UPDATE NO 217 14 October 2016

Self Evaluation Framework 2016

The preparation and orientation day has now been set for Monday 23 January 2017 at Easthampstead Park Conference Centre.

The SEF process is open to all local authorities/children’s services trusts in the south east who choose to sign the Memorandum of Understanding. 

righton and Hove and Southampton have joined Portsmouth as volunteers to undertake the self-evaluation. West Berkshire, Hampshire/IoW and Oxfordshire or East Sussex have offered themselves as visitors, and Milton Keynes, West Sussex and Windsor and Maidenhead have offered themselves as observers this year. We are in discussion with Surrey about the detail of their offer. 

The template for the Self Evaluation Framework 2016 is available here. Thanks to Southampton, Surrey and West Berkshire for returning signed versions.

To be assigned: Surrey

The training/orientation session will be on Monday 23 January 2017. Anna Wright is canvassing colleagues about the content and structure of this event, please contact her to discuss who should attend, and other matters.

For a further discussion about the programme please contact Richard Tyndall (details below) in the first instance

DfE Knowledge and Skills Statements for Practice Leaders

David Goosey, one of the SESLIP consultants, has adapted a world renowned 360° feedback tool called the Transformation Leadership Questionnaire (TLQ) to include the DfE Knowledge and Skills Statements for Practice Leaders. It is based on the Engaging Leadership model which was developed by the Real World Group (created by the University of Leeds in 2001). This model was applied to help liberate the potential of organisations worldwide, particularly in the public sector.

Click here for more information about Practice Leaders 360

As was shown in longitudinal research (click here for a summary), it is very much a distributed leadership model, and includes a range of leadership behaviours that enhance partnership working, readiness for change and ability to innovate and implement innovations. More specifically, it describes the behaviours, values and attitudes that increase performance through greater employee engagement to create:

• The ability to achieve more with fewer resources
• Reduced job-related stress among employees
• Increased positive attitudes to work among employees (e.g. motivation, commitment, satisfaction, etc)
• Enhanced wellbeing among employees (e.g. self-confidence, self-esteem, etc).

These are increasingly critical skills in the role of Practice Leaders. The adaptation to the TLQ is called the Practice Leaders 360 and is designed to give real feedback on leadership performance against the DfE Knowledge and Skills statements. It is hoped that in future the Practice Leaders 360 will be a vital tool for the accreditation of Practice Leaders.

David is now recruiting 2 or 3 willing Assistant Directors (thanks to Liz Rugg, ESCC for volunteering) to help pilot this new tool. This would involve using the on-line tool to nominate colleagues, direct reports and others to provide feedback and 1 or 2 free coaching sessions afterwards to review the evidence and recommend adjustments where necessary.

If you are willing to join Liz and take part in this pilot please contact David (details below).

Topical Peer Challenge Round 9

A volunteer team member is required to join the visit to Windsor and Maidenhead (Corporate Parenting) on 14 & 15 November 2016. 

The visit will be led by Pinaki Ghoshal (DCS Brighton and Hove CC) and the other team members are Naintara Khosla (Kent) and Mary Blanchard (West Sussex). If you are interested, please contact Richard Tyndall (details below) in the first instance.

Please see the planning grid for the full list of names and dates of Round8/9 Peer Challenge visits.

LGA Peer Diagnostic for Child Sexual Exploitation

Colleagues at Surrey CC have recently finished pilot testing this new LGA programme, as one of three test sites nationally (theothers were Derby City and Walsall).

The roll-out of this new LGA offering is planned for 2017, and all enquiries about commissioning this for your authority should be directed via Anna Wright (contact details below) in the first instance.

Leadership Development

We continue to offer our successful portfolio of Leadership Development Courses all of which have been positively evaluated by delegates.

We are offering LAs the opportunity to train their own trainers for all our courses. Our aim is to increase the capacity and capability across the region  to ensure future sustainability within LAs. Courses can also be delivered with adult services and/or for schools. Please contact Di Smith, details below, if this is of interest to you. 

All courses are run in-house in the LA who provides the venue. Each course is accompanied by a range of training resources for the delegates including a comprehensive handbook. The current courses on offer are as follows and details of each course and the costs for each can be found by downloading the April 2016 Leadership Development Prospectus. 

Coaching to Improve Performance

Embedding a Coaching Culture

Leading Change in Times of Austerity

Step Up to Leadership   

We can also arrange one-to-one coaching, especially to support newly appointed 2nd and 3rd tier managers

If you require further details or wish to book a course please get in touch with Di Smith (contact details below)