Future Leaders Programme

The Future Leaders programme is currently in the last year of contract delivery. DCS Future Leaders is aimed at newly recruited Directors of Children’s Services (DCS) and those aspiring to the role. The programme is comprised of two strands: • to provide leadership development training and support to DCSs in their first year within the role; • to provide training for aspirant DCSs, to equip participants with the skills and knowledge needed for the challenging DCS role, creating a pipeline of skilled, confident, and capable strategic leaders. Further Information: A full specification of the services required would be published as part of procurement documents at Tender stage. Key elements of the service we may procure for include:

• Aspirant Strand delivery: Design, develop and deliver the Aspirant programme strand.
• DCS Strand delivery: Design, develop and deliver the DCS programme strand.
• Attraction and Promotion: Design and run programme attraction, including the development of a brand identity. Ensure this generates a diverse pipeline of programme applicants.
• Recruitment and Selection: Design and run a recruitment process for the Aspirant strand, ensuring candidates meet criteria.
• Programme Management and Governance: Develop strong programme management and governance in order to ensure the programme delivers requirements and against KPIs.
• Evaluation and Continuous Improvement: Contribute to the evaluation of the programme, and seek content improvement via feedback from participants, LA Chief Executives, Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS) and DfE. A more detailed Information Memorandum on the market consultation can be found on the Department’s e-procurement solution (Jaggaer).