Ed Balls outlines children’s director leadership scheme

Top children’s services directors could coach and mentor less experienced counterparts and help other councils tackle challenging issues, under plans outlined by children’s secretary Ed Balls today.

Ahead of the publication of Lord Laming’s child protection review, Balls announced further details of the leadership scheme for directors that will be set up later this year.

Under plans agreed with the National College of School Leadership, which will run the programme:-

• An executive leadership programme will be set up for experienced and effective DCSs to help retain and motivate them and use their expertise to improve the whole system.
• A succession planning strategy will be implemented from 2010-11 onwards for DCS positions, while an accelerated leadership programme will identify those with greatest potential to move rapidly into director roles.
• The college will consider creating a “cadre” of DCSs who, together with their teams, will coach and mentor less experienced directors and work across regions.

As already announced, 24 directors will start the standard leadership programme this autumn.

Balls said: “It is vital that frontline workers get the support and supervision they need for managers who have the best possible skills and truly understand the challenges on the frontline.”

The college has also proposed changing its name to the National College of School and Children’s Leadership.

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