As an interim, you often step into a leadership role in a transitional period, needing to quickly establish some continuity and stability. Being able to hit the ground running, build strong relationships, and manage transitions effectively is invaluable.

In this Panoramic Associates Briefing: Public Realm, Shaun Morley draws on his 9 years experience as an interim in local government, working across 12 different local authorities, to provide actionable insight on effectively hitting the ground running.

Our Speaker

‘Strategies for a successful start: An inside look at an Interim’s experience in Local Government’

Shaun Morley started in local government in 1996 working in a small district council in East Sussex. Over the next 19 years, he worked for two district councils and one London Borough: Rother DC, Mid Sussex DC and LB Wandsworth. In 2015, after moving to the Shetland Islands, Shaun began working as an interim manager/consultant. Between then and the present he has worked for 12 different local authorities in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

With a professional background in Waste Management most interim positions have had an environmental element – however in recent years it is becoming more likely that responsibilities are expanded to include any or all of the following depending on the level being required to operate at: Parks & Open Spaces, Cemeteries, Transport, Fleet, Housing, Environmental Health, Legal Services, Facilities, Health and Safety and Harbour & Marinas.

Are you looking to enhance the quality, safety, and efficiency of social care services? Join us for an insightful Briefing with Dr Mike Evans, a highly accomplished healthcare executive and interim consultant with extensive UK and international experience in health and social care.

With a proven track record in transformation and digital innovation, Mike will share his expertise on the implementation and impact of Digital Social Care Records (DSCRs).

The Details

Date: Friday 28th March
Time: 12:30 – 13:20
Location: Microsoft Teams (link shared after registering)
Who: Social Care professionals
Registration: Sign up to secure your free spot

The Talk

Digital social care records (DSCRs) offer many benefits, including:

• Enhanced quality and safety: DSCRs help ensure individuals receive the right care at the right time while reducing safety risks such as medication errors, dehydration, or missed visits.
• Comprehensive care plans: They identify gaps in information and provide real-time alerts for managers to address issues promptly.
• Increased efficiency: Staff can save considerable time per shift on administrative tasks.
• Streamlined audits: Audits can be conducted more frequently and with greater ease.
• Improved accuracy and clarity: Digital records are more consistent, accurate, and legible compared to paper-based systems.
• Support for neurodiverse staff: Features like voice-to-text functionality assist care staff who may find writing challenging and enable information to be recorded on the go.

These advantages highlight the transformative potential of DSCRs in modern social care, but whilst these benefits and more are very welcome deployment is a journey of organisational transformation.

Our Speaker

Dr Mike Evans – Interim Executive Director

Mike is a highly accomplished and widely respected healthcare executive and interim consultant with extensive experience in the UK and international health and social care sectors.

He has successfully led initiatives in both the private and not-for-profit sectors, focusing on transformation and business turnaround across a wide range of services, including acute and elective hospital care, NHS children and adult mental health services, NHS community services (including ambulance services), and adult intellectual disability services.

Mike specialises in helping organisations achieve transformative results by addressing challenges, driving change, and significantly enhancing performance. His expertise spans interim leadership, strategic direction, and performance management, working in close collaboration with key stakeholders—frontline clinicians, carers, people supported by services, and patients.

In his most recent roles, Mike served as Interim Quality Director for one of the UK’s leading social care organisations supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities, autism, and complex needs. He also led the deployment of an NHS-assured digital social care record, overseeing its development from pilot phase to full-scale implementation.

Register

Sign up today to secure your free spot.

In this Panoramic Associates Briefing designed for SEND professionals, educators, and local authority leaders, we focus on two critical areas: ensuring effective placements for children with EHCPs and managing the High Needs Block while maintaining positive outcomes.

Our expert speakers provide practical, child-centred strategies and policy insights to help you navigate the complexities of SEND provision.

The Talks

Making placements work: the children’s perspective and government views (Annie Gammon)

Annie explores the process of placing children with Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs) from the perspective of the children themselves. Through the experiences of three children with diverse needs and backgrounds, Annie examines what contributes to successful placements and how different approaches impact outcomes.

Emphasising what we want to achieve for the children who we work for, Annie’s talk will reflect on what this means for professional practice across education, social care, health, and SEND.

The session will also highlight the government’s position on potential reforms and the implications these changes may have for EHCP placements in the future.

The 5 ‘no’s of Deficit Recovery: Balancing management of the High Needs Block with good outcomes for children (Emma Ferrey)

Emma provides five actionable strategies that you can immediately implement in your settings to drive positive change and effectively manage spending within the High Needs Block.

Our Speakers

Annie Gammon – Leader of Education

I have worked in the education field for over 30 years – always holding to the principle of making sure every child gets a high quality education. My latest role has been Interim Director of Education, Participation and Skills for Plymouth City Council. This included overseeing SEND provision and leading the area through a SEND inspection.

Prior to that I spent four years as Director of Education for the London Borough of Hackney, overseeing the full range of educational services for children, families and schools. During that period I directed work around SEND provision, reducing exclusions, early years and multiagency collaboration to support vulnerable children.

For the previous ten years, I was headteacher of a large successful inclusive 11-19 comprehensive school. I also have experience being a trustee and chair of academy trusts, a governor of a special school, being a governor of a sixth form college and inspecting schools.

Emma Ferrey – High Needs Block and SEND Consultant

Having worked in many roles in both schools and local authorities over the past 20+ years, I am passionate about good outcomes for children that prepare them for a meaningful adult life.

My work focusses on opportunities for savings and cost avoidance. Over the past 4 years, I have worked to save authorities around £8m as well as identified significant cost avoidance in the 10s of millions.

Adult Social Care needs a workforce strategy to ensure we have enough of the right people with the right skills to provide the best possible care and support for the people who draw on it. For the first time ever, the Adult Social Care sector has come together, led by Skills for Care, to develop the Workforce Strategy it needs.

At this Panoramic Associates Briefing, we are joined by Jane Brightman, Director of Workforce Strategy at Skills for Care, to provide an introduction to this strategy, examining engagement, influence, implementation and impact.

The Talk

Jane’s talk will explore:

– The strategic direction for the adult social care workforce over the next 15 years.
– How the strategy aligns with broader government and NHS goals.
– Practical steps and examples of how the strategy is being implemented.
– Opportunities for engagement and contribution to the strategy’s success.

Our Speaker

Jane Brightman has over 30 years of experience across the adult social care sector including frontline care, leadership, education, digital transformation and national policy.

For 10 years she was Director of a private training organisation specialising in adult social care delivery before going on to national roles supporting training and development in social care.

Jane spent two years at NHSX (now NHS Transformation Directorate) in the blended Digitising Social Care programme as Assistant Director, leading and delivering on the White Paper commitments.

In 2022 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Arden University for services to social care.

Timely support is crucial. By identifying and addressing the needs of a child or family early, we can enhance protective factors that positively impact a child’s wellbeing and reduce the risk factors that may negatively affect their life.

In this Breakfast Briefing led by Kate Dexter, we focus on approaches and strategies to prevent children from escalating into Care, including Alternatives to Care approaches and the introduction of Family Help, including the design, implementation and evaluation of a large pilot.

The Talk

Kate Dexter, Assistant Director Children’s Services, explores:

• The No Wrong Door approach to support adolescents to remain with their families, including utilising residential services for Adolescent Short Breaks.
• The efficacy of early help services when integrated with social work, and the benefits of employing alternatively qualified workers to support families.
• Building a stable and engaged workforce despite the very challenging time we are facing working within Children’s Social Care.

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Our Speaker

Kate Dexter, Assistant Director Children’s Services at Harrow Council

Kate Dexter has been working in Children’s Social Care for more than 20 years, working as a senior manager for nearly a decade. Kate is passionate and excited to improve outcomes for children within our community, whilst also providing a positive, stable and supportive environment for staff.

Kate has worked as an Assistant Director in Norfolk County Council since Jan 2020, more recently working as a Assistant Director in the London Borough of Harrow.  Kate has spent the past few years transforming services and improving outcomes for children through a number of innovative and cost-effective approaches which have delivered cost effective services for children both within the community and in Care.

Building on the success of our Public Health Spotlight Podcast in collaboration with the ADPH, Panoramic Associates are delighted to be hosting an in-person event in Manchester.

This event provides a fantastic opportunity for those working in or considering working in Public Health in the North West to hear first-hand from the NW DsPH network through our informal panel event, asking more specific questions to our panel of Public Health experts. There will also be the opportunity to connect with fellow professionals over light refreshments.

The event is free to attend and open to all public health professionals wishing to discover more about developing their Public Health career.

Event Details

Date: Thursday 13th February
Time: 16:00 – 18:00
Location: Manchester Hall, 36 Bridge St, Greater, Manchester M3 3BT
Who: Those already working in local authority or NHS public health teams aspiring to a Consultant or Director role will get the most out of this event.
Registration: Sign up here to secure your free spot

What to Expect

• Inspiring Stories – Hear first-hand from senior leaders in Public Health from across the North West. They’ll share their journeys, challenges, and achievements, giving you key insight into the world of public health leadership.
• Expert Insights – Gain a deeper understanding of the public health landscape and the pivotal role these directors play in shaping healthier communities with the opportunity to ask your own questions.
• Networking Opportunity – Connect with fellow public health professionals in the North West, widening your network, and benefitting from shared learnings.

The event is free to attend and open to all public health professionals wishing to discover more about the role of the director of Public Health.

Our Panel

Professor Andrew Furber (Regional Director of Public Health, North West)

Andrew has served as the Regional Director of Public Health for the North West at the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), part of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), and NHS England since May 2020. He is also an Honorary Professor of Public Health Practice at the University of Manchester.

Originally trained as a General Practitioner, Andrew transitioned into public health and has since gained extensive international and domestic experience. He spent seven years working across all levels of Nepal’s health system and undertook short-term assignments in multiple other countries. In the UK, Andrew was a Director of Public Health from 2007 to 2018 and previously served as President of the Association of Directors of Public Health UK (ADPH).

Currently, he is the lead Regional Director for Workforce Development and co-chairs the Public Health Workforce Collaborative for England. His contributions to public health were recognised with an OBE in the 2022 Jubilee Birthday Honours List.

Dr Cordelle Ofori (Director of Public Health for Manchester City Council)

Cordelle is the Director of Public Health for Manchester City Council. She qualified as a doctor from the University of Nottingham in 2001, and went on to train and practice as a GP before specialising in public health medicine. Her first-hand experience of the realities of health inequalities as a GP, and her work with charities in the past inspired her passion for improving health equity. She has a special interest in race health equity and improving health for marginalised communities.

She leads work to protect and improve the health of residents in the city of Manchester using data and evidence, and working with the organisations, agencies and sectors that have an impact on people’s health. This includes the development and delivery of ‘Making Manchester Fairer’, the city’s ambition to tackle the unfair and preventable differences in health between different groups of people. The plan focuses on the foundations of good health such as giving children and young people the best start, community power, and reducing the impact of poverty, racism and discrimination on people’s health.

Professor Matthew Ashton (Director of Public Health, Liverpool City Council)

Professor Matt Ashton was appointed Director of Public Health for Liverpool City Council in April 2020, a role he holds jointly with the University of Liverpool, where he is an Honorary Professor in the Department of Public Health and Policy.

He leads a dedicated team of over 30 professionals within the local authority, overseeing a broad portfolio of public health activities. These include commissioning public health services, health protection, health improvement, healthcare public health, embedding health-in-all-policies approaches, advancing public health research and development, and addressing both the wider and commercial determinants of health.

Matt is deeply committed to fostering collaboration among the region’s best talent and partnerships to enhance health and wellbeing while tackling health inequalities in the communities he serves.

Clare Jackson (Assistant Director/Consultant in Public Health at Bolton Council)

Clare Jackson serves as Assistant Director and Consultant in Public Health at Bolton Council, where she leads portfolios encompassing Strategic Intelligence, Healthcare Public Health, Health Protection, and several wider determinants programmes. With 13 years of experience in public health, Clare began her career as a Registered Nurse and Health Visitor in a highly deprived area of the North West, qualifying as a Consultant in Public Health in 2023. Her passion for strategic approaches led her to transition to a public health role in local government, where she initially focused on Accident Prevention and initiatives for Children, Young People, and Families.

Clare joined the Public Health Specialty Training Scheme in 2008, gaining extensive leadership experience. She was instrumental in establishing the Lancashire Violence Reduction Unit, supported Adult Social Care settings during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, and completed a specialist Health Protection placement with the UK Health Security Agency. Her professional interests include improving outcomes for children and families, leveraging public health influence in complex systems to reduce inequalities, and advancing health protection within local government.

Come and join us on Thursday 13th February and discover more about the role of a Consultant and Director of Public Health while connecting with fellow professionals in the North West.

Sign up now to secure your spot.

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Discover the latest insights in Waste Management for Local Authorities with Steve Brown (Assistant Director for Environment and Safety at Wokingham Borough Council).

Steve highlights the financial pressures local authorities face, such as increased demand for services and rising costs due to inflation and legislative changes. Nevertheless, Steve shares how Wokingham’s recent major service transformation serves as a proactive example of adapting to these challenges through meticulous planning, clear communication, and strategic stakeholder engagement.

His talk provides:

• Detailed analysis of business planning processes and governance in local authorities.
• Breakdown of costs associated with recycling and waste management receptacles.
• Importance of demonstrating value for money and effective budget use.
• Strategies for clear communication and stakeholder confidence.
• Recent changes in refuse collection services and their impact on recycling rates and carbon savings.

Watch now and gain a comprehensive understanding of how local authorities are navigating the complex landscape of waste management transformation, while staying aligned with environmental strategies and regulatory requirements.

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Our Speaker

Steve Brown – Assistant Director at Wokingham Borough Council ( Interim). 

Steve has over 25 years’ experience in leading Waste , Environment , Transport and Highways services in all councils ( District, Unitary, County Council and London Borough) either as an employee, external consultant or providing interim support. The experience begins as an operational member of a team through all the levels of a local authority , and as an external consultant. Steve has led major PFI Contracts, Waste and Environment partnerships, Service reviews , Transformation of Services, and leading Transformation Boards , Procurement of Waste and Environment Services and DEFRA reviews of service provision. Steve has experience of leading at higher performing Councils that has been recognised as highly efficient and with recycling rates of 63% to working in Section 114 Local Authorities with those unique challenges. This has led to receiving National and Regional Awards Local Industry  awards for Partnership Working…

Steve is a Member of Association of Directors of Environment , Planning and Transport (ADEPT), Local Councils Roads Innovation Group (LARIG), Institute of Place Management and has an MBA, and Honours degree in Organisational Leadership.

Discover the latest insights in place-shaping with Paul Patterson and Jan Britton (Interim Executive Lead for Place at Dorset Council).

In his talk on ‘Building Confidence: Council Roles in Housing and Economic Revival’, Paul explores:

• Need for Overhaul: Emphasises the urgent need for reform in the planning sector to address inefficiencies and capitalise on economic opportunities.
• Empowering Planners: Advocates for enabling planners to be flexible with policies when making investment decisions, leveraging their skills in planning policy and law.
• Cultural Shift: Calls for a cultural transformation that encourages planners to adopt a strategic mindset regarding the long-term economic and social effects of developments.

Jan’s talk on ‘Transforming Place-Shaping: Modernising Local Government Services’ draws on his experiences at Dorset Council and their innovative restructuring of the planning department:

• Disaggregation of Functions: Highlights how the council has disaggregated planning functions, allowing qualified planning officers and business support staff to work more efficiently.
• Cross-Functional Themes: Emphasises the integration of themes such as placemaking, nature recovery, and climate change, breaking down traditional departmental silos.
• Cohesive Narrative: Aims to create a unified narrative that improves Dorset’s living and working environment, extending beyond basic services like waste collection and pothole repairs.

Watch Now

Our Speakers

Paul Patterson, is a business leader in Housing and Regeneration as a CEO in the housing association sector and held Corporate Directors positions in Local Government. He Currently has just completed a major interim assignment at Tower Hamlets Council. He led the insourcing and integration of a 22,000 Housing ALMO back into the Council, put in place a strategy to deliver the Executive Mayoral Pledge of 4,000 affordable homes by 2026 and implemented a fast-track planning service in the LPA.

Jan Britton is an experienced Chief Executive and Managing Director with a distinguished career in the public sector. Passionate about the place-shaping role of local government, Jan has a professional background in direct services, environment, and regeneration. Jan firmly believes that by shaping the places where people live, local councils can support communities, build sustainable economies, and help individuals maximize their life chances and opportunities.

Adaptive teaching has entered the language of education and is an improvement priority for many schools and MATs for the upcoming year, but how can we ensure that it builds on existing excellent practice and represents positive change for our most vulnerable learners?

In this insightful Education Breakfast Briefing, Nicole Dempsey, Director of SEND and Safeguarding for Dixons Academies Trust, shares her extensive expertise in building inclusivity within mainstream education.

Nicole presents the concept of adaptive teaching, a key approach for tailoring classroom practice, supporting students with SEND on the macro level. She explains that adaptive teaching is more than just a set of isolated practices; it is a comprehensive strategy that involves dynamic lesson planning, responsive teaching, and continuous assessment. Emphasising the need for cohesive information delivery and multidisciplinary teamwork, Nicole outlines Dixons’ holistic approach, “mountain rescue,” which integrates SEND practices within every department.

Watch the full recording below to gain valuable insights into building an inclusive, well-supported educational environment that enhances the learning experience for all students, particularly those with SEND.

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Our Speaker

Nicole Dempsey is Director of SEND and Safeguarding at Dixons Academies Trust, a multi-academy trust of 17 schools across the north of England.  She is also a Deputy Regional SEND Lead for Whole School SEND, a consortium of organisations committed to enhancing the quality of education for learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities throughout England.

She writes about SEND and inclusion on her blog, inco14.wordpress.com, and tweets under the username @NDempseyINCO14.

Key Insights from Our Breakfast Briefing

At this Panoramic Associates Breakfast Briefing we explored the impact of AI on Adult Social Care with public sector leaders, Emma Ockelford from Outcomes Matter and Affy Wajid from Peterborough City Council. Their insights provided a fresh look at how emerging technologies are reshaping the sector, improving outcomes, and addressing workforce challenges.

Overview: AI’s Role in Social Care

The briefing opened with a key question on everyone’s mind: How can AI alleviate some of the pressures faced by overstretched social care teams? Emma began by emphasising that AI isn’t here to replace professionals but to complement their work. By automating routine tasks like documentation and note-taking, AI enables workers to focus on higher-value activities—such as client engagement and decision-making.

One of the standout tools discussed was Magic Notes, an AI-driven solution currently being piloted in Peterborough. It transcribes caseworker conversations and organises the information into structured reports, saving considerable time on administrative tasks. This tool, along with others like CHC Plus (used to draft continuing healthcare assessments), demonstrates how AI can streamline documentation processes while maintaining professional oversight.

Affy noted that workers in Peterborough initially approached these tools with scepticism but quickly became advocates once they saw the impact. Staff reported feeling less overwhelmed and more empowered to focus on meaningful interactions with service users.

Key Themes and Questions Raised

Throughout the event, several key topics and questions emerged:

• Workforce Engagement and Training:
  Participants raised concerns about staff buy-in when introducing AI. As Affy highlighted, effective staff engagement is critical. Peterborough’s approach involved creating positive “noise” around AI, including engagement sessions and ongoing support to ease workers’ anxieties. The result? Staff now actively promote AI tools to one another.
• Data Security and Ethics:
  Given the sensitive nature of social care data, participants asked about data security and ethical considerations. Emma explained that Peterborough has established a dedicated AI governance board to ensure compliance with data protection regulations, involving both social care and health colleagues in these discussions.
• AI and Decision-Making:
  A recurring question was the role AI plays in decision-making. Emma emphasised that AI supports, rather than replaces, professional judgment. For example, the CHC Plus tool helps social workers by compiling evidence, but the final assessment still relies on human evaluation.
• Return on Investment (ROI):
  Participants were keen to understand the cost-benefit analysis of implementing AI. Affy noted that the pilot programmes in Peterborough have already shown time savings, especially in reducing reliance on agency staff and improving overall productivity.
• Future Prospects for AI in Social Care:
  AI’s potential in areas like quality assurance and predictive analytics was also discussed. Emma shared that Peterborough is exploring using AI to automate quality audits, freeing up time for practitioners to focus on implementing improvements. The council is also investigating how predictive analytics can help identify individuals at risk of needing more intensive care, allowing for earlier interventions.

Moving Forward with AI

As the event drew to a close, one message was clear: AI is not a “nice-to-have” but a necessity for future-proofing adult social care services. With ongoing staff shortages and rising demand, tools like Magic Notes and CHC Plus are proving invaluable in reducing administrative burdens and improving service delivery.

Peterborough’s forward-thinking approach serves as a model for other councils, showing that with the right support and engagement, AI can transform how social care is delivered—helping teams do more with less while maintaining the human touch that is central to the sector.

Watch Now

Our Speakers

Emma Ockelford has worked extensively with the UK public sector and with digital companies, proving skills in facilitating and implementing impactful change across these sectors. In her own words:

“ I thrive off of making a genuine impact on outcomes for people within public services – I love working with social workers, schools, hospital staff, senior leaders and people that use public services to make a difference. I also love making a positive difference to the professionals that work and lead local services. My interest in emerging technology keeps me excited and at the forefront of innovation in the UK public sector.”

Affy Wajid is a social worker and project manager, boasting over three decades of experience of delivering change. As a registered social worker and seasoned programme manager, he has spent much of his career in senior management roles, and now works as an independent transformation consultant. Affy’s rich background in frontline social work practice fuels his passionate drive for sustainable change and innovative solutions. His unique practitioner’s perspective ensures that every initiative he leads is both sustainable and has quality practice improvement at is core. With a transformative approach, Affy is committed to exploring and delivering dynamic, practitioner-focused innovation.