Building the Best Places for Children and Families, now available to download
The Staff College has today launched a new publication to support senior leaders navigating local government reorganisation and the future delivery of children’s services.
Commissioned by the District Councils’ Network (DCN), Building the Best Places for Children and Families provides practical, balanced guidance for councils exploring how services might be delivered in the context of new unitary authorities.
As plans for reorganisation progress in many parts of the country, this handbook offers both strategic insight and operational support for those responsible for shaping new systems. It is rooted in moral purpose, developed with an understanding of the risks and challenges involved, and focused on ensuring that leadership decisions lead to better outcomes for children.
“Local government reorganisation gives us a chance to do things differently,” it says.
“Of course, reorganisation and disaggregation won’t be easy. We need to approach it with a full understanding of the challenges and risks. But it opens the door for new councils that are bold and ready to put prevention, early intervention and place-based leadership at the heart of their approach to children’s services.”
The report sets out practical measures that need to be taken into account for safe and effective disaggregation, including the importance of strong leadership, robust oversight, and sustained partnership working. It recognises that while local models can bring services closer to communities, some specialist functions may remain most effective when delivered at scale.
It also highlights how district councils are already delivering preventative, place-led services – and how this local experience can inform broader system design.
“Local government reorganisation offers an opportunity to rethink children’s services, ensuring that they’re close to communities, centred around children and families, and move to having a more preventative focus.
District councils don’t have statutory responsibility for children’s services, but we do offer the localised, place-based leadership which gives us unrivalled knowledge of our places. This helps identify children and families needing help and can bring about the culture of early intervention we all seek.
While disaggregation must be approached with care, it is clearly a viable option – one that can bring about essential change.”
– Cllr Hannah Dalton, Health, Housing and Hardship Spokesperson, DCN
The handbook draws on insights from current and former Directors of Children’s Services, council chief executives, and frontline examples of integrated working. It is designed to support not only technical planning, but the kind of bold, ambitious and inclusive leadership that drives meaningful change.
“Children don’t care about the structure of councils – they care about how safe and supported they feel in the places they grow up.
This publication is about helping leaders ask the right questions and hold on to moral purpose in the midst of technical and structural change. We’re proud to have developed it, and we hope it contributes positively to local discussions around reform.”
– Jane Parfrement, Chief Executive, The Staff College
The Staff College is grateful to the District Councils’ Network for commissioning this work and to all those who contributed their experience and expertise to the final report.
