ISSUE 10
In print and online www.iese.org.uk
Tunbridge Wells on Council of the Year win Why the council is still proud almost a decade on
Declaration puts digital centre stage Why sign up to the Local Digital Declaration?
Also inside: • The Tri-Safety Service breaking new ground in Cornwall • iESE's work with Kent County Council graduate scheme • Help set the schedule for our upcoming conference • Join our soft market test on digital procurement
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Page 2 Welcome letter from Dr Andrew Larner, Chief Executive at iESE, plus news about our upcoming Cultural Compass Software
Page 3 iESE news: iESE new joiners, how you can help set the iESE conference schedule, our soft market testing and upcoming White Paper
Page 4-5 Profile piece: William Benson, Chief Executive of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, looks back at the authority's 2010 iESE Council of the Year win
Page 5 In focus: A closer look at the Local Digital Declaration and what it means to your organisation
Pages 6-7 In-depth: How we have worked with Kent County Council's graduate scheme Plus: How Cornwall is pioneering a Tri-Safety Service
EDITORIAL CONTACTS TRANSFORM IS PRODUCED BY: iESE www.iese.org.uk Tel: 08434 878 026 Email: enquiries@iese.org.uk @iESELtd CREDITS: Editorial by: Vicki Arnstein Designed by: SMK Design Views expressed within are those of the iESE editorial team. iESE is distributed on a triannual basis to companies and individuals with an interest in reviewing, remodelling and reinventing public services. Š Copyright iESE 2018
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Time to reset and refocus ith the quiet months of summer behind W us, it’s time to refocus and get stuck into new or old projects with renewed vigour.
Dr Andrew Larner, Chief Executive
At iESE, we are doing just that, with many exciting initiatives in @LaverdaJota the pipeline. We welcome a further two new members of staff to our growing team - Annabelle Spencer, our first apprentice, and Chris Bond as a Senior Business Consultant. Bond will be working on developing our new Cultural Compass tool - software which will enable an authority to keep its finger on the rate of cultural change (see below). In addition, we have been busy carrying out soft market testing on digital procurement - see page 3 for more information. We may run a second wave of testing so get in touch if you are interested in taking part. In addition, we are busy working on our upcoming White Paper which, with the help of SOLACE, will map out the current digital landscape and help leaders ask the right questions about digital. As ever, the digital 'revolution' remains at the forefront of council agendas and its importance recently received an additional boost with the announcement of the Local Digital Declaration (LDD). All local authorities are being encouraged to sign up to help move digital forward collectively. See our feature on page 6 about what the LDD means for your organisation. Finally, thanks to all of you who have put your news forward to Transform. Please keep this coming to enquiries@iese.org.uk. We hope Transform will become a key place for sharing best-practice as much as for keeping you abreast of iESE initiatives. Dr Andrew Larner and the iESE team
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New iESE tool monitors cultural change IESE IS WORKING WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO DEVELOP A PROTOTYPE OF ITS CULTURAL COMPASS TOOL WHICH WILL GIVE AN ORGANISATION THE ABILITY TO MONITOR HOW WELL ITS STAFF BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE PROGRAMME IS CHANGING ORGANISATION CULTURE AT ANY TIME. Eastbourne Borough Council and Lewis District Council, which operate shared services, and Tandridge District Council in East Surrey are the first local authorities to express an interest in working with iESE to develop its existing tool - the Assessment Feedback Tool - into a digital product. "The aim is that the new iESE software will allow an authority to manage by behaviours away from the traditional annual appraisal. It aims to help the individual staff member and their manager see how they are developing in their role and for the organisation to see the collective results of individual changes," said Chris Bond, Senior Business Consultant at iESE. The new tool will take behavioural assessment data - both from behavioural assessment exercises and management conversations on effective and ineffective behaviour - and create a bespoke report for each individual within an organisation allowing
them to see where they are strong and where to develop. The software will then allow the organisation to roll this data up to see measures for each team, section, directorate, service line and for the overall authority to give both the current position and the direction of change. The reading will be given via a dashboard to provide an easy-to-read measure allowing a local authority to easily keep pace of behavioural change within the organisation. Bond, who is currently working with software providers to develop a working prototype and with interested parties to test the product, added: "We are all used to the staff survey approach and information on sickness absence but imagine if there was a clock on the dashboard that told you if the culture of your organisation was getting better or worse - that is what we will be able to provide." iESE is also looking at what the other clocks on the dashboard might be as part of its local authority time machine research supported by SOLACE. If you would like to input into this research or speak to iESE about getting involved with its Cultural Compass testing see the information below. To take part in the iESE/SOLACE research contact: sally.cornelius@iese.org.uk
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Digital White Paper gathers support IESE HAS BEEN GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT BY LOCAL AUTHORITY LEADERS THAT IT IS ON THE RIGHT TRACK WITH ITS HYPOTHESIS FOR ITS UPCOMING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION WHITE PAPER. A small group of council leaders met at this year's Local Government Association conference with Dr Andrew Larner, Chief Executive at iESE and John Comber, an associate of iESE. Comber, who is the former Chief Executive of the Royal Borough of Greenwich and a non-Exec director of SOLACE, will be producing the iESE White Paper. Those present indicated they agreed with the hypothesis that local authorities should not start by assuming they are the solution but that they should measure everything by the extent to which the public can help themselves. They also agreed that mapping out what is around in terms of digital and visioning what a local authority might look like in the future would be helpful. They also agreed that local authorities should come together to more effectively use their purchasing power. The upcoming White Paper aims to give leaders a set of questions they can ask their authority to see where they have got to and what they might do to get themselves into a position to maximise the benefits of the digital revolution. "The pace of change is facing
public sector leaders across all spheres with a challenge in understanding what they can do to maximise the benefits of digital and technology within their organisations," Comber explained. While all local authorities have taken steps to digitise their services, some to greater degrees than others, iESE believes authorities cannot continue to do what they have always done - namely to provide all solutions to residents' needs. What they need to do, with digital as a supporting tool, is start thinking from a different place, where they are the enabler, empowering local communities to find their own solutions. "It is about the crisis local authorities are facing. They understand they can no longer fund the delivery of services in the way they have been and that there is only so much efficiency to be squeezed out of the same thing. We are starting to get slithers of best practice but we need to pull it together so they can be combined and used to best effect," said Comber. "The truth is that asking what a digital authority is going to look like is really asking what will the future be." Comber is now producing a first draft of the White Paper in order to enter a broader round of consultation with senior leaders. If you would like to find out more about the White Paper and get involved with its production contact: andrew.larner@iese.org.uk
Join the transformation skills swap shop IESE WILL BE HOLDING A CONFERENCE ON THE 8TH NOVEMBER AT CHURCH HOUSE IN WESTMINSTER. The conference will be in the spirit of the 'unconference' movement, allowing delegates to suggest topics in advance that they would like to cover. At the event, the delegates will aim to collectively solve issues as a group. "We are trying to increase the skills base in the sector to handle problems at a local level," said Dr Andrew Larner, Chief Executive at iESE. "It is for those who want to share their trials, issues and triumphs with others. If you are transforming a service and need practical advice, or you have had a great success in
an area and you are prepared to share that, then you should join us. If you are in the latter category, you should also apply for a Certificate of Excellence - a new iESE award - the first of which will be handed out at the conference." The conference may be of interest to Chief Executives, but is aimed at leaders of services, project officers and heads of policy. To tell iESE what you would like to see covered at the conference and to sign up visit: https://www.iese.org.uk/ events/annual-conference-2018 To find out more about Certificates of Excellence see the box on page 5
Future-proofing digital procurement IESE IS CARRYING OUT A SOFT MARKET TEST ON NEW SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY WITH A NUMBER OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES. It is aimed at allowing those local authorities involved to speak to suppliers without commitment to get an idea about what they are able to provide and to help inform procurement for the sector going forward. "The idea behind the soft market test is engagement," said Dr Andrew Larner, Chief Executive at iESE. "We want to understand what the leading edge has to offer so that our procurements don’t try to bang a square peg through a round hole. Our procurements often are a barrier to innovation. We ask the wrong question so the right answer evades us. In the fast-moving world of technology traditional public procurement may just never keep up. So we need to understand the art of the possible, not to specify a particular solution, but to get the very best from the market. By engaging with the market we have the understanding to run our procurements in the right way," he added.
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The soft market test will look at a range of solutions including low-code/no-code, software that enables users to create their own digital apps in a drag and drop environment, as a way local authorities can create their own digital software. "Digital solutions age rapidly, local authorities are tied into contracts which are limiting - often several with different end dates, sometimes suppliers might disappear or not be interested in renewing a contract," said Dr Larner. "We are looking for ways local authorities might work collectively to procure digital solutions. Larger organisations often pay more than smaller ones but it could be done by way of licensing and numbers of people using a piece of software instead." While the first wave of soft marketing testing is now closed, iESE may run a second wave with interested parties. To speak to iESE about its soft market testing and about joining a second wave of testing contact: chris.bond@iese.org.uk
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iESE expands its team Annabelle Spencer - Digital Marketing Apprentice Annabelle Spencer has joined iESE as a Digital Marketing Apprentice. Spencer, who is on a placement with iESE whilst studying at Strode College, is iESE’s lead on digital communications, marketing and advertising. Working from Dorset Council's partnership office in Dorchester - one of the three councils which own iESE - Spencer also supports their communications team. Her role at iESE includes creating content, analysing campaigns and boosting engagement for the website, blog and social media channels. After graduating with a degree in modern languages and business studies, Spencer was keen to find a job in the public sector. "I wanted to feel I was doing something good that would make positive changes to people's lives," she said. Besides expanding iESE's digital footprint, Spencer hopes to help iESE clients with their digital communication problems, too. "I have been going out helping iESE consultants with projects for our members. I hope in the future to do more to assist clients with their website analytics and to help improve their digital strategy."
Chris Bond - Senior Business Consultant Chris Bond has joined iESE as a Senior Business Consultant. Bond, who previously worked for the outsourcing company Liberata helping local authorities make positive changes, will be focusing on turning iESE tools and products into digital applications. To start with he will be looking at the iESE Care Funding Calculator, its behavioural framework tool and the Disabled Facilities Grant. iESE hopes wider access to these tools through software applications will allow local authorities to come together through technology as a community and allow greater knowledge sharing. "iESE creates some significant tools as a by-product of its engagement with councils. From these we can provide high-quality digital tools that are genuinely innovative that local authorities can share as a community. Enabling a more sustainable model to do these things internally is better value and more efficient, ensuring the maximum money is available to be spent on services," Bond said. Bond has worked directly for local authorities via Liberata since 1989, with a stint at Compass Group UK (contract caterers) and Travelodge. "I have been involved in around twenty local authorities looking at a wide range of elements, including back office processing, shared service centres, call centres and other customer service points. More recently I have worked for Compass Group UK and Travelodge. It has been a varied journey to get here but it is all good knowledge to bring to iESE."
Would you like to share your news and views with Transform? We would like to hear your thoughts and opinions. Send any press releases or suggestions to enquiries@iese.org.uk
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Tunbridge still proud of Council of the Year award Tunbridge Wells Borough Council was the first local authority to receive the iESE Council of the Year award in 2010. The accolade was given in recognition of its rapid turnaround from being a 'weak' council in 2004 to achieving 'excellent' status in 2009. Here we speak to William Benson, Chief Executive at Tunbridge Wells, about being iESE Council of the Year and why the council could strive for the top award again T
he turnaround of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council since it was rated one point off 'poor' by the now defunct Audit Commission in 2004 and put into special measures is remarkable. The scale and speed of its improvement made it only the third authority in England at that time to move from 'weak' to 'excellent'. Benson, who became Chief Executive at Tunbridge Wells in 2010, joined the council in 2006 under Sheila Wheeler (then Chief Executive) and two other newlyappointed directors to turn the local authority around. Looking back, Benson recalls it as a ‘difficult period’. "My initial assessment was that some of the fundamentals were there. There were fantastic staff but no strategic plan or vision and no performance management system to speak of," says Benson. "The council had no idea whether it was doing well or badly because it did not have the metrics or benchmarks in place. It had a poor reputation locally and with partners. Morale was low because people were coming into work and being told they were part of a 'weak' organisation." The ensuing work which took the council from ‘the sick man of Kent’ to an excellent authority - and
being awarded iESE Council of the Year - was allencompassing. It started with an analysis of any available data, a fundamental review of the finances and an in-depth engagement with staff. The senior management team, formerly scattered in different locations, were brought together, a new vision was outlined and each service given a service plan. The new management team ensured all the council's policy framework documents were in place and that it had a people strategy. "Having a ‘golden thread’ from the top of the organisation right the way down to service delivery was critical," Benson explains. "There was a ruthless focus on performance," he adds. "We were delivering 57 per cent of our performance indicators in the top quartile. The district average, at the time, was around 33 per cent."
Serving the public Tunbridge Wells BC also reviewed the way it worked with customers and collaborated with the County Council to buy a former McDonald's restaurant in the town centre to act as a single point of contact for the customer, replacing numerous reception desks that
had previously existed in various (sometimes awkward) locations. This new hub also housed a range of partners including the Citizens' Advice Bureau. Additionally, the council helped set up the MidKent Improvement Partnership, which brought a swath of services under one umbrella. "We started with internal audit and then looked at revenues and benefits and legal services and a significant number of staff are now employed in partnership," Benson adds. The changes it made helped stand Tunbridge Wells in good stead during the financial downturn. "A lot of authorities only started going into partnership in earnest post the financial crash and the cuts to the public sector. We were working a good four years in advance which means we have been more resilient and staff have greater opportunities to grow and move on," he adds. In addition to partnering, the council also managed the financial squeeze through general efficiencies and promoting greater use of digital. "We have also made millions though disposing of assets that are surplus to requirements," adds Benson. In 2008/09 Tunbridge Wells was awarded the
WILLIAM BENSON: A BRIEF CV • Benson was one of a team of directors brought in to improve the council in 2006 after it had been rated as 'weak' - and just one point off 'poor' - by the now defunct Audit Commission • He and two other newly-appointed directors became the 'turnaround' management team under then Chief Executive Shelia Wheeler • Benson later rose to Chief Executive of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council in 2009 when Wheeler moved to become Chief Executive at Somerset County Council • Before his appointment in 2006, Benson had held a number of senior manager roles in local government with the International Development
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Select Committee in the House of Commons and spent a period of time working with a nongovernmental organisation • He is a past secretary of the SOLACE South East Branch and a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce • Benson is passionate about the use of digital technology. He chairs the Kent Public Services ICT Board, is a Kent Digital Envoy and, at national level, sits on the Local Government Delivery Council and represents SOLACE as a spokesperson on digital leadership
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maximum level four by the Audit Commission for its value for money assessment, making it then one of only twelve councils in England to have achieved that level. It was also awarded the maximum level four rating for its managing performance assessment one of only seven district councils in England at that time to have achieved this.
parking, offices and improvements to the public realm. It is also about to build a new £13m cultural and learning hub, integrating and expanding its museum and library, adult education centre and art gallery. "British Land has just bought our town centre shopping centre - we have the freehold and they have bought the leasehold. They are investing in part because of what we are doing," he says. The council has also set up a programme management office to manage projects, giving a rigour to the way in which projects are initiated, resourced and delivered. Digital is another big focus, led from the top and combined with behavioural insight. "We made it cheaper to park in Tunbridge Wells if you pay by phone than by cash and booking a theatre ticket online is cheaper than at the box office," Benson explains. "That sends messages that the public can help us by dealing with us in ways that are more cost effective. We can still deal with people by phone or in person, it is just being aware that there are costs associated with people, buildings, cash collection contracts and the alike." With the interview drawing to a close, we ask Benson why other councils should consider applying for an iESE award. Acknowledging that the time and effort involved can be difficult when every pound of tax payers' money is being watched very carefully, he still believes applying for awards is an important process to help local authorities learn from the best. "It is very easy in austere times to batten the hatches and just look internally, but what councils should be doing is looking out. The process by which awards are put in, shared, discussed and judged means best practice is being circulated around the sector. I am a big fan," he adds. n
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Applying for an iESE award T
he awards event next year will be held in March 2019. It is the tenth anniversary of the launch of the awards and the night itself promises to be as glitzy and glamorous as ever, with Gold, Silver and Bronze awards being given for each category and a top award for Council of the Year. No public money is spent on the sponsored awards, with each winner provided with free places to attend. The categories for the 2019 awards are currently being finalised. This year iESE is launching its Certificates of Excellence scheme too. The first of these will be awarded at our Autumn conference on 8th November 2018. There are no categories for a Certificate of Excellence, meaning a public body can put forward a nomination for anything it believes it should be shown recognition for. This can be for a whole organisation, a department or an individual project. The Certificate of Excellence awards will help inform the categories for the 2019 awards. To keep up-to-date with the awards visit: www.iese.org.uk/transformationawards-2019 n
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Recognising achievement Benson says receiving the iESE Council of the Year award in 2010 was a "really important part of our journey and something we remain very proud of". "We needed things to put wind in our sails and cheer staff up. We had a big banner printed and hung it on the balcony outside the town hall for the year. It was an external validation and made staff have greater pride in coming to work in the morning and feeling it was all worth it." Besides boosting staff morale, Benson feels winning the award brought other benefits, too. "It is one of those things that contributes to your reputation and standing. It meant that whether we were setting up partnerships with other authorities, leading on initiatives or speaking at events, we had a bit more kudos and our voice was heard with more credibility than had previously been the case," he explains. Such was the effect of winning that Benson is considering putting the council forward again next year. "Since then the way we have managed the cuts has been exemplary. We spotted the downturn early and managed to respond rapidly. We have done a huge amount in partnership and what we have done culturally with staff is incredible. We have a highlymotivated, interconnected group of staff, who work really well together," Benson explains. Benson adds that the council has clear vision. It has a five-year plan with eight objectives. He is clear that with the nature of the high street changing, Tunbridge Wells - set up 400 years ago as a spa town - should remain a destination. In the next five years, the town has planning consent for a new £90m scheme which includes a new theatre, underground
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What other Council of the Year winners think... EASTBOURNE BOROUGH COUNCIL (2011) Eastbourne Borough Council was iESE's Council of the Year in 2011. The win followed a wholesale transformation programme which saw the council go from one in crisis to one which successfully changed the culture of the organisation, its financial standing and performance. Its leader Councillor David Tutt said he would encourage other councils that have made major strides to consider putting themselves forward. "It gives the community confidence that the council is well run but, more importantly, it boosts morale of councillors and staff and helps them recognise that what they are doing is the right thing and recognised by others in the local government family. Things don't end with winning Council of the Year, it allows you go on to achieve more," he adds. NORWICH CITY COUNCIL (2014) Norwich City Council won the top iESE award of Council of the Year in 2014. Laura McGillivray, Chief Executive at Norwich City Council, says winning was a milestone. Applying for an award is something she would encourage others to do. "There is nothing like putting down on paper what you have done to make you appreciate it – even if you don't win. It is a great exercise in reminding you where you have travelled and what you have achieved," she says.
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AYLESBURY VALE DISTRICT COUNCIL (2015) Aylesbury Vale District Council was the 2015 iESE Council of the Year winner. The council, which has a good working relationship with iESE and is an iESE member, set its sights on becoming 2015 Council of the Year after five years of work to change its culture and looking at its leadership. Caroline Wheller, Corporate Commercial Strategy Manager, says she would encourage other councils to apply for an iESE award. "It is an independent assessment of your success - you are not paying for it - it is only the time taken to apply for the award and they are not that cumbersome. If you have got the right projects you should be able to enter and win," she adds. EAST AYRSHIRE COUNCIL (2017) East Ayrshire Council in Scotland won the iESE Council of the Year award in 2017. One of the things the council was most proud of is that it was a UK - not just Scottish - recognition. "The Scotland Local Authority community is quite a small one and the UK element hit home and felt like it was bigger recognition," says Gwen Barker, Policy, Planning and Performance Manager at the council. On winning, she adds: "It is not just the award, it is the relationships that we have built as a result and the ongoing learning which has been fantastic."
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Digital takes centre stage Digital transformation has been put in the spotlight with the announcement of the Local Digital Declaration aimed at promoting joined-up thinking among local authorities on digital infrastructure and projects A
t the launch of the Local Digital Declaration (LDD), which took place at this year's annual Local Government Association conference, Rishi Sunak MP said an understanding of digital is no longer something solely for the IT department. "It doesn’t belong in the basement, it belongs in the boardroom," he said. The aim of the declaration is to allow councils and other government bodies to co-create the conditions for the next generation of local public services with technology is an enabler rather than a barrier to service improvements. At the time of launch, the declaration had more than 40 signatories as co-publishers, a full list of which can be found online (https://localdigital.gov.uk/declaration/). These copublishers and signatories met in August to discuss the process for administering and distributing the £7.5m fund behind the LDD, which will be exclusively available to signatories. The grant will also fund key leaders from the sector to take part in a digital leadership programme currently being created. Dr Gavin Beckett is part of the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) Local Digital team - the creators of the LDD. Dr Beckett, who is also Director of Service Transformation at digital consultancy Perform Green, former Chief Digital Officer in Bristol City Council and member of LocalGov Digital, said the response towards the declaration has been very positive. The MHCLG received ten applications to sign the declaration within the first 48 hours of its launch. "Our main focus since launch has been on designing the application process for the £7.5m fund and the shape and delivery approach for the new Digital Leadership learning and development offer. We expect an increase in signatories once the details are announced as only councils signed up to the Declaration will be able to apply for the funds and places on the course," explained Dr Beckett. All signatories are asked to show their commitment to the declaration by contributing at least one project to the cause. The project could be anything from redesigning a digital service to training staff to deliver better digital services. The project has to exemplify the principles of the declaration. It should promote common standards, draw on work already done, share its lessons with the community and, ideally, be delivered in collaboration with at least one other organisation. Dr Andrew Larner, Chief Executive at iESE, believes the LDD is an important step forward. "More needs to be done to get the public sector working together so that they can maximise their leverage and combined buying power," he said. "There is a need to avoid digital being seen as a
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separate, technical subject for the specialist staff within individual organisations. The approach needs to set out the golden threads that can be used throughout all areas of the organisation." One criticism is that the £7.5m funding is meaningless when split between the UK's 418 local authorities. It has also been highlighted that over the years there has been huge investment at different times in digital. John Comber, an associate at iESE, former Chief Executive at the Royal Borough of Greenwich and non-exec director of SOLACE, said: "There has been huge investment at different times by government in digital and you can't really see the sum of that total today, but I cannot see that an authority signing up to the Declaration is doing anything other than saying that they are going to try to use digital to solve the challenges they are facing. That is a powerful message - that we are working together to try to get this right." While the overall investment in digital may be hard to see, it has been previously proven that by coming together, local authorities can make a big difference. It was local government that saw the need for digital mapping first and bankrolled the creation of UK digital mapping. Local government also created a public private partnership for a computer hub linked to three licensed resellers to sell information to solicitors from 300 linked local authorities, HM Land Registry, the Coal Authority,
the British Geological Survey and another 15 or so sources of information – 20 years in advance of the likes of online property information like Zoopla. Dr Beckett pointed out that the £7.5m fund is aimed at allowing signatories to benefit the sector as a whole, without spending local funds on tasks such as preparing user research to be openly published and documenting service patterns so they can be understood easily by others. "This is what the fund is aimed at, adding the money and capacity needed to do the things that are valuable to the whole sector, not just to the local council. In that light, we think a lot can be achieved with £7.5m." He encouraged councils to sign up to benefit residents and businesses. "Teams will spend less time on things that have already been created in other councils, and more time on the specific differences of their population. Maybe your area has more younger people than another, or perhaps car parking is more or less important due to your geography than in a neighbouring council. Whichever of these services is relevant, you will be able to find the user research, service patterns, technical solutions to common integration or data problems, and information on how to specify and commission through the digital marketplace without having to start from a blank sheet of paper." To sign up: https://localdigital.gov.uk/sign/ n
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Cornwall's Tri-Safety Officer success In October 2014, former on-call fire fighter Andy Hichens was appointed to trial the new role of a Tri-Safety Service Officer in the small rural town of Hayle in West Cornwall. The introduction of the post has been so successful that a further seven officers, in addition to the three who originally trialled the service, are now being appointed across the region "T
he aim of the role was to deliver some response, prevention and protection work in a rural community where we don't have full-time assets," Andy Hichens explains. Tri-Safety Service Officers can respond to non-urgent police logs, ride as part of a crew of five for the Cornwall Fire Service and carry out medical response work using the kit they carry - including a defibrillator, trauma bleeds kit and pain relief but much of the emphasis is on the safety, prevention, protection and safeguarding element of the job title. Hichens, who is now the Tri-Service Manager and On-Call Watch Manager for the service, explains that a Tri-Service Safety Officer is not one individual acting as the Andy Hichens, Tri-Safety Officer, Hayle, police, fire fighter and paramedic at once. West Cornwall. "There is a mis-interpretation that you are trying to do three roles. It is just one job, we are not police, fire fighters and paramedics because that would be impossible. We are doing one job but joining the dots between them in an attempt to prevent calls in the first place." In addition to being on-call for the three services, a typical day for a Tri-Safety Service Officer involves looking at low-level risk business audits, domestic premise multi-agency risk reduction visits, medical reduction/domestic visits and any other anti-social events that take place in the community and how they can work with individuals and agencies/partner services to prevent further antisocial behaviour and crime. Hichens says there were originally some concerns about how the Tri-Safety Officer role would be perceived but, once the community understood the role was not replacing any services, it was well received by both the community and the agencies the officers work with. The Tri-Safety Service is supported in partnership by Devon and Cornwall Police, the Office for the Police and Crime Commissioner, Cornwall Fire, Rescue and Community Safety Service and The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust. "There is a heavy amount of support from our senior strategic leads in our service and the Police and Crime Commissioner believes in the prevention work we are doing and the joint-agency thinking which benefits every organisation we work with. We are not driven on this occasion by trying to save money on the public purse, we are driven by providing an officer with the correct skills set to respond to the public in their time of need," he adds. The department is currently creating a bespoke course for its new recruits to give them the skills and knowledge they need to carry out the role in the seven additional communities that will get a Tri-Safety Officer in November. In time, Hichens says the service could possibly share this with other authorities. "We have facilitated 14 visits so far in the last three years from police forces and fire and rescue services and even had the Swedish Fire and Rescue Service come over. We are more than happy to facilitate visits or travel ourselves to discuss the opportunities there are," he adds. To contact Andy Hichens about the Tri-Safety Officer role email: andrew.hichens@fire.cornwall.gov.uk n
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iESE graduate scheme gives back to the sector As a not-for-profit social enterprise iESE strives to invest back into the sector where possible and the Kent Graduate Scheme has been one way it is achieving this
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ESE began its partnership with Kent County Council in 2014 and has so far taken on seven graduates offering a six-month structured programme of development across a range of engagements. The scheme helps develop the talents and skills of the sector by giving the graduates a rewarding opportunity to get involved in local authority transformation. Dr Andrew Larner, Chief Executive at iESE, believes the scheme has not only had positive outcomes for iESE in its contribution to the learning of the sector, but has been highly advantageous for the local authorities involved as well. “The range and pace of experience on offer at iESE provides an accelerated development experience along with a range of robust tools and methods that are brought back into the council when the graduate returns.” Two of the graduates that have worked with iESE as part of the graduate scheme are Ellen Blakemore and Sherif Attia. Blakemore, who has a degree in Politics from the University of Sussex, conducted her third placement in the Kent Graduate Scheme with iESE in September 2017. During her placement, Blakemore was involved in lots of projects, including working with the national building society Nationwide. She also spent time working on high-level customer focus wheel assessments for clients such as Rushmoor Borough Council, where she learnt about customer experience and developed a detailed understanding of mapping services against customer demand. Blakemore said she had been attracted to the scheme because she knew she wanted to work in the public sector and was looking for a placement opportunity that would show her a range of service areas and allow her to develop a broad range of experience. “What I loved about my placement with iESE was the sheer variety of projects that I was able to participate in," she said. "The opportunity to work with several different local authorities across the UK over that short period of time really allowed me to grow and develop my skills, especially working alongside experienced colleagues with different consulting backgrounds.” At the end of her placement, Blakemore was offered a role with iESE as a Business Consultant and is now working with Folkestone and Hythe District Council on an exciting two-year whole organisation transformation project. “The team is truly fantastic. I was really excited to accept the job opportunity at iESE as it is such an interesting and diverse field of work. I love that I get to work very closely with the public sector and help make a difference with a variety of organisations all over the UK.” Attia, who graduated from the University of Sussex with a BA in History and Politics and an MA in Comparative Politics, began working with iESE in March 2018 for his second placement of the Kent Graduate Scheme. As part of this he worked on the Disabled Facilities Grant and has also been involved in the Folkestone and Hythe District Council project. “It’s really rewarding to see the positive impact on individuals' lives," he said. Both agree that the Graduate Scheme has allowed them to develop as professional individuals, picking up skills that will benefit them in their future careers. iESE is always looking for opportunities to give back to the sector with initiatives such as the Kent County Council graduate scheme. If you have an opportunity for iESE to get involved in email: annabelle.spencer@iese.org.uk n
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Want to work on the latest local public service innovations? The iESE conference is a chance to share with others working around the UK. Sharing successes and working on the practical problems so that we can move forward together.
We have a variety of groups working on the following areas: • • • •
Prevention, early intervention and the use of community capacity Leveraging digital innovation and delivering services for less Workforce transformation and agile working A holistic understanding of need, new systems to understand demand and the outcomes of actions • Collaborative practice and stronger partnership working • Approaches to maintaining service delivery in challenging times To register go to www.iese.org.uk/lgtcmj
iESE The Public Sector Transformation Partner Sharing Best Practice | Benchmarking Performance | Excellence Awards
