One-team way to success
Jul 3 2008 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal
Last week South Tyneside Council was named the “Best local authority in the UK” by the Municipal Journal. Adrian Pearson spoke to council chief executive Irene Lucas to see how she created the outstanding authority.
IF South Tyneside Council chief executive Irene Lucas had a checklist for success on her desk there would be just one criteria on it: partnership. But any council leader looking to copy her success should first beware, Ms Lucas’s “One Team” approach means dedicating an entire council to working with every other relevant organisation on an almost daily basis.
That means talking to doctors and health bosses and seeing what schools should be doing to tackle teenage pregnancy, getting council finance officers to back neighbourhoods in need of CCTV, working with police to decide where to target next, speaking to charities and businesses to see what help you can provide.
And while many councils might claim to do this, few in practice have made it their mantra for success.
And so when asked how she feels about her award, Ms Lucas will make clear: “This is their achievement as much as ours.”
There are some councils which seek to make sure every resident – every potential voter – knows when their leaders and managers at the Town Hall succeed.
These councils are equally eager to get the thanks for that work, which might explain why so few are as highly recognised as South Tyneside for its genuine commitment to partnership.
As Ms Lucas said, very few people care who does the job, as long as it gets done.
“People do not care who it is that makes the difference to their lives. They don’t care who it is that does it, they just want results. Our job is to work in harmony and because of this success nationally we are a Beacon council, and viewed as hugely successful.
“We are generally acknowledged as being spot-on, especially in our work with the private sector and job creation.
“We do not care who leads on a project, we’re not bureaucratic. As long as things improve for our communities it can be anyone as long as we make that shift.”
And the judges agreed. They praised the authority for having a “one council” approach from the top down.
Ms Lucas said it reflects years of dedicated teamwork. “Working with partners we are now the second highest performing council in the UK for shifting teenage pregnancy.
“In 2002 we were one of the worst performing and we have seen this shift by 37%. We are now one of the highest in terms of improvement in the UK, and that is of course very important to us.
“In terms of partnership with the police we have reduced youth crime by 24%. We are seeing massive shifts, but we have also improved services.
“In Waste in 2004 satisfaction was 77%. In our latest research it’s up to 85%. And other things that are really important to people are improving.
“When people open their curtains in the morning, that is what matters. These are important issues, not everyone uses schools or elderly services but everyone walks down these streets and it is a massive hygiene factor. It’s the fact that we have a one team approach in South Tyneside that includes not just the council, its officers and partners but the police, the PCT, the hospitals trusts, the voluntary sector and the private sector.”
The council boss is realistic, though, about the challenges facing many North councils.
She said: “We achieved better outcomes for the community while keeping council tax low, at just 2.95% the lowest increase for over a decade, but we’re not complacent, the pressure is on all the time, not just to win awards but to deliver better jobs, better education, cleaner streets. You can always do better in those things. Just because we achieved this does not mean there is not more to do.
“Obviously we still have high levels of deprivation, alongside other areas of the country, but what we have done over the last three years is shift our deprivation by 10 points. Now anything over three points is significant and in South Tyneside according to the Government’s Indices of Multiple Deprivation we have shifted by 10 points between 2004 and 2007. That includes such things as community health inequality and educational attainment, so they are really difficult things to shift.”
And success it seems breeds success. Because South Tyneside is leading the way in many areas, it is trusted by the Government to take part in various trials and schemes which bring with them promises of extra cash and responsibility.
Many councillors will tell you the Government’s insistence on only handing over extra funds to top councils is actually stopping more lower-league authorities from improving faster.
And while it is true that money matters, Ms Lucas knows her council has come a long way and made improvements again by working with others for the greater good.
“I have a favourite saying which is none of us is as clever as all of us, and that is the one team mantra. Between us all working together, members, partners, council officers, community groups, we can solve anything.”
We achieved better outcomes for the community while keeping council tax low
