Low morale and issues with attraction and retention are affecting local governments’ performance, leading one in five managers to question the effectiveness of their senior leadership teams.
A report from the Social Market Foundation and the Chartered Management Institute found that recruitment and retention was the most common obstacle that leaders and managers in local councils faced in their jobs (38%).
Nearly one in three (30%) said retention rates had been worse in 2022 than in previous years.
The Local heroes? Assessing leadership and management in local government report finds that only 45% of leaders and managers in local councils think their organisation’s leadership is effective at attracting talent.
Although 40% considered quality leadership as the most important factor influencing organisational success, 20% of managers at local authorities believe their senior leadership is ineffective.
Workforce motivation and morale was cited the second most important factor for success (37%), but 40% said that their senior leaders were ineffective at motivating staff or failed to do so at all.
Performance management is also an issue, with 24% rating their local authority as poor or very poor at addressing underperformance. Only 23% said their organisation was good at using data to manage performance.
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Anthony Painter, director of policy at the Chartered Management Institute, said: “The ability of management and leadership to motivate and guide best organisational behaviours under difficult circumstances remains an indispensable skill when resources are increasingly strained.
“This research paints a worrying picture, but leadership and management failure is not inevitable. Investment in quality leadership and management and reinforcing that capability relentlessly will help navigate stormy waters and is ultimately an investment in communities.”
The report urges the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to formulate a 10-year workforce plan for local government and make additional funding available to improve the recruitment and retention of staff at all levels.
It says the workforce strategy should recognise the wealth of experience that can come from candidates outside of local government, and suggests a direct entry system for older career changers with leadership and management experience.
To improve the quality of leadership, it says the DLUHC should establish a management and leadership academy to ensure senior leaders are trained in the skills they need.
The survey found that although 77% of managers had taken part in leadership and management training in 2022, the average amount of days spent in training was 2-4 days, lower than the UK average of six days.
Richard Hyde, senior researcher at the Social Market Foundation, said: “Good leadership and management deploying best practices are associated with better public sector organisational performance. Local government is no exception.
“Given the centrality of local government in daily life, sufficient numbers of, and sufficiently trained leaders and managers are vital.”
The report was based on a survey of 1,000 public sector leaders and managers, including 133 people in local government.
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