By Annabel Bates, Corporate Director of Children’s Services Middlesbrough Council
The 13 April marked my six-month anniversary as a DCS, as a member of the Middlesbrough team and as a new arrival in the North East. The past six months have been a whirlwind of everything I was expecting, a fair few surprises and a lot of learning.
There is much for us to do in Middlesbrough, as there is everywhere. However, I’m strongly of the belief that regardless of context we should always come back to what we are doing day to day for and with our children and families, our teams, our partners and our communities. All the other ‘stuff to do’ fits in around that – and if it doesn’t/can’t we ask why.
In Middlesbrough our children and our teams have experienced a lot of change over recent years, so clarity and consistency matter more than ever. This is what we are working on:
Believing that all of our children and families can thrive
Great leadership at all levels starts with how we show up each day, and our beliefs underpin that. In order to be truly child-centred, relentlessly curious and solution-focused we need to believe that things can improve, regardless of what our children and families are going through.
Prioritising positive high support and high challenge relationships
Since I joined the team I have spent a lot of time listening to colleagues and children share what is and isn’t working, and why they think that is. We have a growing belief that we do better as one team and are committing to restorative and relational leadership, which focuses on doing the best for our children and our teams.
Knowing our children, our families, our teams and ourselves
Really understanding lived experience, what data is telling us, the impact of practice and leadership all feed into how we prioritise our children’s lives and ensure that all colleagues have the tools, skills and insight they need to do the best they can.
Joining up work across teams, partnerships, communities and the system for the benefit of our children and their families
I am particularly passionate about long term, sustainable systems leadership which is underpinned by collaboration and meaningful engagement in our region – and beyond. One of the highlights of my first few months has been getting to know DCSs across the region, and benefitting from their support, wisdom and good humour. I am grateful to be here, and for the warm welcome I have received from my region. We are really fortunate in the North East to be part of a truly committed and caring group of colleagues, who all want all of our children and families to thrive. I am committed to finding ways to ensure that all of my team members, and our partners, have the same opportunities to benefit from peer support as I do.
There have been a few moments when I have wondered why I chose to move into a DCS role in this specific period in time. The pace and scale of change we are living through, and expected to deliver on, can feel overwhelming and disjointed at times. And that’s on top of the ‘day job’. However, I remain utterly convinced that as leaders within our sector we play such a critical role in championing children and young people and relentlessly bringing everyone back to them – as we are doing through the four ways of working that I have shared above.