1. Children’s Improvement Board Regional Leads
Martin Kimber
Chief Executive - RMBC
10th September, 2012

2. Agenda I have been asked to cover three things:
Corporate change and the interaction with children’s services
Experience of inspections
Chief Executive and DCS relationships

3. It should be seamless
Appropriate culture and integrated budget and service planning:
Built on clear corporate priorities
An agreed interpretation of complex evidence and information
Responsibility, accountability, innovation and trust

4. The importance of team The culture is always set from the top:
Political Executive and Managerial Executive work together
The big problems are corporate not departmental or individual
Self awareness and organisational improvement are the day job    

5. How do you know you have it right
The Political Executive and Managerial Executive work reflectively
The Managerial Executive talks as “we”
Resources are corporate and applied to the biggest challenges

6. Importance of culture
If the culture is right it will show through performance management:
Corporate Plan
Outcomes framework
Inspection judgements

7. Attitudes to inspection
A pessimist will find a calamity in every opportunity
and an optimist an opportunity in every calamity:
Winston Churchill
Free consultancy
Confirm our challenges and outcomes
Provide a conduit for professional debate

8. Inspection experiences
Only second in the country under the new framework:
Ofsted still finding their feet
Prevention and Early Intervention - our thinking more advanced than theirs
Important not to be passive

9. The Chief Executive and DCS
Built on important principles:
Support – the top managerial team have an agreed view
Challenge – the Chief Executive as a conduit to innovation
Confidence – the big challenges are being faced and resourced

10. Statements from the CEX and DCS
Chief Executive – “A relationship built on trust and honesty is the key. My DCS needs to be able to openly share service challenges and resource needs knowing it will also become my problem and that of the top team as well. In return I expect clear evidence that they drive innovation, understand performance against outcomes, organise the resources available to them effectively and think and act collaboratively.”
DCS – “The culture of no surprises is absolutely crucial. I know I can go to him, be honest, have a reflective critical friend conversation knowing I will be supported on the decisions I have to take”   

11. Working Together A mature organisation with the right culture
Self aware
Shared commitment around duty to “protect the most vulnerable”
An agreed and realistic approach to resource allocation
Ofsted said: “The local authority has established and resourced a clear focus on the provision of child protection services and delivered some key priorities…”

12. Any Questions?