A role that needs nurturing

摘要

I counted down the days to the National Children and Adult Services Conference (NCAS) this week. I reckon this was my 17th. I reflected on the past year…what's changed and what lies ahead. Demand for talent within children's and adult services has been busier than ever, both for permanent and interim placements. At times we're handling recruitment to six permanent director of children's services (DCS) roles across the country. We remind people, often, that we don't create vacancies. This is done by the system: 'decoupling' people directorates back to discreet DCS and director of adult social services (DASS) roles; creating people directorates with a single DASS/ DCS; the establishment of new children's companies or trusts; inadequate (or conversely outstanding) Ofsted outcomes prompting moves to oblivion or national posts (in that order), progression and retirement. These are just some of the factors that contribute to the war for talent for these statutory roles.