adverse impact on operational delivery, unless officers are empowered to operate with appropriate autonomy. Clarifying the roles and responsibilities of members and officers will be important to rebalance this organisational dynamic. This could be achieved through the development of clear Member Role Descriptions underpinned by a robust Behavioural Framework and supported by a development session to help embed this. Enhancing opportunities for closer teamwork between members and officers will help foster greater trust, accountability, and shared understanding and create capacity for elected members to invest in other aspect of their roles. Previous initiatives whereby councillors spent time with services to enhance their understanding of the practical demands and barriers encountered in service delivery have been received positively. SKDC may wish to consider similar initiatives which can help create a positive, empowered environment for collaborative member – officer working.

References to ‘micromanagement’, ‘a blame culture’, and ‘them and us’ mentality were reported in relation to the attitude of some councillors towards staff. Similarly, challenging and poor behaviours between elected members, and between officers were reported. Whilst this is not reflective of all members’ or officers’ behaviours, it was reported on a sufficient scale, and across backbench and Cabinet Members, to merit further action being taken. Ensuring there is a clear understanding of what is legitimate challenge, what is unacceptable conduct, and addressing behaviours that fall below this standard will be important to promote a respectful, positive #TeamSK culture. This will also help foster a positive external perception of SKDC and those who represent it, as behavioural leadership has an impact externally as well as internally within the organisation.

 

There is a desire from all elected members – backbench and Cabinet Members - for greater support for them in their roles to build confidence, skills and knowledge. Examples included induction support for newly elected members on how the council works, as well as longer term skill development, including being a Company Director. Investing in individual development (both elected member and officer), will help establish a continuous learning culture in which individuals feel supported and equipped which will in turn support performance and outcomes for the public.

4.4. Financial planning and management

SKDC is moving into unfamiliar territory in terms of the financial challenges it faces. The Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) is forecasting deficits of £0.899m for 2022/23 (6.6 per cent of net budget), and £1.105m (8 per cent) for 2023/24. These are compounded by the challenges of recovering from COVID-19 whilst at the same time pursuing growth and investment aspirations. Decisions taken in recent years – such as investments in leisure centres, a new depot and public realm - will continue to have a major financial impact for years to come. The Cabinet is increasingly aware of the financial challenges ahead and there is a recognition that tough decisions about services and investments as financial pressure builds will need to be taken. This can be seen through the recognition of inflationary pressures in 2022/23 budget setting process. It will be important to follow through and deliver on SKDC’s financial strategy to respond to the challenges ahead. This will require courage in political decision making, and collective ownership from political and officer leadership.

SKDC has demonstrated forward planning capacity in managing the financial challenges associated with COVID-19, with a reserve introduced to soften the impact of financial losses due to the pandemic. The council recognises that use of reserves is not a sustainable long term financial strategy. It will be important for SKDC to prepare for the increased rigours of financial management as financial discipline will be required for the challenges ahead. Delivery of spend and savings targets currently appear inconsistent and varied, with a mix of underspend, unachieved savings, and underutilisation of grants. Effective budgetary management will be important foundation for reliable financial outcomes upon which to base difficult decisions going forward. 

SKDC has a range of assets across the District which could be important tools in mitigating financial challenges and supporting its growth aspirations, such as its civic buildings, cinema for example. It was also reported to the Peer Team that unpredictable planning outcomes are affecting the views of developers and could adversely impact their investment decisions. The Asset Disposal Strategy, due to be considered by Cabinet in December, is a great opportunity to provide clarity around plans for Assets, and associated actions required. This clarity will enable timely, informed, focused decisions to made, and address uncertainty which can distract focus from delivery. 

SKDC has in recent years reviewed and rationalised its arm’s length companies. There are currently four remaining - InvestSK, EnviroSK, LeisureSK and Gravitas. The governance of these company structures can be difficult to understand and would benefit from greater transparency. An external ‘health check’ of current governance structures would help manage risk, promote transparency, and provide assurance these arrangements will withstand the rigours of scrutiny. 

4.5. Capacity for improvement

Massive strides have been taken in developing a new, positive, performance-driven workplace culture. The introduction of a Corporate Plan, appraisal system and performance management approach are having a positive impact. It will also be important to ensure that as the performance management approach evolves it remains proportionate and outcome driven. The personal drive of the Chief Executive, leading by example and taking her team with her, should not be underestimated in achieving the current positive direction of travel. This has all been underpinned by a resolute commitment to improvement from political leadership. SKDC recognise there is still a way to go to achieve the culture and performance improvements it aspires to, and that sustainable improvement will take time to embed. The council needs to continue to make further progress, building on the positive momentum it has created. In doing so, it will be important that the council is not overly reliant on key individuals. Consideration should be given to how SKDC’s change agenda continues in a sustainable model that mitigates against 'single points of failure’ given the critical roles of the Leader and Chief Executive in this.

The SKDC workforce are a huge asset. The staff the Peer Team spoke to were passionate, dedicated, spoke highly of their immediate teams, and proud of what they do for the council and its communities. For example, there is a genuine goodwill and commitment from much of the workforce to be part of the solution and actively support SKDC’s improvement journey. 

Staff morale however – whilst clearly improving after a period of uncertainty and change – could be further strengthened. There is some scepticism and frustration at continued pockets of poor performance, and sense that vacancies are being held for cost savings, and problematic behaviours such as inconsistent management, poor behaviours, change fatigue and lack of accountability from some teams. (See Governance and Culture paragraph). A priority should now be to invest in training for managers to develop their skills and confidence to manage performance, address poor behaviours and lead by example. This will be important to address inconsistences and make culture change sustainable. 

SKDC’s commitment to establish a positive organisational culture, and measures taken to drive this, are widely recognised and are showing results. For example, the promotion of new #TeamSK values and behaviours is continuing to positively impact on staff morale. Furthermore, whilst silo working remains a challenge, there has been an emergence of some cross-organisational and multi-disciplinary team working across Directorates, across elected members as well as on ad hoc initiatives such as resettlement of asylum seekers locally. Where this has occurred, it has been successful and there is a desire for this type of approach to be expanded. Nevertheless, inconsistencies and variation in culture, behaviours and performance remain. #TeamSK, for example, is often felt on a team level, rather than as a ‘one organisational culture’ corporately. As reflected in the RPS, perseverance, resilience, and constant reinforcement will be required for meaningful change to become embedded throughout the organisation. 

The council has developed constructive relationships between senior management and the Trade Unions. The Trade Unions are a valued and trusted partner, whose views are proactively sought, listened to, and acted upon. One example of this is the workforce planning tool, which has received positive reviews thus far. Bringing together existing workforce planning initiatives would be beneficial to align interventions to have greatest impact (e.g. capacity gaps, people strategy etc). Within this, SKDC may also want to consider conducting a skills audit. Collectively these measures would assist with workforce planning to address resource gaps and improve outcomes for staff and managers. 

There is a sense of uncertainty about the future direction of the authority in relation to issues such as the new depot, approach to blended working, and future office accommodation. Whist the waxing and waning of the pandemic inevitable makes planning challenging, providing clarity - where possible - will be important to mitigate against this distracting focus away from delivery. Bringing together plans around blended working, staff accommodation, asset management and IT investment will help provide this focus, and support long-term, joined-up planning, aligned to SKDC’s future organisational vision.

 

SKDC can be proud in recognising what it has achieved in the past 18 months and celebrate these accomplishments. Doing so will be important to maintain momentum and focus on its continuing improvement journey and support staff morale, mitigate change fatigue, and reinforce the positive direction of travel.

It is recognised that senior political and managerial leadership will want to consider, discuss, and reflect on these findings. 

Both the peer team and LGA are keen to build on the relationships formed through the peer challenge. The CPC process includes a six-month check-in meeting. This will be a short, facilitated session which creates space for the council’s senior leadership to update peers on its progress against the action plan and discuss next steps. 

In the meantime, Mark Edgell, Principal Adviser for East Midlands is the main contact between your authority and the Local Government Association. Mark is available to discuss any further support the council requires – [email protected].

January 2022

Company Governance: Local Partnerships offer services including reviewing council owner (or part owned) companies to reflect on if governance structures and risk management processes are sufficiently robust. Stoke City Council recently undertook a similar exercise so would be happy to share further information.

Devolution and Local Government Reform: Paul Ellis ([email protected]) would be happy to share learning from experience of Local Government Reform and Devolution from his experiences in Yorkshire.

Future ways of working: Hyndburn Borough Council have given consideration managing the multitude of issues that sit within future ways of working so Kirsten Burnett ([email protected]) would be happy to share reflections on their current thinking around this.

LGA Peer Support

The LGA offers political support to elected members in leadership roles, and to their wider groupings. This is bespoke and tailored to the context. [email protected] would be happy to discuss if you would like to explore this further.

LGA Member and Officer Development

The LGA offers a range of training and development programmes. These are bespoke and tailored to the context. Outlined below are a number which may be of interest. [email protected] would be happy to discuss if you would like to explore this further.

• Member and Officer roles and working relationships
• Top Team Facilitated Development sessions: For senior political and officer leadership teams, aimed at helping to developing cohesive leadership teams and supporting strategic leadership.  
• Equality Diversity and Inclusion: The LGA has resources for elected members on equality, diversity and inclusion, including a workbook and also online or in-person training sessions.
• Community leadership: The LGA has resources for elected members on community leadership, including a workbook and also online or in-person training sessions.

East Midlands Councils Top Team Development

East Midlands Councils designs and delivers team development support to local authorities tailored to their individual requirements. Further details on the East Midlands website.

Role descriptions and behavioural frameworks

• Example of Merton LBC's Behavioural Framework
• Example of Role Descriptions from Bath and North East Somerset, Torfaen and Wiltshire
• This Political Skills Framework toolkit is based on research into what traits and skills define great local political leaders. It aims to provides a foundation for the support and development authorities’ offer to elected members.  
• The 21st Century Councillor report, developed by Birmingham University alongside the sector, focuses on roles, skills and support for individual Councillors to assist them to play their crucial front-line role in making connections and building strong democratic places where people can thrive. The report focuses on councillors’ roles - aligned with skills, knowledge, and behaviours.
• LGA Model Councillor Code of Conduct and 7 Principles of Public Life