The challenge of leadership
Kellie Beirne asks what the report will mean for the strategic housing role of local government
The Williams Commission report: more change for welsh local government and its housing function? plus ça change. whether we’ve been through the process of large scale voluntary transfer or not, exercising the split between the operational
and strategic housing duties has inbuilt a sense of adaptability and resourcefulness I’ve rarely seen in other local government services.
It was always inevitable that, whilst the commission focused fairly widely and pertinently on systematic change and the opportunity to fundamentally reinvent the future of local government, the focus would always be on the headline-grabbing proposals for a reduction in the number of unitary local authorities. Housing and its relationship with the policy unit structure? Plus ça change. We’ve always understood housing in the context of administrative boundaries purely because housing markets don’t and won’t ever respect them; and so we’ve learned they’re artificial.
The commission is clear about the kind of meaningful relationship local government must develop with its communities on account of changing needs and expectations for an on-demand, 24-7, customisable service residents can help shape, inform and deliver. Unless this can be achieved, our relevance, legitimacy and viability are severely threatened. Housing, communities and co-delivery? Plus ça change! To be involved in housing is to understand how to work with, and for, community, in order to deliver the things that matter most.
Innovation
In no way is this intended to be a flippant ‘Williams won’t affect us’ stance. I simply believe the very nature of the work we undertake instills the kind of adaptability, resilience, community-focus and innovation we now need to scale up and shout about. As I’ve said above, we’ve nothing to fear from boundary re-alignment, community- led delivery and systems, market and policy change – because this describes the very world in which we live.
The fear I do see emerging though, is a very valid and different one. Whilst many local authorities are working hard to get to grips with the challenge and opportunity to reimagine a new future for local government – embracing ideas, creativity and civic innovation in order to deliver new ways if working, service redesign and new resource solutions – practice is patchy. The recent Bevan Foundation report that considered how local authorities are handling unprecedented budget cuts made for sobering reading. It’s easy to cut and shut and slim and trim. But we’re stood
on burning platforms and you can only cut once and then it’s gone. What we lack in money we make up for in ideas, assets, buildings and social capital. That’s value and we must leverage it. Re-organisation is thus, ironically, something of a postcode lottery and that’s the fear…
Secure and strengthen
So for me, its not about how we take steps to secure and strengthen the strategic housing role ahead of re-organisation, because to do this in isolation is to miss the point. Culture eats strategy for breakfast and so our focus must be on creating the conditions in which innovation, creativity and co-production can flourish on a
much bigger scale. Housing has a unique opportunity to lead this charge because these things are second nature to us. We’re place-shapers, people developers and pragmatic enablers. We know that what gets done is more important than how stuff gets done. We know that unleashing the talents of our people – whether they’re on our payrolls or not – tears down the walls between in and out and makes success more likely to happen at pace and scale.
The strategic housing role has a real opportunity to help frame some of the questions that as yet, have remained unasked. It can’t just be about re-drawing boundary lines. Neither can it be about asking the ‘what will councils look like in five, 10, 15 years’ time’ question because to answer that, we need to understand what our communities will be like in five, 10 and 15 years’ time. And that’s what is so unique about local government housing and the opportunity before us – we innately understand we work for the community
and not the council! But this doesn’t mean we rest on our laurels either. Housing must increasingly demonstrate the privileged and strategic insight we have into what constitutes ‘sense of place’, changing lifestyle patterns and consumer choices, household make-up and the increasing relevance of technology to our lives. Understanding what matters to communities is not a line on a job description; it’s a vocational calling.
Preserving boundaries
One peculiarity of the commission report is the stated need to preserve the EU funding boundaries. In other words, to keep the convergence and competitiveness split pure. I’m not sure why this matters and can’t help thinking mixing things up might promote the mind-set shift I believe is so necessary and resonant in a housing context. Against a backdrop of continuing financial constraint, enabling communities to invest in building their own resilience is vital. When ‘grants’ are not available, you are quickly compelled to think differently about creating value and wealth; leveraging assets, skills, ideas and alternative wealth in totally unexpected ways. I remain convinced that funding programmes often annihilate our ability to fund programmes.
In summary, I don’t see the challenge we face as being one of enhancing and insulating housing’s strategic leadership role. The challenge and the opportunity is one of leadership full stop. Values-led leadership creates the conditions and culture in which people, communities and organisations can grow and prosper and become catapults for success. Re- organisation and changing the boundaries will no doubt help us become more efficient – do the work right. Taking the opportunity to radically disrupt conventional public service norms and reinvent a relevant, legitimate and viable future will help us be more effective – do the right work. Plus ça change.
Kellie Beirne is chief officer for regeneration and culture at Monmouthshire County Council