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In his keynote speech, Peter Housden, Communities and Local Government Permanent Secretary, drew on his own leadership development experiences. He set out the challenges ahead for public services, highlighting the importance of building collaborative strength between leadership academies, ensuring they have relevance, impact and deliver value for money for the public.

The Collaborate to Innovate conference was attended by over 120 senior leaders from across the public service. It set out:

The latest thinking on collaborative leadership development and its vital role in achieving more impact with less resources.
The next stage of the Government’s public service reform agenda and the contribution leadership development can make to achieving it.
Opportunities to shape the cross-sector debate on how leadership development initiatives can improve impact, enhance value for money and deliver real benefits to people.
Innovative approaches to public service leadership across localities, sectors and challenging social issues.
How becoming part of a forward thinking community of practice can help shape future collaboration.

Rod Clark, Chief Executive of the National School of Government and Chair of Public Service Leadership, said:

“Public Service Leadership has an important role to play in how to use effective leadership development to help drive improvements in public service delivery. We must ensure that we have a real impact by improving outcomes for citizens and service users. This requires a new era of collaboration and new ways of doing things.”

The conference included a roundtable discussion, where experts and senior public service leaders debated what role leadership academies should play in delivering improved public service outcomes. Panellists spoke of the distinctive challenges faced by the public sector, the need for leaders to create space for innovation and develop trust for collaboration.

Summing up on the day, the Conference Chair David MacLeod said:

“If delegates can take away and apply the same energy they have shown today we will be up to equipping our people with the leadership skills to face the challenges ahead. “

Note to editors

Public Service Leadership (PSL) is a collaborative partnership of eleven leadership development organisations for the public services in the UK. They are: Defence Academy, Fire Service College, Improvement and Development Agency, Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, Leadership Centre for Local Government, Learning and Skills Improvement Service, National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services, NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, National Policing Improvement Agency, the National School of Government and Public Service Management Wales.

For more information visit www.publicserviceleadership.org.uk

For media enquiries, please contact Alfred Bacchus: email Alfred.bacchus@nationalschool.gsi.gov.uk, tel: 01344 634253.