Public service academy in Gateshead

Public sector bodies throughout the UK face similar challenges in recruiting, retaining and developing good employees. To help address these issues, Gateshead Council established the country’s first public service academy (PSA).

Key learnings

• Working in partnership achieves much more – managers learn from difference as well as similarity.
• Invest time at the beginning building relationships and the team.
• Review partnerships regularly to help realise your strategic aims and capitalise on opportunities.
• Ensure that a variety of courses are on offer so that as many people as possible can benefit.

Background to the council

Gateshead's history is steeped in traditional industries, with coal mining, ironworks, shipbuilding, pottery and glassmaking all featuring in the area’s past.

Traditional industries have now given way to a more diversified economy. Gateshead has seen extensive regeneration in recent years.

Who was involved?

The seeds of the PSA were sown with the ‘Get on with Gateshead’ campaign: a joint advertising recruitment drive by the council and local NHS.

From this start, the partnership has broadened over time. It now comprises the council, Gateshead College, Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust, the NHS South of Tyne and Wear Primary Care Trust and Northumbria University. The Gateshead Housing Company also benefits from the PSA.

The PSA was set up initially with £100,000 of funding from the North East Centre of Excellence. The partners also made contributions totalling £85,000 to get the project up and running. This has ensured the project has funding through to 2009.

There is a PSA steering group, which meets quarterly and is responsible for the strategic direction of the group. Three sub-groups also exist and are responsible for progressing individual projects.

The problems and how they were tackled

Gateshead established its public service academy (PSA) in 2003. It aims to help public bodies improve the recruitment, retainment and development of good staff members.

The PSA now offers a wide variety of courses to staff at all levels. Courses range from a half-day to two days in duration.

There are 27 different learning events on offer, including sessions on:

• project management
• confidence building
• presentation skills
• interview techniques
• time management
• minute-taking
• team development.

The PSA has also delivered a series of master classes with leading academics and high-profile speakers. These have covered areas such as leadership, networking with confidence and partnership working.

Caroline Patterson is the council’s Special Adviser on Organisational Development (OD). She is also a member of the partnership’s steering group, which oversees the PSA. She says:

“There is something for everyone at the PSA. In today’s climate it is very important that we invest in our employees, not only to make them feel valued, but to improve their skills. This in turn improves the performance of the organisation.”

Outcomes and impacts

Feedback from courses has been very positive. Ninety-six per cent of the 2006/07 intake report that the classes were either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ at helping meet their objectives.

Event organisation and networking opportunities were also given ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ ratings by more than 80 per cent of participants.

What could we have been done better?

In the early days, there were established relationships between the key partners in the initiative. But as people moved on and new members joined the group, the dynamics changed.

Officials believe more could have been done to develop relationships, rebuild the team and boost the partnership culture. This would have helped to keep the momentum of the project.

PSA Project Manager Julian Bird says:

“As the personnel involved changed, a bit more attention to the people aspects would have complemented and supported the work on done on governance, financial planning and project management.”

Nevertheless, the PSA has continued to operate well. A large event is now held each year to bring together all the stakeholders and make sure they are fully engaged.

Next steps

The North East Improvement Partnership, working in collaboration with the PSA, has recently funded the development of a comprehensive regional cross-sector programme. This involves neighbouring public sector organisations.

In the longer term, it is hoped to expand the joint learning and development opportunities offered through the PSA. This will help build a talent pool of public sector workers who can move easily between organisations.

Jeff Dean, Chair of the Steering Group, says he would also like to see the PSA get its own offices – to date courses have been hosted by the partners. He says:

“The PSA has been successful as a ‘virtual organisation’ so far. But I believe we could do so much more to enhance capacity in the public, charitable and third sectors if we grew the PSA further and it had its own physical location.

“It could present the visible face of public service improvement, embody its values. It could offer shared facilities to help develop public service workers and leaders who could work effectively right across the sector.”

Further information

Caroline Patterson, Gateshead Council OD Special Adviser
telephone: (0191) 433 2218
email: carolinepatterson@gateshead.gov.uk
 
Julian Bird, Gateshead Council Special Projects Adviser
telephone: (0191) 433 2951
email: julianbird@gateshead.gov.uk
 
Jackie Stafford, Public Sector Academy Development Worker
telephone: (0191) 433 2285
email: jackiestafford@gateshead.gov.uk

Gateshead Council
Civic Centre
Regent Street
Gateshead
Tyne and Wear, NE8 1HH
telephone: (0191) 433 3000
email: enquiries@gateshead.gov.uk

Case study published March 2008.