Update from Chief Executive Mark Wynn, 4 March 2025

Update from Chief Executive Mark Wynn, 4 March 2025

I want to begin my first email as permanent chief executive by expressing how pleased I am to have been appointed to this role. We have some challenges ahead, but I am confident that we can face them together. This last month has been another busy one, with the budget agreed at Full Council and the Convention of the North, to name just a couple of things. We are also in the last throes of winter; fingers crossed the cold weather passes and we see some warmer days soon.

Online live question and answer session

You may remember that in January, I held my first live question and answer session. Based on the feedback we received and the number of questions during this session, I have scheduled the next one for Monday, 24 March, from 11am to 12pm. This is a great chance for you to ask your questions. You can also email these in advance to internal.communications@lancashire.gov.uk. I hope you are able to join the virtual session.

Additionally, I will be holding an Employee Conference at County Hall on 14 May from 2–4pm. As always, this will be streamed for anyone who cannot attend.

I also want to continue getting out, meeting, and learning about the services we deliver. You may have seen on staff news I recently visited several of our social care and support services. I really enjoy these opportunities to see first hand how our services are delivered. In March I will be visiting one of our highways depots and also will be hosting a Long Service lunch, with another planned for June.

In April I will be visiting Learning Disability Services, with other visits in the pipeline. If you would like me to visit your area of work, please email internal.communications@lancashire.gov.uk.

Local government reorganisation

I spoke to you on 10 February about the letter we received from government regarding local government reorganisation. This letter provides more details on the process involved in developing proposals for reorganisation. Importantly, the newly created Lancashire Combined County Authority and future devolution deals would not be affected by the creation of new unitary authorities.

All councils in two-tier areas (the system of local government where responsibilities are divided between district and county councils) have received this letter inviting proposals.

The letter requires the submission of an interim plan by 21 March. The interim plan should set out the progress towards a more detailed proposal, and it is acknowledged that the level of detail included in the interim plan will vary from place to place. Government will provide feedback on the interim plan, but no decisions will be made at this stage. Final, detailed proposals are to be submitted by 28 November 2025.

Many of you understandably have questions and concerns and these broadly focus on these areas:

  • The effect reorganisation may have on services and how these would run in the future
  • Impact on jobs
  • Consultation process
  • Timescales for reorganisation

I understand that local government reorganisation brings a degree of uncertainty to us all, but I am committed to minimising this and keeping you updated through the process. At this point, it is too early for us to provide further detail around proposals or say how reorganisation, if it happens, will impact specific service areas and roles. Our focus over the coming weeks and months will be to continue to work together, to deliver a proposal that ensures our residents and local communities continue to receive the high-quality public services they rely on both now, and for years to come. 

We are currently working on our response for the 21 March deadline and Cabinet will consider it on 20 March. You'll be able to view the Cabinet papers from Wednesday 12 March on our website. 

To keep you informed, we have created an intranet page that that explains Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation. You can also ask questions and share thoughts by emailing LGRquestions@lancashire.gov.uk. Whilst we may not be able to respond to all queries individually, your input will help shape our communications going forward.

Pre-election period

The county council elections will take place on Thursday 1 May. This means that from 4pm on Friday, 21 March 2025, until 10pm on Thursday 1 May 2025, we will be in the pre-election period. During this time, there will be restrictions on council publicity and events. The council must not do anything that could be perceived as showing support for any candidate or political party, and we must ensure the political impartiality of the council, and its employees is maintained.

Please refer to the pre-election period guidance for staff, which is available on the intranet, to see how your service delivery may be affected during this period and to find out who to contact for further advice. This guidance applies to all officers of the council, and also to all councillors, including those who will not be standing in the election.

The Communications and Public Affairs Team manages the council’s communications, including media releases and events. They also provide advice and support to officers on developing communications during the pre-election period. For assistance, please contact Clare Coupe on 01772 539751.

SEND Inspection

As you will know, we have now received the final report following the SEND Inspection. In December 2024, Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected the support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Lancashire. The NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Lancashire County Council, part of the Lancashire SEND Partnership, are responsible for planning and commissioning these services.

The inspection team engaged with children, parents, and various stakeholders to understand the support provided. They appreciated the warmth, passion, and commitment of those involved.

The final report, now published on Ofsted’s website, highlights significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND due to widespread failings. It notes a surge in requests for Education, Health, and Care (EHC) plan assessments, reflecting a national trend. Despite these challenges, the report acknowledges the partnership’s ambition to improve lives and notes improving educational outcomes for SEND children.

The Lancashire SEND Partnership will refresh and publish its strategic plan, addressing priority actions from inspectors. An improvement notice will be issued by the Department for Education (DfE), and a SEND advisor will be appointed. Within six months, the improvement plan will be signed off by Ofsted, and a monitoring visit will be conducted by the DfE.

I will keep you updated on any developments.

Leadership Behaviours Assessment

On 10 March, we will be launching our new Leadership Behaviours Assessment, which will be a requirement for all people managers to distribute twice a year. This is a 360-feedback tool, which will collect feedback from the people you manage and other colleagues you work with. This will help us measure the behaviours of our people managers. This initiative comes directly from your feedback in our recent staff survey, where leadership effectiveness was highlighted as a key priority.

This assessment is aligned with our Leading Lancashire Framework. It will help us understand how well our leaders are living our core values, embracing the Lancashire Mindset, and meeting the responsibilities set out in the framework.

I will be taking part in this assessment myself, and I expect all people managers to join me. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to reflect on our leadership practices and identify areas where we can grow and improve. Keep an eye on Staff News for further information.

Shout outs

I would like to end this email with a few shout outs.

I would like to thank everyone who has been involved and helped to support the recent CQC inspection of our Adult Services. I know that a lot of hard work has gone into this, thank you to everyone who helped with the onsite visits. 

Another special mention goes to everyone involved in organising and helping with the Convention of the North. This was the first time the event has been hosted in Lancashire. It was a resounding success and key to showcasing Lancashire as a place to do business. Thanks to Lauren Edwards, Amy Hughes, Emma Walton, Facilities Management, DigiPrint, Executive Support, colleagues in the Growth, Environment and Transport and Health directorates, our apprentices, and Mark Spellman, Darren Williams, Martin Hodgson, Steve Lightfoot, Rob Lonsdale, and many others for their help in organising and running the event.

I would also like to thank everyone who would usually have been in County Hall on Thursday, 27 February, for working either from home or from one of our other buildings.

We have produced a fantastic video showcasing the highlights of the Convention of the North. Watch the video on YouTube.

I am also pleased to say that we have been shortlisted for several LGC awards:

  • Health and Social Care: Step-Down Pilot - Enhancing mental health hospital discharges and housing solutions
  • Innovation: Pause and Reflect Fostering Arrangements: transforming lives with compassion and innovation
  • Large Team of the Year: Refugee Integration Team
  • Small Team of the Year: Homes for Ukraine

Fingers crossed for everyone nominated.

Have a great week, everyone.